About Equal Employment Opportunity Law

Should firms be required to follow equal-opportunity jobs policies? This question has been posed to me many times, and my response has always been yes. Because of the many members belonging to different cultures but living under the same society, there is a great need for corporations to follow these laws (Newman, 2017). As a result, fair work laws have been developed to ensure equal consideration of diverse applicants for employment who come from various groups living in society. According to equal opportunity work legislation, diverse communities within the society may have equal employment prospects in industries. Businesses are supposed to be run based on the principle that all the individuals visiting the company with the motive of seeking employment should be given equal opportunities. There are various segments dividing the members of that society. These segments include gender, racial, age and ethnic barriers. Businesses should only focus on competence and should not appear biased towards one of the communities mentioned above in the event of employment formatting.

The s of equal employee opportunity are simply aimed at the makeup of a society that adequately represents the society in which the business is set. Any workplace is called upon to be free from discrimination, and the only way to shun this vice is by having a business is free from any form of discrimination. The basis of handling these issues begin with the identification of the groups found within a certain society. The following reasons help in the argument as to why businesses should abide by employment equality laws.

There is an advantage with employing a member from each one of the disadvantaged groups of the society. By employing mature and aged workers to work within the business, one will not only be complying with the equal employment laws but will be giving the company the advantage of working with experienced and skilled individuals. This explains the fact that avoiding discrimination in the workplace is a step towards embracing diversity in the workplace or rather the workplace. With the relatively long period that aged and mature people often come with, they tend to look at the business operations and activities within the workplace from a different perspective. There is an increased sense of responsibility from the aged in the workplace when compared to the young workers. Abiding by the equal employment opportunity laws, therefore, works best for the business, the aged individuals and the government.

Discrimination against the aged and elderly is a breach of the employment equality law and consequently denies the old chaps a chance to display their functionality and competence in corporate matters (Forster, 1989). A business that fails to observe the employment equality law by discriminating against old fellows limits itself from benefiting from the mentoring and training that can be offered by the old employees to the rest of the staff. These people can improve the business processes and therefore raise the productivity of a company.

Discrimination in the workplace is not only directed towards the old and mature workers. There can be a situation whereby businesses discriminate against young workers. Young individuals may fail to be employed because businesses feel that they are less experienced. Businesses should abide by the employment equality laws and consider the inclusion f young workers within its workforce (Epstein, 1995). There are certain advantages that businesses may deny it by failing to consider the inclusion of young employees in its workplace. By calling on businesses to abide by the employment equality laws, there is evidence to show that young employees can improve the productivity of a business by giving the workforce the vigor it needs to prosper. However, equal employment laws aim at promoting a fair treatment of young employees by encouraging their inclusion in the workforce as a way of equipping them with a positive attitude, making them loyal and productive employees, and improving the chances of attracting and retaining quality young workers.

Respecting gender balance in a workplace or business is the other reason for emphasizing the adherence of employment equality laws by businesses (Han, 2016). Without the adherence of employment equality laws, businesses might fail to recognize the corporate strength of women. Women are often looked down upon during employee selection procedures. Evidence to support the labor laws of having women included in the workforce are seen from the fact that women can bring more productivity to businesses since they are more skilled than men are. Statistics show that 20% more women than men hold bachelor’s degrees. By choosing to adhere to the employment equality laws, a balance between men and women can be achieved in the workplace and business will be able to enjoy the competencies brought about by both genders. The law of equality in employment is aimed at giving every single member of the society a chance to participate in an economic endeavor irrespective of the challenge in which they might suffer from. S there are those members of the society who don’t suffer any complexity but have been subjected by the society to feel somehow underprivileged.

Having women in a business can help the business by offering the tips necessary in wooing female customers. Discriminating against them will also deny a business the opportunity of utilizing men’s ability to attract male customers to the business. Having a balance between the two genders in business, therefore, means utilizing the advantages brought about by both genders. Gender equality in a business appeals to the customers that the business is conversant of the groups that representation in the society.

Another justification of the need to have a business adhering to employment equality laws is observed from the presence of skilled laborers who are challenged with physical disabilities. These individuals can perform adequately in business, but it is because of misinformed perception that these individuals are discriminated upon during employee selection in businesses.

People with disability have been reported to take few days off as compared to other workers. Having these people as workers will, therefore, increase the performance of business since they stay longer in the business premises. Despite their appearance, they are stronger and often need less compensation when compared to other employees. Employment equality laws propose that no individual is to be denied the chance to work in an organization because of their physical disabilities. As long as these individuals are skilled and fit to be in a certain business, they should be employed if there is a vacancy for them. The benefit of adhering to this employment equality law is that disabled individual will get a chance to practice their skills while the businesses will benefit from their skills and productivity. Disabled workers often build strong relationships with clients and customers, unlike other workers. This works to the advantage of any business that abides by the employment equality laws. Teamwork boosting is the other advantages that come with companies that consider abiding by the equality laws.

