The Legal Environment: Equal Employment Opportunity and Safety

After World War II Germany was left devastated and in ruins. There had been massive destruction of the country’s infrastructure (Bessel 2011), it lacked political structure and economic activity had plummeted. There was a scarcity of food, fuel and housing and Germany was in no condition to clothe or feed its population (O’Dochartaigh 2003).

Over the last several decades, workplace issues have become an area of controversy for most employers. This is because the regulations surrounding what practices are considered to be discriminatory have increased dramatically. To enforce these issues, the Equal Opportunity Employment Commission (EEOC) is playing a central role in making employers follow these provisions of the law. A recent example of this occurred, with the case EEOC v. HCS Medical Staffing Inc.

Equal employment opportunity is a policy statement that all individuals should be equally considered for a job and not be discriminated against for reasons such as their race, color, marital status,

The United States Supreme Court, as well as federal district and state courts, defines employee rights and an employer’s liability for employment law violations. Treatment on the job, including hiring, firing, and promotions, must be based on qualifications and merit and not on race, gender, age, sexual preference or how one responds to sexual advances. Yet despite these laws and policies, many employees continue to suffer from workplace harassment and employment discrimination.

The equal employment opportunity commission was formed on July 2, 1965. The United States EEOC is a federal agency that administers and enforces civil rights laws against works place discrimination. President John. F. Kennedy's Executive Order used equal opportunity for the first time in 1961 by instructing federal constructors to make sure that applicants are treated equally without regard to race, color, religion, sex, or national origin. When the equal employment opportunity was first created by the Civil Rights Act, it was only given limited power to punish the employers that did not adhere to this rule. That all changed in 1972 the congress gave the EEOC the authority to sue the employers. The way that employers are treated at work should

Equal opportunity is to assure everyone of each sexual orientation, gender, class, religious credences, and race has an equal opportunity as anyone. Each person regardless of the race or religion can make use offered opportunity and to exceed their potential

The Supreme Court, which is often referred to as the Court of last resort,” is the highest court within our court system. Only an original ruling by the Supreme Court can change a pre-existing one. They have the authority to decide appeals on all cases taken to federal court or those that have been brought to a state court that handles federal law. Once one of the circuit courts have made a decision on a case, all parties involved in the case can choose to appeal their case to the US Supreme Court. The Supreme Court can decide whether or not to hear a case as where the circuit courts can not . The parties involved in the case are required to petition the court. If the petition is granted, the circuit courts will take briefings and hear arguments. If the petition is not granted, the lower court's judgment stands. The Supreme Court has original jurisdiction in a case. The Supreme Court oversees many types of cases such as most cases involving federal laws or regulations, international and interstate commerce, and cases involving commodaties and securities, to name a few. Where a case was filed depends on the avennue it would take in order to reach the Supreme Court. A Case can start in either the Superior Court or District Court. Cases wouls start in the district court if they involve

The federal court system consists of three levels. The leading and nethermost is the United States district courts. Secondly, the middle level is the court of appeals. The Supreme Court is reflected as the uppermost law court in the United States. The United States district courts comprise of the ordinary federal provisional courts, even though in many circumstances the legislature has approved acts that dissuade unusual authority to these particular courts or executive law juries. The Courts of Appeals are the state middle appellate law court. They function under an organization of obligatory appraisal which implies they are obligated to hear all the appeals of right from the subordinate courts. Courts of appeals can make an own presiding of their own on the case, or decide to agree the verdict of the lower court. In the last circumstance, several offenders choose to appeal to the Supreme Court. This Court is the utmost court in the United States judicial system, this is seen the court that is in charge of the final remedy. It commonly is an appellate law court that functions in unrestricted appraisal. This implies that the Court, via surrendering of summonses of certiori, has the power to choose which cases to hear and the one to dismiss. There exist no rights of appeal to the Supreme Court (Haerens, 2010).

