As previously mentioned, the workplace may include people from different backgrounds, with varying levels of education, with different abilities and experiences or from different races.  There may also be people with disabilities.

Diversity is a positive within an organisation as these differences can influence the organisation's ability to show innovation and improve their competitiveness within their industry.  However, there are some occasions where you may witness negative elements of diversity such as racism or discrimination.  This is when diversity can become a workplace issue.  This may quickly turn into an issue related to bullying or other mistreatment of staff.

As stated by Anderson and Bolt (2013), one must be mindful to:

• behave ethically
• maintain confidentiality standards expected of you from the organisation
• understand your rights related to diversity
• respect others regarding cultural differences
• be proud of who you are
• behave in a manner expected within the workplace which may be very different from your usual social interactions
• maintain the organisation's trust at all time
• stand up to people in discriminatory situations
• avoid prejudice and stereotyping

(Reference:  Anderson, LE & Bold, SB 2013, Professionalism:  Skills for workplace success, Prentice Hall, New Jersey.)