Managing Diversity in the Workplace

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Recommended: Ethical and legal considerations for discrimination

Today’s modern workforce is made up of a diverse group of individuals. People of different nationality, race, creed, color, age, sex, and sexual orientation work side by side every day. This diversity has many advantages, but it also ads a level of complexity to management. The potential for discrimination is real, and needs to be managed so as not to incur lawsuits, loss of productivity, and unhealthy working conditions. Happy employees are productive employees, so it is in any organizations best interests to ensure that discrimination does not happen, but unfortunately, it does.

In the assigned hypothetical scenario, John was dismissed and believes he was discriminated against. By understanding the different types of discrimination and the legal recourse of individuals discriminated against organizations can better prepare them selves to avoid similar situations with their employees.

Types of Discrimination

The fist issue John must consider is what type of discrimination was used against him. To limit discrimination in the United States, Congress has passed several laws / acts to discourage the behavior. In 1963 the "Equal Pay Act" was established. This act states that persons within the same organization who are performing similar tasks under similar working conditions must be paid similar wages. In other words, an employer can not pay a man more money than a woman when they are performing the same tasks (EEOC, 1963).

In 1964 Congress passes the Civil Rights Act which allows all persons regardless of race, sex, color, national origin, or religion to vote, to confer jurisdiction upon the courts, to institute suits to protect constitutional rights in public facilities and public education and prohibits discrimination in regard to employment (EEOC, 2008). In 1967, the Age Discrimination in Employment Act was passed which prohibits individuals over 40 from bring discriminated against in terms of employment (EEOC, 2008). Finally in 1973 the Rehabilitation Act was passed then revised in 1990 as the Americans with Disabilities Act which prohibits discrimination against any person with physical and mental disabilities (EEOC, 2008).

Given the number of acts that have been passed it is fair to say that discrimination can be described as any unequal treatment of any person based on sex, age, religion, sexual orientation, color, national origin, or anything else besides skills and abilities. As an employee John has the right, granted by the United States Government, to be treated equally compared to his peers.

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