Abiding by equal employment laws means that a business is going to eradicate any case of xenophobia in their employment practices. Xenophobic practices including the discrimination against foreigners, and taking this kind of vice to the workplace reduces the performance of that certain business. The equal employment opportunity laws include the consideration and protection of foreigners and immigrants in employment. These laws are typically created wit basic sense that every individual from different sections of the society should be considered I employment. Businesses are therefore called to observe equal treatment of job seekers irrespective of the fact they might be immigrants or citizens by birth. Abiding by this law also comes with certain advantages to the company. Employing people from foreign countries is a way of bringing foreign ideas into the business. These foreign ideas are useful in the growth and sustenance of the business.

Apart from bringing in new ideas, foreign employees help in the attraction of foreign customers. A business that employees foreigners are more likely to attract foreign clients because of the use of languages and cultures that are familiar to those clients. Having employees from different parts of the world is thus, an effort towards the attraction of customers from vast destinations. A blend of the international cultures as a result of employing individuals from different places can help in the achievement of a standard culture that will mark the epitome of socialization and economic prosperity. It also contributes in the national endeavor of eradicating xenophobia and encouraging good international relations. However, there are businesses that dislike the idea of employing local citizens or the natives. This is a case that has been observed with foreign companies operating in Australia, whereby the native Australian job seekers are not often considered. These businesses have ill-advised reasons for choosing to give a certain group within the society an automatic disqualification during employment. This is against the laws of equal opportunities in employment and denies the respective business an opportunity of tapping the resourcefulness of these natives.

Abiding the rules of equal employment opportunity is also a step towards the amalgamation of individuals from different religions and races. Racial and religious discrimination has ben a global vice for a long time, thus the inclusion of equality laws in almost every sector. Equal employment opportunity, therefore, seeks to ensure that no one is denied a job because of religious affiliation or because of their skin color. From this, it can be understood that the motives behind the enactment of the Equal employment laws are to promote a peaceful coexistence in the society, whereby all the divides within the population are given representation in all sectors including employment. This proves the fact that by abiding to these laws, business are joining in the societal promotion of peace and coexistence, which is a major step towards achieving a united world. A workplace that has all the races and religions represented is sure to attract all sorts of clients, since they will all feel represented.

Another form discrimination that has been consistent in many work environments is the act of discriminating against apprentices and newbies. Most businesses think that these individuals are of the least positive impact towards the achievement of the business’s goals. This mentality is derived from the fact that apprentices and newbies are less experienced. Equal employment laws call fr the consideration of these individuals in employment. Businesses that abide by this law benefit from the services of the apprentices and newbies because of their strength and vigor in the workplace. Apprentices and newbies might not be experienced but they often ooze with latest skills because they are freshly graduated from schools of higher learning or technical institutions. They are capable of bringing in new ideas that can help in the advancement of the business and giving a boost to the morale of the other employees.

Complying with the laws of equality in employment opportunities is not only aimed at benefiting the business but also the rest of the stakeholders. Complying to this rule has been proved to be help to a lot of involved parties. This might be one of the reasons for having compliance to equality in employment as one of the important corporate laws. These stakeholders who have been seen to benefit from the law are the government, the society, and the employees.

When companies and businesses comply with the law of equal employment opportunity, the government benefits because the businesses has acted as an agent of coexistence and peace in the society. Peace amongst the population living in a certain country is always a major concern of every government. Governments spend a lot of money in trying to talk the public into living peacefully amongst one another. By having businesses abiding the law of equality in employment opportunities, there is a big chance that these different members of the society will e brought together by the business and thereafter realizing the need to shun discrimination, xenophobia and other societal vices. The other benefits that the government gest when businesses abide by the law is that there is going to be an increase in the number of foreign investors and people from abroad countries wishing to do business in the country. The aforementioned comes into place because of the resultant belief that the country in place is free from social vices such as xenophobia and other forms of discrimination. Apart from the foreign investors, visitors and tourists are more likely to visit places where businesses respect equality in employment. This is because of the diversity found in these businesses make it easy for the touring individuals to find a full society represented in the businesses they encounter.

The other stakeholder that is likely to benefit from the idea of having a diverse workplace is the community in which the businesses are suited. The community is usually comprised of many types of individuals. The disabled, both genders, and the elderly are all found within the community. Employing without discriminating based on a certain factor can be a way of empowering the community as a whole. Considering foreigners during employment benefits the community by bringing in new members who join it and consequently bring in new cultures and ideas. There is uplift to the society that has all the members participating in either one or two of the activities being carried out. Being given the opportunity of working in a company is a way of uplifting any member of the society and the community as a whole. Discriminating based on certain factors has never been a way of promoting the welfare of the community in which the business is situated. Some businesses might take on employing individuals from one certain place. Such a business might be operating internationally but limited to the idea of employing individuals from one country, often the company’s mother country.

