by Race in the Workplace special correspondent Erica

The History of Labor Day - U.S. Department of Labor
“Labor Day, the first Monday in September, is a creation of the labor movement and is dedicated to the social and economic achievements of American workers. It constitutes a yearly national tribute to the contributions workers have made to the strength, prosperity, and well-being of our country.”

The cost of hidden bias at work - FT.com
“Compared with heterosexual white men, who account for the majority of US managers, non-white people were three times more likely to claim they had left after being unfairly treated, while homosexuals were twice as likely.” (via ampha)

The value of diversity - Leadership Turn
“Q. What if my occupation happens to attract a particular type, such as men, women, straight…? A. If everyone around you is the same, you’ve got some serious problems. Every industry today is under intense pressure to innovate and change, and they should seek diversity anywhere possible. Seek out organisations that try to hire people different from yourself.”

Diversity Programs Work … And They’re Necessary - Advertising Age
“At every turn during the last thirty years, diversity programs provided me with an opportunity to succeed but I could not have succeeded if I was not prepared. People have often said to me, ‘You are so lucky!’ If ‘lucky’ means I was prepared to take advantage of opportunities that came my way then I accept that I am lucky.” (via wendi muse)

Former clerk gets $44,000 racial bias settlement with Los Gatos clinic - San Jose Mercury News
“After investigating the complaints of 29-year-old Tomeika L. Broussard of Hayward, the EEOC found that her supervisor for several months in 2004 ‘constantly’ subjected the African-American file clerk to racial code words including ‘reggin,’ (the N-word spelled backwards) and ‘N.P.’ (N-word please). Another co-worker made comments about African-Americans being ‘nappy heads’ and ‘ghetto.’” (via stereohyped)

Be Gutsy at Work - Yahoo! Hotjobs
“I believe women tend to downplay their successes more so than men for fear of appearing conceited. And while it’s true that bragging excessively is obnoxious and frowned upon — regardless of gender — that doesn’t mean you should stop short of taking credit for your work and seeking credit at every stage of your career. That doesn’t make you a braggart; it positions you as a proud, accomplished professional.”

Approach Young Talent Like a Brand-Building Challenge - Advertising Age
“While the industry internship programs are vitally important, they are not and cannot be considered the only point of entry into the industry when at most 10% of the candidates in our extensive database entering the industry come through the highly competitive American Advertising Federation and American Association of Advertising Agencies multicultural internship programs. With low retention levels… in the industry — particularly for multicultural talent — the need to build a strong entry-level pool of talent and nurture that talent from the beginning becomes even more vital.”

Recommended Reading is a weekly feature where we link to some of our favorite workplace-related blog posts and articles. If you would like to suggest a link to Erica, please email [email protected]