Eagle Eye Outfitters in Dothan, AL. is the first retail partner in the entire U.S. to have the all new Columbia Sportswear's Shop-In-Shop Concept installed at their location. Edit & Design by: Kennedy Intl. Studios - www.kennedyintstudios.net Stock Footage by Columbia Sportswear Media Library Voice Over by: Stan Houston - Fruition Talent & Media
Basing employment decisions on factors other than worker qualifications is generally illegal in the United States. The costs of litigation, penalties, and harm to the company’s reputation can be substantial when violations occur. Equal employment opportunity means that employment decisions must be made on the basis of job requirements and worker qualifications. Unlawful discrimination occurs when those decisions are made based on protected characteristics, which are individual attributes such as race, age, sex, disability, or religion that are protected under EEO laws and regulations. Discrimination remains a concern as the U.S. workforce becomes more diverse. HR professionals need to be sensitive to trends in the workplace that can precipitate negative legal actions. The first type, disparate treatment, occurs when individuals with particular characteristics that are not job related are treated differently from others. Disparate impact is the second type of illegal discrimination. It occurs when an employment practice that does not appear to be discriminatory adversely affects individuals with a particular characteristic so that they are substantially underrepresented as a result of employment decisions that work to their disadvantage. The four key concepts help clarify key EEO ideas that lead to fair treatment and nondiscriminatory employment decisions, business necessity, BFOQ, burden of proof, and nonretaliatory practices. Even though HR professionals and operating managers may follow these actions, EEOC investigations sometimes occur when allegations of retaliation and other forms of unlawful discrimination are advanced. Human resource professionals must develop a plan that enables a response to allegations and protects the interests of both the organization and its employees. The original purpose of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 was to address race discrimination in the United States. This concern continues to be important today. To take appropriate actions, employers should be aware of potential HR issues that are based on race, national origin, and citizenship. Pay equity involves the idea that pay for jobs requiring comparable levels of knowledge, skill, and ability should be similar, even if actual duties differ significantly. The influx of women into the workforce has had major social, economic, and organizational consequences. In particular, the growing number of women has led to more sex and gender issues related to jobs and careers. Effective training to prevent sexual harassment ideally includes information about how to report sexual harassment incidents when they occur. Disability discrimination is when a person with a disability is treated less favorably than a person without the disability in the same or similar circumstances. Prior to the ADAA, employers won 90% of challenges regarding whether an individual actually had a disability. Now that argument is essentially moot. Companies no longer aggressively work to disqualify individuals from that status. Age discrimination in the workplace is the practice of letting a person's age unfairly become a factor when deciding who receives a new job, promotion, or other job benefits. In addition to Title VII protections, a number of federal laws have been enacted to address these forms of discrimination. Many of these laws were passed in response to improper company decisions that resulted in unfair treatment of applicants or employees. Dealing with diversity is not about what people can and cannot say. It is about being respectful to others.