The third groups that highly benefit from the idea of employing workers under the observation of the equality law are the employees. The law of equality works when recruiting employees and also advocates for their fair treatment during the employment tenure. This therefore protects employees from any kind of oppression that might result from discrimination. Businesses that comply to the equal employment law have their employees enjoying the company of diverse cultured employees. New employees find it easy coping to a diverse workplace than a workplace which has a only a certain faction of the population being its employees. Gathering of economically useful information is easier in a diverse workplace. Employees use the least time to gather the information and the necessary expertise in a company whereby employees have been picked from the different groups living within the population. Having a workplace that is dominated by employees from one ethnicity, one race, one gender or one nationality, will make it hard for the same employees to enjoy the benefits that come with working in a culturally diverse environment. Employees that do not conform to the majority group in that case will be automatically subjected to some inferiority and will fail to give their best in terms of productivity.

Ways of achieving employment opportunity equality

Achieving equality in employment is something that many businesses have tried to achieve but have not yet realized. Equality is simply achieved in the employment formats of various businesses if they choose to consider the common divides within the community. Considering the divides within the society is a way of giving representation to these divides. Fairness during the employee selection process is the other way in which a business can achieve equality in its employment criteria. Treating all the candidates fairly during an employee selection process is the first step of achieving the needed equality in employment. An equal treatment of employees in a workplace is the other form of embracing equality in the workplace. A business that fails to look at its employees as equal, and often engages in acts of inequality such as paying others highly due to their skin color, religion, or nationality is not practicing equality. Treating all the individuals working within business as being same helps in giving them the notion that they are working in a business that looks at them as the most valuable assets.

Equality in employment opportunities is something that businesses are supposed to observe and comply but it should as well be noted that there are certain constraining aspects in the event of complying. There are certain factors that hinder businesses from complying with the law of equality in employment opportunities. This has made it hard for businesses to comply to the law of equality in employment opportunities. These challenges facing business when seeking to come up with a fair and equality abiding format of employment include:

The demand of the dominant community

The dominant community can sometimes demand to be the most employed community in businesses that has been started in their locality. For this reason, a business will not have the option of employing individuals from other communities or from the other factions of the community. The same community can be the community whereby most of the clients hail from. Trying to against them may simply go against the business’s client which might be detrimental to the growth of that business. In such a case a business is only left to employ its workers according to the provisions stipulated by the dominant community.

The other scenario whereby a company might be forced to go against the law of equal employment opportunities is when the country in which the business is set tends to control the manner in which business is to employ its workers. In such a case, the business will have to employ its workers based on the demands of the government hosting them. For this reason, it might be hard for businesses to abide by the law of equal employment opportunity.

The other factor that leads to the observed difficulties in abiding by the law of equal employment opportunities is the impact it has in the economy of locals. Local citizens always feel like they should be given a priority during an employment process. Abiding by the law of equality during employee selection makes the business go against the views and perceptions of the locals. These locals always comprise the majority of the customers and the business will be obliged to please them.

Conclusion

Abiding by the law of equal employment opportunities is something that is observed to be a positive move for businesses. One can conclude so by looking at the vast advantages that are brought to the business and the rest of the stakeholders by abiding by this law. However, there are some challenges that hinder any given business from abiding by this law. These constraints might affect a business negatively in several ways. Looking at the issue of abiding by the law of equality in employment broadly gives one the realization whatever the cost, businesses should abide by this law. Reasons for considering the rules of equal employment include the need to have businesses reflecting the interests of all the sections within the society. The societal divides need a representation in every sector. Employers should bear this fact in mind and therefore seek to have the individuals they employ showing a representation these factions. By having these factions represented, the work is made to appear as being the ultimate representation of the society. The rule

References

Forster, G. (1989). Construction site studies. City: Longman Scientific & Technical.

McAfee, R. & Champagne, P. (1994). Effectively managing troublesome employees. Westport, Conn: Quorum Books.

Rousseau, D. & Schalk, R. (2000). Psychological contracts in employment : cross-national perspectives. Thousand Oaks, Calif: Sage Publications.

NoAuthorFound. (2011). Blackstone’s employment law practice 2011. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Epstein, R. (1995). Forbidden grounds : the case against employment discrimination laws. Cambridge, Mass: Harvard University Press.

Waddington, L., & Bell, M. (2016). The Employment Equality Directive and supporting people with psychosocial disabilities in the workplace.

Waddington, L., & Bell, M. (2016). The Employment Equality Directive and supporting people with psychosocial disabilities in the workplace: A legal analysis of the situation in the EU Member States. Thematic Reports.

Newman, C. (2017). Gender Inequality and the Empowerment of Women. Growth, Structural Transformation, and Rural Change in Viet Nam: A Rising Dragon on the Move, 222.

Timmer, A. S. H. (2016). Gender Stereotyping in the Case Law of the EU Court of Justice. European Equality Law Review, (1), 37-46.

Han, E. (2016). Equality on trial: gender and rights in the modern American workplace. Labor History, 1-3.