Introduction This new generation brings new challenges that in the past were taboo. In the sixties and seventies, a hippie was widely accepted, but now being transgender is not favorable. The hiring process has many different attributes that employers have to deal with. Some aspects include physical appearance, lifestyle, and language. For several decades, the law has forbidden discrimination against individuals based on age, race, national origin, or sex, and these factors should not be in job specifications or recruitment advertisements (Shaw, 2014, 284). Employment discrimination against physical appearance, lifestyle, and language is not only wrong but also unethical.
I. Physical Appearance Psychologists have long known that people form impressions of others purely based on their appearance (Duarte, Siegel, & Young, 2012, p.2455). Today’s society puts great importance on people’s physical appearance (Yang, & Stoeber, 2012, p.69). Not everyone can be have a size 2 Victoria Secret model body or look like Duane Johnson (The Rock). Veterans have a harder time getting jobs now because of their physical characteristics after the Iraqi war. Perfect looks are highly valued because they symbolize success, happiness, and being loved and admired by others; consequently, many people strive to look perfect, and many others are concerned about their physical appearance worrying that they may not look perfect (Yang, & Stoeber, 2012, p.69). The Civil Rights
In the late 1950’s to mid-1960’s, the transgender community faced discrimination such as physical and verbal harassment, denial of social spaces, and alienation in the media. This matters to us today because transgender individuals are still existing and are a part of our human population today. The community is also still struggling to find their representation in the media and in society. The transgender community is still facing a wide array of types of discrimination, from nasty looks to denied access of education. Gender identity should not be taken into consideration when determining another person’s worthiness of respect.
Since the beginning of their existence and in today’s society, the community of LGBT workers are not being treated fairly or getting their fair share that they deserve in the workplace. They are victims to high rates of workplace discrimination. Instead of being judged as workers and what they bring to their jobs and how they work, they are being judged by their sexual preferences and appearance. Being a gay or transgender worker causes them to be mistreated, not judged for the actual workers they are, and most importantly, halts a majority of them in better career and job opportunities. Although under federal law it is illegal to fire someone who is either gay or transgender, they are still either being denied employment or being terminated from their jobs because of their gender category or sexual orientation.
Racism is defined as prejudice, discrimination, or antagonism directed against someone of a different race based on the belief that one's own race is superior. In the workforce, the issue of racism and discrimination has been brought to the center of conversations around the world. Companies claim to be “colorblind” and not hire somebody based on their race or gender, but the employment rates among minorities and women around the world is significantly lower than the majority in the given country. There is also the growing issue of minorities, such as blacks in america, making significantly less money than whites. This issue affects people all around the world who happen
“We all know that appearance matters, but the price of prejudice can be steeper than we often assume” (Washington1.) Published originally in the Washington Post on May 23,2010 by Deborah L. Rhode. Rhode the Professor of law and legal director at Stanford University in her essay “Why Looks Are The Last Bastion Of Discrimination,” argues that an individual's physical appearance is one of the few qualities of their personal identity that other people are legally within their rights to discriminate against. Rhode states her thesis clearly explaining the forthcoming reasons she will offer to uphold her position. Rhode believes that discriminating against individuals based on their appearance is wrong, and is often overlooked in many environments such as the workforce. Many think it is crucial that discrimination on looks is banned in workplaces, schools, and most other organizations.
