Discrimination Exists

Discrimination exists in many forms in society today.  Racism, sexism, and ageism are all form of discrimination that people face in society, the workplace, and when looking for employment.  All though people face the challenges of discrimination every day, proving discrimination can at time be difficult for the victims.  For this discussion I would like to focus on the recruitment and selection process as it pertains to employees.  If an employee or perspective employee believes they have been discriminated against they must demonstrate a precedence for that type of discrimination.  Let’s say that a bank has twelve branch managers.  All of them are men.  Women apply for this position and a man is always chosen even if the woman is more qualified for the position.  This would set a precedence of sexism in the banks hiring practices.  This scenario could be played out with other types of discrimination to illustrate a pattern of discrimination in the workplace.  Our book goes into great detail about different types of discrimination and what employers can do to avoid illegal hiring practices that could leave them open to discrimination law suits.  One of the major points our text makes is intuitions following the rules of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC).  Companies that have over 100 employees must file an annual report with the EEOC.  The employers must have highly detailed records when it pertains to their hiring, discipline, and termination practices.  If an employee feels they have been discriminated against, the company’s ability to produce these records will be imperative to proving their innocence to the EEOC.  In order to prove discrimination the accuser must be able to demonstrate a pattern of discrimination through an employer’s hiring, promotions, or termination practices.  The EEOC will use documentation from the company regarding these practices to determine if the company has broken any laws.  Unfortunately in so many of these cases the burden of proof usually falls with the employee and not the employer.

REFERENCES:

Smith, A. (1992). Employment discrimination law : Cases and materials. (3rd ed.). Charlottesville, Va.: Michie

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