<p align="left" class="msobodytext"><span style=" font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;"><font color="#000000" id="role_document">Racial and ethnic slurs and other inappropriate comments made in the workplace failed to decline last year, according to an annual telephone survey by Novations Group, a global consulting organization based in Boston. </font> </span></p>
<p align="left" class="msobodytext"><span style=" font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;">As in the prior three years, the most frequent offensive remarks were sexually related and were reported by one-third of employees, said Novations Group executive consultant Tom McKinnon. "In fact, incidence of improper sexual remarks rose by four points, from 31% in 2004 to 35% last year. Ridicule based on sexual orientation also went up four points, from 20% in 2004 to 24%. </span></p>
<p align="left" class="msobodytext"><span style=" font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;">Men were more likely than women to hear and report any type of workplace ridicule, but especially comments based on sexual orientation where the gap was 31% to 16%. Similarly, sexually inappropriate comments were more likely to be reported by men, by 41% to 29%. </span></p>
<p align="left" class="msobodytext"><span style=" font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;">Among the survey´s findings: </span></p>
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<li><span style=" font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;">Incidence of ethnic and racial slurs follows sexual remarks and remains consistent over the past four years. Ethnic remarks were overheard by 29% of employees in 2005, 28% in 2004, 28% in 2003 and 29% in 2002. </span></li>
<li><span style=" font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;">Likewise, racial slurs were overheard by 29% in 2005, 30% in 2004, 27% in 2003 and 29% in 2002. Blacks were half as likely as whites to overhear racial comments, by 17% to 30%. Westerners were more likely, by 36% to 24%, to overhear such remarks than northeasterners. </span></li>
<li><span style=" font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;">Ethnic slurs were more likely to be overheard by southerners than by northeasterners, by 32% to 27%. </span></li>
<li><span style=" font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;">Age-related ridicule was noted by 22% of employees. By 27% to 14% those under 34 were more likely to overhear such remarks as were employees over 55.</span></li>
<li><span style=" font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;">Ridicule based on sexual orientation, overheard by 24% of employees, matched the finding for 2002 whereas it had declined in both 2003 and 2004 to 20%.</span></li>
<li><span style=" font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;">Ridicule based on sexual orientation was more likely to be overheard by westerners. Such comments were reported by 45% of employees in the west compared with 34% in the northeast, 33% in the north central region and 32% in the south.</span></li>
<li><span style=" font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;">Incidence of ridicule related to disability rose to 9% in 2005, up from 5% in 2004, 3% in 2003 and 7% in 2002.</span></li>
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<p><span style=" font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;">"We have a disturbing consistency," said McKinnon. "Although many of our year-to-year changes may not be statistically significant, we also see no indication that the workplace is becoming more tolerant or sensitive to differences." </span></p>
<p align="left" class="msobodytext"><span style=" font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;">The national telephone phone survey of 612 employed Americans was conducted for Novations Group March 9-13, 2006 by International Communications Research, Media, PA. </span></p>
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<p class="123"><span style=" font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;">Founded in 1977 and headquartered in Boston, Novations Group is a leading employee performance improvement organization that serves clients on four continents. For information visit <a target="_blank" href="http://www.novations.com/">www.Novations.com</a>. </span></p>
<p class="msonormal"><span style=" font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;">Contact: Pat FitzGerald, Novations, 617-787-2163, <a href="mailto:pfitzgerald@novations.com">pfitzgerald@novations.com</a>, or Phil Ryan, Ryan Public Relations, 845-339-7858.</span></p>
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