Page 645 - Business Principles and Management

Unit 7

Equal Opportunity in Employment

In recent years, many businesses have taken positive steps to correct discrimina-
tion in employment. Those steps include the development of written plans for
fair employment practices, a review of recruitment and selection procedures,
improved access to job training to qualify employees for promotion who may
have been excluded in the past, diversity training for all managers and employ-
ees, and improved performance evaluation procedures that reduce bias. Com-
panies that have taken a sincere and active interest in improving the diversity
of their workforce and eliminating discrimination have found that diversity
improves decision making by bringing a rich array of ideas and perspectives to
company planning and problem solving.
Government has also played a role in reducing discrimination and increasing
employment opportunities for everyone. The laws related to equal employment
are described in Figure 23-3.

FIGURE 23-3 Laws that Expand Employment Opportunities

The Civil Rights Act
This act prohibits discrimination in hiring, training, and promotion on the
basis of race, ethnicity, gender, religion, or national origin.
Equal Pay Act
This act prohibits unequal pay for men and women who are doing
substantially the same work.
Age Discrimination in Employment Act
This act prohibits discrimination in conditions of employment or job
opportunities for persons over 40 years old.
facts & Immigration Reform and Control Act

This act requires employers to verify that potential employees are not aliens
figures unauthorized to work in the United States and prohibits employment
discrimination because of national origin or citizenship status.

Americans with Disabilities Act
Supply and demand cause the This act prohibits discrimination against qualified people with disabilities
compensation for some jobs to in employment, public services, transportation, public accommodations,
be higher than for others even and telecommunications. It requires employers to make reasonable
when the jobs are of similar accommodations to support the employment of disabled employees.
difficulty, responsibility, and so
on. The level of compensation
is also influenced by what com-
peting firms pay for similar
jobs. However, laws and regu-
lations also affect the level CHECKPOINT
of compensation by ensuring List the important laws that regulate employment discrimination
there is no discrimination based and equal employment.
on gender, age, or disability.

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