Despite Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the federal law which bans gender and race discrimination in employment, advancement, and termination, ethnic discrimination and prejudice in the workplace is still a very pertinent issue. In fact, racial discrimination is the most common kind of discrimination workers report to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), the federal agency in charge of enforcing Title VII. Prejudice in the workplace is shown in a variety of forms, is either obvious or subtle, and at times may occur without employers even realizing it. As the General Manager of a popular restaurant in Texas, I witnessed such racial discrimination and prejudice firsthand and saw how detrimental it is to the success of
When returning back to Wanzek’s after layoff I had noticed in my paycheck I had lost $2 an hour in pay when I had received a $2 raise and a gift certificate before layoff. I did report the loss of wage to Tina Harrison in Human Resources and she would e-mail Phyllis at Headquarters. Anthony Butler has
1- Chalabi, M. (2014, March 28). Three leagues, 92 teams and one Black Principal Owner. Retrieved August 27, 2015 from
A REPORT OF THE NATIONAL TRANSGENDER DISCRIMINATION SURVEY” which is a comprehensive survey taken by over 7,500 respondents a part of the LGBT community to discuss their experiences of discrimination that will further encourage the implementation of better protection towards gender variants. Authors concluded the:
The three most important laws that regulate discrimination in employment are The Civil Rights Act, Age Discrimination in Employment Act, and the American with Disabilities Act (Heneman, Judge, & Kammeyer, 2012). The Civil Rights Act was established in 1964 but was amended in 1991 and covers discrimination of race, color, and religion, sex or national origin, in addition the law prohibits segregation of any kind in regards to employment. This includes have pre employments screenings or test that negative impacts a particular group. The Age Discrimination Act prohibits discrimination against employee due to the their age; it is illegal to refused to hire, fire, or deny promotion because of their age as well as it is illegal to based compensation
Employment is definitely a huge component of one's identity; we judge individual’s intellectual capability, their character, and socioeconomic position simply based off of their profession. Chapter nine reiterates some of the fundamental difficulties faced by transgender people in the workplace or when they are looking for employment. One major issue discussed is the fact that “there is no federal law that explicitly protects trans-employees” even though most courts have been claiming that all people are protected under the federal law that forbids sex discrimination (163). When a transgender employee first applies for a job opening they often are asked about their prior work history. Obviously it's common procedure for employers, but
Diversity, the nation’s unfinished business. Workplace diversity is defined as the similarities and differences among employees in terms of age, cultural background, physical abilities and disabilities, race, and religion. A diverse workforce allows for learning and growth to take place, as well as an increase in activity, and a more creative workforce. Despite all of these positive aspects of a diverse workforce, workplace discrimination remains prevalent in many forms. Many businesses claim to aspire to a level playing field, but the people who they have hired in the past, and present tells a different story. Workplace diversity must be retained and expanded in the United States,
When a person is discriminated against their race, gender, and age. This is some of the most evident forms of discrimination. I believe the most qualified person should receive the job, regardless of race or ethnicity. When employers disrupt workplace discrimination, legally they can be sued by the person or persons and receive bad publicity. When a employee hurts from unfair treatment due to their race and religion. Proving discrimination is difficult as is can occur in a number of work-related areas, during your initial hiring phase, during training or even after you get the job and have to participate in job evaluations. As far as ethnicity goes, Americans come in every color, shape, and size and a successful business is one that understands
During diversity training Human Resource Managers or trainers can discuss the number of discrimination cases filed each year. Coupled with, studies and statistics on the number of gays and transgenders that are homeless, verbally and physically abuse, commit suicide or don’t have adequate medical coverage. Not to mention, the impact of discrimination in the workplace has on their socioeconomic status. Every employee would be made to sign an anti-discrimination policy acknowledging that they understand that discrimination in any form will not be tolerated and will be terminated immediately.
Workplace discrimination is a problem in America. Some people in America claim that affirmative action would solve that problem. The UK, India, and Canada already have forms of affirmative action in place in their countries. It could be beneficial in America to use parts of affirmative action. The solution to workplace discrimination in America is affirmative action because it forces governments and businesses to favor members of a discriminated group in our American culture.
While the world has unanimously advanced and is more accepting of change, the workplace continues to be a place of discrimination, prejudice and inequality. Discrimination is broadly defined to ‘distinguish unfavourably’, isolate; and is context based (Pagura, 2012). Abrahams (1991) described the workplace as an ‘inhospitable place’ where gender disparity and wage gaps persist (Stamarski & Son Hing, 2015). Among other states and countries, the Australian government actively implements and passes laws to protect and maintain equal employment rights. While the objective of these laws is ‘to eliminate discrimination,’ the regulatory mechanisms in the legislation are largely ineffective at achieving this ultimate goal (Smith, 2008). However,