Carmen Alvarez is a software engineer at WaveTech, a mid$-$sized tech company known for its innovative projects and competitive work environment. Carmen, who is of Hispanic descent, has been with the company for three years and has consistently received positive performance reviews. Recently, Carmen has noticed a shift in how she is treated by her manager, John, and some colleagues. Over the past six months, Carmen has experienced instances where John made several offhanded comments about Carmen$$s accent and cultural background implying that there may barriers to effective communication with clients. Despite her excellent track record, Carmen has been excluded from several high$-$profile projects. These projects are often given to her colleagues with less experience. In addition, Carmen$$s work is subjected to unusually harsh scrutiny compared to her peers. Minor mistakes are blown out of proportion, while similar errors by others are overlooked. Carmen has also noticed that over the past six months she has been left out of informal team gatherings and is not invited to social events that her colleagues attend. Carmen feels that these actions are not only affecting her job performance but are also creating a hostile work environment. She has approached HR with her concerns, but their response has been dismissive, suggesting that she might be misinterpreting the situation. Does the behavior described in this case constitute discrimination or harassment? Why or why not? What steps should Carmen take to address the situation, and what should WaveTech do to ensure a fair and inclusive workplace?

$*$Students will submit their sixth lecture reflection on the above question and be assessed a grade for Lecture Reflection component of the course. All submissions are due upon the commencement of Module $7.$