Equal Employment Opportunity in the Working Environment

Running head: EQUAL OPPORTUNITY

Equal Employment Opportunity in the Working Environment

James A. Lee

Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University

Management 317

Abstract

This paper on equal opportunity employment will show a few different types of discrimination that would impede on a person from getting hired into an organization. It also shows some of the different Acts from the Civil Rights Act of 1964 that prevent discrimination when hiring workers into an organization.

Equal Employment Opportunity in the Working Environment

Equal employment opportunity involves both workplace nondiscrimination and affirmative action. Equal opportunity has changed the way businesses and organizations recruit, hire, and even act in the working environment. These changes have been put in place due to the increasing numbers of women, people with different racial and ethnic backgrounds, persons of different ages, their able-bodied ness, and religion.

In 1964 a change was brought about by the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Title seven of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 was to enforce the constitutional right to vote, to confer jurisdiction upon the district courts of the United States to provide injunctive relief against discrimination in public accommodations, to authorize the Attorney General to institute suits to protect constitutional rights in public facilities and education, to extend the commission on civil rights, to prevent discrimination in federally assisted programs, to establish a Commission on Equal Employment Opportunity, and for other purposes (The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission). This Act changed they way women and people of different ethnic backgrounds voted for public office, worked in major organizations, and how they proceeded with other major daily activities. This gave the people more rights when it came down to applying for jobs or voting in schools or different organizations. This put everyone at the same level. No race, gender or ethnic power was higher ranking then the other.

Most companies after the Civil Rights Act of 1964 employed the idea of affirmative action. "Affirmative action is legally driven by federal, state and provincial, and local laws, as well as numerous court cases. It requires written reports containing plans and statistical goals for specific groups of people in terms of such employment practices as hiring, promotions, and layoffs" (Hunt, Osborn, Schermerhorn Jr., 2003, pg.62).

Equal Opportunity was mainly brought about due to men being the prime bread winners in the home. Once women started working, they believed they were being treated unfairly in the working environment. Women mainly held low paying jobs and never really worked in a position of authority. "The research on working women in general tells us that there are very few differences between men and women that affect job performance. Thus, men and women show no consistent differences in their problem-solving abilities, analytical skills, competitive drive, motivation, learning ability, or sociability. However, women are reported to be more conforming and to have lower expectations of success than men do. Also, Women's absenteeism rates tend to be higher than those of men. This latter finding may change, however, as we see men starting to play a more active role in raising children; absenteeism is also likely to be less frequent as telecommuting, flexible working hours, and the like become more prevalent. In respect to pay, women's earnings have risen slowly from 59 percent of men's in 1979 to 76 percent most recently"(2003,pg.63).

This research is basically showing that once men and women start acquiring the same roles in the work and home environment, there is nothing excluding a woman from working a mans job.

Companies may soon realize it might be helpful to have a woman in a certain position to acquire a certain goal in mind.

Another aspect of equal opportunity in the working environment is the differences between racial and ethnic groups.

The Civil Rights Act of 1964 again protects employees against harassment, segregation and classification of employees, or pre-employment inquiries. The Act states that it is unlawful to discriminate any employee or applicant from employment because of his/her race or color in regard to hiring, termination, promotion, compensation, job training, or any other term, condition, or privilege of employment. Title seven also prohibits employment decisions based on stereotypes and assumptions about abilities, traits, or the performance of individuals of certain racial groups. This title also prohibits both intentional discrimination and neutral job policies that disproportionately exclude minorities and that are not job related (The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission). Just being a minority might not be the reason an organization may not hire you. If you are married to a certain minority the organization may not hire you just because of your acquaintance to that person. The Act also prohibits an organization from doing because it is considered a violation under the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

The term racial and ethnic groups are used to reflect the broad spectrum of employees of differing ethnicities or races who make up and ever-increasing portion of the working environment.

"In the American workplace diversity is reflected in an increasing proportion of African Americans, Asian Americans, and Hispanic Americans" (Hunt, Osborn, Schermerhorn Jr., 2003, pg.64). Due to the major rise in racial and ethnic groups entering the workforce, companies must set plans to enforce rules and laws to limit the stereotypes and discrimination among these groups of people. If these laws are not told to the employees when they are first hired, there could be many problems within the working environment that hinder the final product of the organization.

One of the biggest issues on hiring employees dealing with an equal opportunity standpoint is age. Many elderly or younger persons may apply for jobs in small and major organizations. The Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967 (ADEA) protects individuals who are forty years of age or older from employment discrimination based on age. Under the ADEA, it is unlawful to discriminate against a person because of his/her age with respect to any term, condition, or privilege of employment, including hiring,