Three Common Types of Workplace Gender Discrimination

An accountant and attorney, Stephen Singleteary has years of experience in the fast-food industry. An accomplished business developer with a history of overseeing companies recognized by Black Enterprise, Stephen Singleteary speaks out against gender discrimination in the workplace. 

This kind of gender discrimination is the unfavorable treatment of a person based on their gender in a work environment. Common forms of this type of gender bias include:

Unequal pay
This is where an employee is paid less than their colleagues of the opposite sex despite working in the same field and having identical experience and expertise.

Positional bias
This is where an employee or job candidate is not given a position due to negative stereotypes about gender roles. This bias plays out when a woman is denied a role as a mechanical engineer, construction worker, or security officer despite her high qualifications, for example, simply because the role is traditionally regarded as a man’s job. 

Sexual harassment
One of the more severe forms of discrimination in the workplace, this takes the form of sexually-obscene comments or requests for sexual favors.

Gender discrimination at work is a federal offense punishable by law under the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Equal Pay Act of 1963, and the U.S. Code Title 42, Chapter 21 - Civil Rights.

Women Are Occupying More Company Board Positions

Experienced company executive Stephen Singleteary is a financial and legal advisor based in Miami, Florida. In his advisory work, Stephen Singleteary advocates for gender parity in company board positions.

Women have long been denied equal opportunities in boardroom matters. However, according to a report by executive-search firm Heidrick & Struggles, there has been significant progress toward gender parity. The document states that in 2017, women comprised 38 percent of all newly-appointed directors in Fortune 500 companies.

In another Wall Street Journal (WSJ) report, data gathered by ISS Analytics from the 3,000 largest public companies in the US revealed that, as of June 2018, 31 percent of new directors were women. The WSJ theorizes that a recent shift toward more women was largely motivated by the #MeToo movement.

Still, there is room for more improvement. Women occupied just 18 percent of board positions in the 3,000 companies studied. Only 10 percent of independent directors were women, while only 4 percent of boards had women as chairs. In Fortune 500 companies, 22.2 percent of board seats were held by women in 2017.

There is still a need for gender equity and diversity. Companies perform better with more women on board. An analysis by Harvard’s School of Public Health found that the top 25 percent of companies with the largest ratio of women on their boards had a 42 percent greater return on sales than the bottom three quarters.

Study Reveals Most Popular Fast Food Franchises among Entrepreneurs

An entrepreneur, Stephen Singleteary has years of experience in the fast food industry. Previously the president of Diversity Foods Processing, LLC, and one of the largest suppliers of hamburger patties to Burger King, Stephen Singleteary knows the fast food franchising market well.

National Fast Food Day was Nov. 16. Just before the noted day, research was commissioned by Bid-on-Equipment to determine the top fast food franchises aspiring entrepreneurs were considering opening in each state. The research was based on the volume of related Google searches. 

According to the research, the most popular fast food franchises entrepreneurs wanted to establish were Chick-fil-A, Dunkin’ Donuts, and Subway. Looking at the data on a state-by-state basis, Chick-fil-A was the most popular franchise in 13 states including Texas, Mississippi, Georgia, and Virginia. Dunkin’ Donuts was ahead in six states including Illinois, New York, and Delaware, while Subway was the most popular in two states, New Mexico and Minnesota. Other popular food franchises were KFC, Little Caesars, and Jimmy John’s.

Report Highlights Growth of Women-Owned Businesses Since 1997

The former president of Diversity Food Processing, LLC, Stephen Singleteary has years of experience in the fast food industry as an entrepreneur and franchisee. Throughout his many years in business, Stephen Singleteary has been an advocate for women owning businesses.

The number of women-owned businesses in America is growing, according to the 2017 American Express State of Women-Owned Businesses Report. The number of women-owned businesses has grown an impressive 114 percent since 1997, so that as of January 2017, there were about 11.6 million women-owned businesses in the country. These businesses employed more than 9 million Americans (in addition to their owners) and generated over $1.7 trillion in revenues. 

Looking at these figures as a percentage of the entire market, women-owned businesses accounted for 39 percent of US firms, employed 8 percent of private sector employees, and generated 4.2 percent of business revenues. These facts show that while significant gains have been made in getting more women in business, there is still much that needs to be done to close gaps in revenue generation.

The report also highlighted gains made by minority women-owned businesses. In January 2017, minorities made up 46 percent of all women-owned businesses. African Americans owned 19 percent of women-owned businesses (about 2.2 million firms), representing 605 percent growth since 1997; Latinas owned 17 percent of women-owned businesses (about 1.9 million firms) representing a 491 percent increase since 1997; and Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islanders owned 0.3 percent of all women-owned businesses (about 34,200 firms) representing a 493 percent increase since 1997.

