MANAGING HUMAN RESOURCES

HRMG 5000

HALIMAH I. DABO

EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY

DR. DAN B. WAIT EdD

JANUARY 25, 2017

 

 

 

 

 

 

Introduction

What is Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) and how does it relate to workplace related discrimination? EEO’s mission is to ensure that no person is discriminated against regardless of physical or mental disability, age, race, religion, gender, and national origin. Human resource managers have to thoroughly understand the different types of workplace related discrimination to help ensure that no kind of discrimination takes place that could potentially lead the organization to lawsuits. There are different types of laws enacted to protect the American workforce in regards to workplace related discrimination and it is imperative that human resource managers comply and abide with the laws and regulations set forth. This paper will focus on the different types of workplace discrimination, laws and regulations to protect workers from discrimination and the role human resource management has in enforcing EEO.

The Major Concept

In today’s diversified world, people from all parts of the world migrate to the United States to live the American dream. With this migration process comes new culture and traditions, religion, different national origins and background. Every organization goes through the process of hiring and other employment related decisions to make the company successful. This process is heavily weighed on human resource managers to make an educated decision to ensure that equal employment opportunity (EEO) rights have not been violated in this decision-making process. According to Mathis, Jackson & Valentine (2014), “Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) means that employment decisions must be made on the basis of job requirements and worker qualifications” (p. 72). In other words, employers cannot discriminate and disqualify an individual from an employment opportunity based on his/her disability, age, race, gender, origin and/or religion.

The Basis of the Different Types of Workplace Discrimination

Disability Discrimination

Disability discrimination is a complex subject matter as the definition of a disabled person according to the Americans with Disabilities Act Amendments Act (ADAAA) states the following, “A disabled person is someone who has a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits that person in some major life activities, who has a record of such an impairment, or who is regarded as having such an impairment” (Mathis et al., 2014, p.89). According to Midwest New Media (2017), The Rehabilitation Act of 1973 was applied only for federal employees until almost 20 years later, the Americans with Disabilities Act (1990) was passed to protect those employed by labor unions, private and employment agencies.

Age Discrimination

This is another form of discrimination that takes place in a workplace environment. Other developed countries have their own set of laws and regulations to protect their workforce from age discrimination. According to Senator Stephen M. Young,

The view that a man or woman is so old at 65 as to warrant compulsory retirement from industry stems from an era before the turn of the century and comes to us from a period when life expectancy was about half of the life expectancy of Americans and Europeans at the present time. . . . In fact, today [people] are not as old at 65 [in] thought, action, physical and mental ability as men and women . . . were at the age of 40 in the 1880’s. Yet, for some reason or other, we Americans have adhered to this view of 65 as being the proper age for retirement notwithstanding the fact that this concept is today as outdated as are flint-lock muskets and candle dips of the eighteenth century (Glenn & Little, 2014).

In the United States, the Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA) prohibits employers from discriminating against potential employees that are 40 years old and older.

Religion and Spirituality in the Workplace  

Religious diversity in the workplace within the United States has rapid grown in the past years. In order to avoid religious discrimination in the workplace, Title VII of the Civil Rights Act was passed to prohibit discrimination based on religion. This law is also set in place in order to diminish hostile environment at workplace between employees based on their religion preferences. The Title VII Act also requires employers to accommodate religious needs unless it causes a major burden in the operation of the business. According to Facts About Religious Discrimination, “A reasonable religious accommodation is any adjustment to the work environment that will allow the employee to practice his religion. Flexible scheduling, voluntary shift substitutions or swaps, job reassignments lateral transfers, and exceptions to dress or grooming rules are examples of accommodating an employee's religious beliefs”. This Act serves well especially after the September 11, 2001 terror attack, which resulted in hatred or fear of Muslim and as a result had an impact on the religious diversified workplace (Mathis et al., 2014, p. 97).

How Workplace Discrimination relates to Human Resources Management

Organizational Culture

            Human resource managers are responsible in every decision-making process of hiring, firing, promoting or demoting an employee. They are required to adhere to all state and federal laws and regulations to ensure that the final decision made was not based on any type of discriminatory fact. It is also the responsibility of human resource managers to understand the organization’s culture and inform management/leadership of the changes that may come about in the future. The state and federal laws passed are set to be the basic foundations to create a safe, respectful and harassment free workplace for all members of the organization. It is one of the primary duties of a human resource manager to enforce these policies to maintain a favorable workplace condition.   

Areas of Disagreement

            Our Textbook covers discrimination based on disability, gender, race, sex, religion and national origin. However, there are no policies governing discrimination in public sectors for political views and sexual orientation. In today’s world, people are very outspoken from a political standpoint and open about their sexual preferences. With no state or federal guidance or policies set, how can these two subject matters be regulated in a workplace environment or how can HR managers enforce regulations that are not mandated?

How I Would Employ Equal Employment Opportunity in Organizations

            As a human resource manager, I would schedule training to ensure that employees are aware of the information mandated by state and federal laws and create team-building exercises. Knowledge is power and at times most incidents or disagreements take place because of “not knowing” or lack of knowledge. Employees tend to set their differences aside when the organization sets the tone of a safe, respectful and harassment free workplace all across the board regardless of age, gender, origin, color, race, disability, etc.

Major Learning

            It is imperative to keep ourselves informed of our rights and the rights of others based on the laws and regulation mandated by the state and/or the federal government. The number of law suits being filed due to workplace related discrimination have significantly increased in the past few years and it is everyone’s responsibility to do their due diligence by following those policies set forth in which business operate.

Summary

            Discriminating against a person based on age, gender, race, color, religion, national origin, disability is unlawful. It creates an unfavorable work environment that takes away from accomplishing the organization’s mission. To help mitigate discrimination at workplace, different state and federal laws have been passed to protect all employees. These policies have been passed on to help create a favorable working environment that is safe, harassment free and respectful to the diversified workforce. It is human resource manager’s responsibility to ensure that these policies are enforced.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Works Cited

Facts About Religious Discrimination. (n.d.). Retrieved January 21, 2017, from

                https://www1.eeoc.gov/eeoc/publications/fs-religion.cfm

Glenn, J. J., & Little, K. E. (2014). A Study of the Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967.  

Retrieved January 21, 2017, from  http://www.americanbar.org/publications/gp_solo/2014/november_december/a_study_the_age_discrimination_employment_act_1967.html

Mathis, R. L., Jackson, J. H., & Valentine, S. R. (2014). Human Resource Management (14th ed.).         

Stamford, CT: Cengage.

Midwest New Media, LLC - http://www.midwestnewmedia.com - (513) 742-9150. (n.d.). Workplace 

            Fairness. Retrieved January 21, 2017,

http://www.workplacefairness.org/disabilitydiscrimination#1

 

 

 

  

 

1.       No Plagiarism

 

2.       No content from other student's papers.

 

3.       PAPER should be in MLA format, I will need References and in-text citations.

 

4.       BOOK: Compensation (Irwin Management) 12th Edition

5.       by George Milkovich (Author), Jerry Newman (Author), Barry Gerhart (Author) ISBN-13: 978-1259532726 ISBN-10: 1259532720

 

6.       Assignement will be in MLA format and must include a properly formatted reference list.  You paper must be in 5-8 pages,not including title page and reference page. 

 

7.       Chapter 7 Defining competitiveness pages 234-261

 

8.       Paper example attached

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

MLA FORMAT

 

5-8 pages

 

Book: Compensation (Irwin Management) 12th Edition

by George Milkovich (Author), Jerry Newman (Author), Barry Gerhart (Author)

 

ISBN-13: 978-1259532726

ISBN-10: 1259532720