Immanuel Kant once said “In law a man is guilty when he violates the rights of others. In ethics he is guilty if he only thinks of doing so.” (Kant, n.d.). Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 includes prohibition of sex discrimination which includes sexual harassment and hostile work environment. An example will be used to help define the law that is relevant to sexual harassment and hostile work environments, along with describing the facts of the case. A view on current lessons learned and any new thoughts learned while conducting research will be put forth. Lastly, a look at ethical issues related to the example presented will be discussed.

The United States Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, otherwise known as the EEOC, is responsible for enforcing federal laws that make it illegal to discriminate against a job applicant or employee because of the person’s race, color, religion, sex, pregnancy, gender identity, sexual orientation, national origin, age if 40 or older, disability or genetic information. This also protects individuals who have previously filed a complaint or charge related to discrimination or because of personal involvement in an investigation or lawsuit concerning employment discrimination. This coverage includes employers with 15 employees, but that number changes to 20 employees in age discrimination cases as well as labor unions and employment agencies. The laws concerning EEOC apply to all types of situations; hiring, firing, promotions, harassment, training, wages and benefits.

Equal Opportunities legislation sets out that all employees should receive the same pay and conditions for carrying out the same or approximately similar work.

The EEOC laws, or Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, are federal laws that enforce employers to not discriminate against applicants of any background. Discrimination by types such as age, disability, equal pay/compensation, genetic information, harassment, national origin, pregnancy, race/color, religion, retaliation, sex, and sexual harassment are all protected under the EEOC laws. It is also illegal for an employer to “discriminate against a person because the person complained about discrimination, filed a charge of discrimination, or participated in an employment discrimination investigation or lawsuit.” (EEOC , n.d.) The EEOC laws are to help serve justice and to create an equal work environment for people of any kind. The EEOC wants to accomplish the goal of having every applicant to feel at home without being discriminated against. These laws not only affect an employer hiring an applicant however; it affects them in firing, promoting, harassing, training, wages, and benefits. The EEOC’s role is to help find out if any applicant is being discriminated against and to help

Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) laws have helped shape the workforce today and they have greatly contributed to the introduction of diversity in the working environment. No longer are people rejected of employment based on their race, gender, age, or disability. The labor force has increased from 62 million people in 1950 to over 159 million people in the labor force today (Toolsi). The passing of the EEO laws proved to be a great advancement in the diversity of the workforce and treatment of employees, but it was a tremendous battle to get where we are today. Before the passing of these laws, unequal treatment was normal and discrimination was common among the majority of employers. This made acquiring employment difficult and caused many people to be unemployed. Three Equal Employment Opportunity laws that helped diminish these discriminatory practices were Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Equal Pay Act of 1963, and the American with Disabilities Act of 1990. For each law, I will describe what it enforces and explain the actions that happened in society and the workplace that made these laws necessary. I will discuss important political figures that contributed to the passing of these laws. Lastly, I will examine how each law has improved human resources and has led to better management of employees overall.

Many of us have heard of or have been made aware of the phrase Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO). But how many of us genuinely comprehend the criterion of EEO and why it subsists? Equal Employment Opportunity laws are designed to give all workers fair consideration on the basis of job performance rather than any irrelevant personal factors. These laws are in place in order to prevent bias, prejudice, bigotry, and inequity against anyone due to physical abilities, race, religion, gender, or age.

As it began, our century drew to a close, with Germany once again the economic powerhouse and political hub of Europe. What is remarkable is how quickly this happened, how unbidden and unanticipated: the toppling of the Berlin Wall in November 1989; the reunification a year later; the collapse of the Soviet Union and the end of the Cold War in late December 1991; a resurgent impetus to West European integration in 1992; and NATO enlargement, which was consecrated in April 1999. Unquestionably, this chain of events has profoundly affected Germany’s situation over the past decades. For the first time since the establishment of the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG) in 1949 and the painstaking process of