Minority-Owned Businesses Face Challenges in Accessing Capital

Previously the president of Diversity Food Processing LLC, Stephen Singleteary grew the company to employ over 300 people and become one of the largest African-American-owned companies in the country. During this journey, Stephen Singleteary learned first-hand the challenges facing minority-owned businesses, one of which is access to capital. 

Minority-owned businesses face significant challenges accessing capital for their businesses. A study conducted by the Minority Business Development Agency revealed that minority-owned businesses were less likely to access lender financing than non-minority owned businesses. For those that did get loans, bias was evident in the amounts lent. According to the study, minority-owned businesses with less than $500,000 gross receipts received an average of $149,000 in loans, while non-minority owned businesses in the same category received an average of $310,000 in loans. 

In business, lack of capital can be the difference between success and failure. Therefore, much should be done by local, state, and federal agencies to improve access to finance among minority-owned businesses, since these businesses employed over 6.3 million people and generated $1.8 trillion in revenue in 2016. Minority-owned businesses can also do a lot to improve their chances of accessing loans. For example, they can keep good records of their financial performance, hire independent auditors to examine their financial statements, hire solid management teams, and maintain strong competitive advantages.

Gender Pay Gap Actually Indicates Opportunity Gap in Corporate America

Stephen Singleteary began his career as an accountant before earning his JD from DePaul University School of Law. As a financial and legal professional, Stephen Singleteary is aware of the difficulties women face in growing their careers. One of them is the ever-present opportunity gap.

Women are continually denied leadership opportunities in corporate institutions. In fact, new research suggests the pay gap that women face in their careers is actually a consequence of the opportunity gap that exists today. PayScale conducted an online survey between January 2016 and February 2018. More than 2 million respondents participated in the study. This is what PayScale found:

On average, women earned 77.9 cents for every dollar men earned. This gap grew larger at more senior job levels. A woman in her 20s earns 81.8 cents for every dollar a man in the same age bracket earns. A woman aged 30-44 years earns 76.1 cents for every dollar a man does, and a woman aged 45 or older earns 69.1 cents for every dollar a man does. 

The reason for the progressive pay gap was the higher career growth opportunities men benefited from. The study revealed that men were 70 percent more likely to be in vice president or C-suite roles by mid-career and 142 percent more likely by late career. These advancements come with higher incomes. Therefore, companies that want to close the wage gap should first consider taking steps to close the opportunity gap.

It should be noted that studies have shown that the pay gap is even wider and the career opportunities are significantly less for women of color.

Spotlight - 2018 NMSDC Conference and Business Opportunity Exchange

Stephen Singleteary is a former president of Virginia's Diversity Food Processing LLC who now serves as principal of Legacy Food Solutions. Augmenting his career in the food processing sector, Stephen Singleteary holds membership with the National Minority Supplier Development Council (NMSDC).

The 2018 NMSDC Conference and Business Opportunity Exchange is taking place from October 14 to 17 in Austin, Texas, and will include more than 6,000 corporate CEOs, supplier diversity professionals, procurement executives from prominent multinational companies, and renowned minority business owners. The four-day event features more than 20 industry-specific sessions and workshops and operates on a collective mission to develop and advocate for more minority-owned firms in the worldwide corporate supply chain. 

The event will also feature more than 700 exhibit booths for minority businesses to showcase their products and services as well as a one-day Business Opportunity Exchange trade show, which is new to the annual conference. Awards will also be distributed for the Suppliers of the Year, Regional Council of the Year, and Corporation of the Year.

Last Chance U Star Signs with Chicago Bears

The holder of a law degree from the DePaul University College of Law, Stephen Singleteary draws upon more than a decade of experience in the food processing industry in his role as principal of Legacy Food Solutions. Beyond his professional pursuits, Stephen Singleteary is a passionate fan of the National Football League's Chicago Bears.

The Chicago Bears recently signed a well-known college quarterback, although he won't be playing under center in the NFL. On May 13, the Bears agreed to a contract with former East Mississippi Community College quarterback John Franklin III, who was one of the stars of the Netflix documentary Last Chance U. Franklin III played quarterback for the school during the 2015 season, when the Netflix series followed the team, and recorded seven touchdowns and 733 passing yards in nine regular season games. He transferred to the University of Auburn the following season and registered 430 rushing yards and 204 passing yards as the team's backup quarterback. 

He then transferred to Florida Atlantic and started playing wide receiver in his senior season, but he'll be playing defense in the NFL. The Fort Lauderdale, Florida native was signed as a defensive back and kick returner. According to his agent, he had come close to signing a contract with the Seattle Seahawks following the 2018 NFL draft, but that fell through, allowing him to sign with the Bears.