Equal Employment Opportunity in the Working Environment

Equal Employment Opportunity in the Working Environment

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...

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...oyment. Under this act Employees cannot be forced to participate, or not participate in a religious activity as a condition of employment. Employers may not treat employees or applicants less - or more - favorably because of their religious beliefs or practices. Managers must also reasonably accommodate employees' sincerely held religious beliefs or practices unless doing so would impose an undue hardship on the employer. If other employees’ do not like the person the manager must do everything in his power to prevent religious harassment in the workplace (The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission).

In conclusion, there are many rights to the employees’ when it comes down to equal opportunity employment. In this paper you learned of a few different types of discrimination towards employees’ and how different acts protect them in the workforce. It also has shown what rights a person has as an employee in the working environment.

References

Schermerhorn, J.R & Hunt, J.G & Osborn, R.N (2003). Organizational Behavior Eight Edition.

US Equal Opportunity Commission (EEOC). (2008, September 27). Retrieved September 29, 2008, from http://www.eeoc.gov/