Discrimination is hard to pinpoint and discrimination is difficult to cure. Discriminatory thinking is rooted in the minds/hearts of people based on their background, experience, and beliefs. Discrimination training tells people what they cannot say and do. Discrimination is forbidden by law for such characteristics as gender, race, age, religion, sexual orientation, and in employment decisions.
Age discrimination is adverse work treatment of an employee based on a class or category that the employee belongs to – employees over age 40 - rather than on the employee's individual merit. Age discrimination is unlawful under the Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA) of 1967.
Religious discrimination is prohibited by Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of l964. According to this Act, religious discrimination by the employer is forbidden in hiring, firing, and other terms and conditions of employment. The Act also requires employers to reasonably accommodate the religious practices of an employee or prospective employee.
Equal employment opportunity (EEO) laws make it illegal for employers to discriminate against an employee or potential employee in certain workplaces. The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), which was created by the Civil Rights Act of 1964, is the federal agency that has the responsibility to handle discrimination complaints.
Most employers are aware of problems related to and have adopted policies prohibiting sexual harassment. An employer who limits its anti-harassment efforts to claims of sexual harassment, however, does so at its own risk. Both the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) and the Michigan Department of Civil Rights (MDCR) have taken the position that conduct constituting harassment on the basis of any protected class is unlawful.
October is National Disability Employment Awareness Month, which was created to
recognize the contributions and skills of American employees with disabilities. For
many small to midsize businesses, having an employee suddenly become disabled
(because of an accident or an illness) can be somewhat daunting if it’s a new
experience for the employer. These tips will help you accommodate disabled employees and welcome them back to work.
The job interview is a powerful factor in the employee selection process in most organizations. While the job interview may not deserve all the attention that the job interview receives, it is still a powerful force in hiring. Other background checking and work history references provide much less personalized and more factual information, and hopefully, you have also added these checks to your hiring decisions, too. But the job interview remains key to assessing the candidate's cultural fit.
A love contract policy is a document signed by the two employees in a consensual dating relationship that declares that the relationship is by consent. Additionally, organizations may include guidelines on behavior appropriate at work from the dating couple. The contracts generally make arbitration the only grievance process available to the participants in the office romance. Love contracts eliminate the possibility of a later sexual harassment lawsuit when the relationship ends.
Sexual harassment occurs when one employee makes continued, unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, and other verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature, to another employee, against his or her wishes.
When an employee complains of sexual or other harassment in your workplace, take the charge seriously and investigate. Here are the steps in a sexual harassment investigation. See my
Definition of Sexual Harassment.
If you haven't received your first video resumes from candidates yet, you will shortly. The buzz is growing and video resumes are the next "cool" thing to do. In fact, the conversation has already moved from whether to make a video resume to how to make a professional video resume to enhance job applications. So, employers will be seeing video resumes - whether you want them or not.[p]
The Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA) is a federal bill that would make discrimination against lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender employees illegal in the workplace. Employers would not be able to fire, refuse to hire, or refuse to promote employees based on the employee’s sexual orientation or gender identity.
This resource identifies the discrimination laws in the United States for transgender employees or employees who are changing their gender identity. Discrimination by employers based on an employee's sexual orientation and gender identity is becoming increasing illegal in states and nations.
These companies have nondiscrimination policies that specifically include gender identity, gender expression, or other terminology that specifically protects transgendered employees. Gender Sanity has made every effort to describe or quote the company policies.
