Managing a Diverse Workforce - 3m

The Respectful Workplace Principle at 3M states that “Everyone is entitled to respectful treatment in the 3M workplace. Being respected means being treated honestly and professionally, with each person’s unique talents, background and perspectives valued. A respectful workplace is free from unlawful discrimination and harassment, but it involves more than compliance with the law. It is a work environment that is free of inappropriate or unprofessional behavior and consistent with 3M’s ethics and values – a place where employees can all do their best, and where employees are free to report workplace concerns without fear of retaliation or reprisal” (Respectful Workplace Principle, 2015).

In 2013, 3M was one of 64 companies to receive the Diversity Leader Award presented by the Diversity Journal “to organizations that are advancing the evolution of diversity and inclusion, and the Diversity Officers who help them achieve that goal” (Austin, 2012). In 2014, the readers of Workforce Diversity for Engineering & IT Professionals magazine voted 3M as one of the Top 50 companies they believed provided “a positive working environment for members of minority groups” (Equal Opportunity Publications, 2014). Also in 2014, they were one of 304 companies to score 100% on the Human Rights Campaign’s Corporate Equality Index which earned them the award of “Best Places to Work for LGBT Equality” (McCarty, 2013).

Since 2004, 3M has been accused of age discrimination and three separate lawsuits have been filed against them. These suits claim that hundreds of employees over the age of 45 were unlawfully laid off and thousands more were affected due to being denied leadership training and advancement opportunities within the company. The first case was established by the state on behalf of approximately 7,000 former and current employees and mainly dealt with alleged discriminatory practices regarding pay, performance reviews, promotions and the terminations of older workers. This case was settled in March of 2011 for $12 million. The second case was a federal case that was filed on behalf of 135 employees, but the terms of this settlement have been kept confidential. The third lawsuit with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) was settled for $3 million in August of 2011.