Introduction
Gender is one of the most common forms of diversity in the modern workforce. As a result of the increasing number of women who are entering new areas of the workforce, it is necessary to ensure that the human resources managers as well as the company managers at every level are working to ensure parity and fairness in the workplace.
According to the Department of Labor, 57 percent of all women are active participants in the United States’ workforce (Women in the Labor Force, 2014). This is compared with 69 percent of all males who are in the workforce (Labor Force Participation Rate, 2016). While the number of men in the workforce has continued to decline, the rate of women joining the workforce has only increased in recent decades and is projected to keep climbing. In addition, women are appearing in more diverse roles within the workforce such as in business, law, management, and in areas of labor that have been typically male in the past such as industrial labor. Based on these statistics, it has never been more important to develop training outcomes for the inclusion of females in the workforce.
Applicability to Civil Rights
In keeping with the historical nature of the inclusivity of women in the workplace, it is necessary to examine the legal precedents set for non-discrimination of people in the workplace. One of the landmark cases with reference to discrimination is Griggs v. Duke Power. This case concerned African American workers being subjected to employment requirements for hiring that were not necessary for the duties that were expected to be performed in the course of the work. The Supreme Court of the United States heard the case and determined that such requirements outside of a job’s necessity amounted to willful discrimination. This case is highly applicable to the requirements of our company and the values that we seek to uphold due to the fact that women have to be considered for every position on the basis of their ability to complete the job that is required of them and not any other factors. The essence of the court case will serve as a guide for the handling of job assignments and promotions within the structure of the company. [“Write my essay for me?” Get help here.]
Hiring in Our Workplace
There are several elements that have to be considered with regards to hiring women in our workplace. First and foremost, it is important to examine the role of the hiring human resources officer when hiring women. The Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the legislation that was developed with regards to discrimination in the years since has made it illegal to discriminate against women with regards to hiring practices. To keep in line with these ideals of fairness and non-discrimination, our company will outline the specific duties that are necessary for every job. By applying for the job, every individual, male or female, will agree that they have the skills that are deemed necessary the job whether it is writing in a logical fashion, using Microsoft Excel, or living upwards of 50 pounds of weight. This concept of universal requirements was envisioned in the Civil Rights Act and explained in modern texts such as Managing diversity: Toward a globally inclusive workplace. According to this book, implementing a requirement for a job before the interview process protects the company from litigation stemming from discrimination suits, even if the act was not purposeful (Barak, 2016, p. 152). Essentially, every position will have its needs outlined beforehand and introduced to prospective employees. If they are unable to meet the needs of the position, then they cannot be hired. Consequently, if it is revealed that they lied about their abilities to obtain the position, then they will be targeted for termination no matter their gender. The conversation of fairness and equality is one that every business must take seriously, and our company will strive to meet the needs of the increasingly diverse workplace population. [Need an essay writing service? Find help here.]
Applications to Our Company
How Do We Assign Jobs in the Workplace?
One of the questions that often comes about is whether job requirements can be a basis for discrimination in the workplace. This is a very delicate area of law. One of the precedents that have been set for this can be found in the example of two men seeking to be hired as servers in a Hooters restaurant, a business that exclusively hires and employs female servers. The issue that arose in this case is whether discrimination exists in work places that have specific needs for their company’s success. The findings of the case were that there are Bona Fide Occupational Qualifications that exist in the workplace, and that having men hired in a place that has a primary clientele of heterosexual men would be detrimental to the company and would not equate with discrimination (Cavico & Mujtaba, 2016). However, our company does not face these same challenges.
When it comes to hiring women, the aforementioned concepts of having position-based requirements will be the primary defense against discrimination in our company. Yet, another element that is important to discuss is how every manager should delegate tasks. Since every individual does have certain talents and performs better than others in some areas, the fact is that there will be times when it will be necessary to place people on projects based upon their strengths or deny them projects based on their weaknesses. Since everyone is hired with the same minimum requirements, it is only their unique abilities that will separate them in the eyes of the company. Therefore, no person should be assigned a project or denied a project solely on the basis of their gender but upon the skills that they have demonstrated. Likewise, no person will be exempt from a required task of the position. However, accommodations and teamwork can be used in the case of unusual work conditions that arise and are not within the confines of typical work situations such as excessively heavy lifting. However, neither a man nor woman will be assigned such tasks based on gender, but upon ability, falling within the realm of inclusivity.[Click Essay Writer to order your essay]
Joining the Team: Diversity Meetings
Being that our company, much like others, have been overwhelmingly male for some time, it is necessary to consider the fact that a meeting to discuss diversity will be necessary in some of our departments. According to Basford and Offerman (2014) there are several different ways to broach the topic of females being included in new workplaces. Basic meetings on sexual harassment and assurances that the company has work standards that are equal will be among the topics that are discussed in great detail. However, ongoing studies have shown that even with these policies of early meetings in place, women are often marginalized or feel as though they are being harassed at work. As a result, it is necessary to remind the men at work about how micro aggressions such as placing their hands on women or cornering them can be perceived negatively and reflect unwanted conduct in the company. In addition, the meetings will remind the individuals that the standards of work are not going to change with added team members, but that it is more important now to remain aware of differences and to celebrate diversity in the workplace.
Barak, M. E. M. (2016). Managing diversity: Toward a globally inclusive workplace. Sage Publications.
Basford, T. E., Offermann, L. R., & Behrend, T. S. (2014). Do you see what I see? Perceptions of gender microaggressions in the workplace. Psychology of Women Quarterly, 38(3), 340-349.
Cavico, F. J., & Mujtaba, B. G. (2016). The Bona Fide Occupational Qualification (BFOQ) Defense in Employment Discrimination: A Narrow and Limited Justification Exception. Journal of Business Studies Quarterly, 7(4), 15.
Griggs V. Duke Power Co. (2010, February 9).
Labor Force Participation Rates. (2016).
Women in the Labor Force. (2014).,
