busi 472-Discrimination_in_the_workplace_research_paper-16.docx

Discrimination in the workplace: The problem, The Solution

Matthew C. Kime

Liberty University

BUSI 472-D09

Discrimination in the workplace: The Problem, The Solution

Discrimination is all around us whether we notice it or not. Subtle queues or

exaggerated acts towards “difference” are all signs of this thing many of us encounter or

bare witness to in the workplace, discrimination.

Introduction

discrimination and how far one small act can go. For every problem there is a solution.

God never gives us a problem too hard or situation too strenuous to where we can’t solve

or alleviate.

Actions must be mad to stop future forms of discrimination in the workforce and first

step is by pointing out the different types. Some forms of discrimination are: age,

disability, equal pay/compensation, harassment, national origin, race/color, religion, sex

and sexual orientation. (Discrimination) Of these forms of discrimination, this paper will

dive into a select few and examine the problem at hand and the appropriate solution

according to the situation.

Age

The thought of age as being this main contributing discriminatory factor with the

workplace is quite the interesting topic. Is it just the younger people with their

indifference attitude towards the older and wiser community or is it much deeper and

complex than we previously assumed? Age discrimination is described as unfair

treatment caused by the prejudices related to aging. In practice, age discrimination can

this can feasibly be considered as perceivable age discrimination.

In Australia, the Age Discrimination Act 2004 prohibits direct and indirect

discrimination against a person because of the person's age or characteristics associated

with that age and is applicable to most areas of public life. The Age Discrimination Act

2004 also contains general exemptions, where discrimination on the basis of age is

lawful. For example, exemptions are granted in respect to charities, religious bodies,

voluntary bodies, superannuation and migration. Thus, discriminatory conduct on the

basis of age, which in a different circumstance would be illegal, is permitted in respect

to migration. (Biggs, 2013) As noted, there are great strides being taken from a

Equal/Pay Compensation

Day in and day out there are stories on the news telling of the inequality amongst

our workforce wages; particularly the inequality between compensation of male staff

compared to the female staff. This is a problem that has been addressed time and time

again yet no real solution has truly been enforced with accuracy. But to address this issue

further, it is such an unethical way that our society essentially views women and their

Reporting rules on gender equality were introduced in 2012, requiring employers with

over 100 staff to report on 30 or more items related to gender pay and employment.

(Equal, 2014) These efforts that are currently taking place couldn’t have been so if it

wasn’t for The Equal Pay Act of 1963.

“Equal pay for equal work.” This was the theme of Congress when the EPA was

passed. Interestingly, Congress recognized that the legislation was long overdue and there

had to be economic justice for women. Congress intended to combat the old-fashioned

belief that a man could be paid more than a woman due to his standing in society. By

doing so, Congress wanted to eliminate the wage gap between men and women. (Lerum,

employees. Second, employers who engaged in discriminatory pay had an unfair benefit

low levels of production could result from a lack of morale due to low wages. (Lerum,

organizing work: who will serve on a hiring or recruitment committee, who will be

assigned to which client or market, who will be asked to sit for interviews or

photographs for publicity materials.

These are all decisions about how and by whom work is accomplished - decisions

"organizing work" - rather than about who gains entry into a firm in the first place or

where someone is placed within a clearly defined job hierarchy. (Green, 2010)

What we do not seem to realize is that race- and sex-based decisions organizing

work have enormous potential to generate (and to reduce) workplace discrimination and

inequality. Decisions organizing work present and arrange workers in relation to one

groups accordingly. This will force those diverse groups to work together and ultimately

that the majority of people generally choose to associate with others whom they see as

similar of race, religion, etc. As a way to combat this trend from continuing, employers

whose management practices were once appropriate for a homogeneous group of

employees have had to make adjustments to attract and retain talented individuals from

diverse groups. Given these changes, most workers will not be effective at their jobs

this is still a Christian nation. With that said there is a vast increase of diversity within our

borders and within our workforce. It is appropriate to think that with this increase in

diversity that a diverse set of religion would also be present. In the issue at hand, we are

trying to tackle forms of religious discrimination in various forms.

There are generally three categories of religious discrimination in the workplace,

said Charlie Plumb, a shareholder at law firm McAfee & Taft in Tulsa, Oklahoma. The

first category is making employment decisions based upon someone's faith or lack

thereof, the second is harassing individuals because of their religion, and the third

category is failing to reasonably accommodate employees' faith-based needs as long as

religious accommodation are the most common form of religious discrimination, legal

discrimination, accommodations are not centered on any particular group or industry,

with the few exceptions of retail and service.

Between the years 2000 and 2010, the number of charges alleging religious-

based discrimination almost doubled showing an increase of 96 % (EEOC 2011a),

compared to a 24 % increase for race, 45 % for national origin, and a 15 % for sex-based

seen from the above statements, there is a pay compensation inequality within the

workforce that has afflicted the lives of our female population. Gender discrimination

turns the employees emotionally brittle, simple peace loving employees transform into

paranoid and suspicious, fearful and angry individuals. And it’s safe to say rightfully so

under the circumstances. Elimination of gender discrimination is crucial for the

satisfaction and motivation, commitment and enthusiasm and less stress of employees.

worker educational pipelines, recruitment bottlenecks, attrition, and worker

maldistribution in formal and non-formal health workforces. Fostering gender equality

increases the likelihood of women and men having an equal chance of choosing a health

occupation, acquiring requisite skills and knowledge, being hired and fairly paid, and

and gender equality in policy and planning can, for example, target gender stereotypes

that may keep men from entering female-identified jobs such as nursing and HIV/AIDS

care and support. (Newman, 2014)

Sexual Orientation

Being judged by whom you love or what sexual orientation is something that

takes place every day whether we acknowledge it or not. This occurrence is prevalent

within the boundaries of our professional lives and this is a very unfortunate

circumstance. A great movie that comes to mind is Philadelphia with Tom Hanks and

Denzel Washington. Tom Hanks’ character bared witness to discrimination within his

work due for the fact that he was a homosexual and there were early signs of AIDS.

Given this is just an illustration of a movie based during a time where AIDS was viewed

experts. (Mihelich, 2014)

In the efforts of alleviating this problem, eighteen states and the District of

their sexual orientation or gender identity. Three other states protect only sexual

orientation. Further, 91 percent of Fortune 500 companies already prohibit

discrimination based on sexual orientation, and 61 percent prohibit discrimination based

on gender identity, according to the Human Rights Campaign. (Mihelich, 2014) Such

laws should be passed and enforced for the safety of those victims who may otherwise

If there’s one place we can look to for understanding and discernment on the

issue at hand, it’s the Bible. One great piece of scripture says in James 2:2-4, “For if a

man wearing a gold ring and fine clothing comes into your assembly, and a poor man in

shabby clothing also comes in, and if you pay attention to the one who wears the fine

clothing and say, ‘You sit here in a good place,’ while you say to the poor man, ‘You

stand over there,’ or, ‘Sit down at my feet,’ have you not then made distinctions among

yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts?” (ESV, 2007) From this piece of

passage we can see that we are not meant to cast judgment on anyone for this is a sin

against God and this does not glorify His kingdom.