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The Workplace and Title Seven Essay example

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The Workplace and Title VII
The Civil Rights Act of 1964 was the catalyst in abolishing the separate but equal policies that had been a mainstay in our society. Though racial discrimination was the initial focal point, its enactment affected every race. The Civil Rights Act of 1964 prohibits discrimination in housing, education, employment, public accommodations and the receipt of federal funds based on certain discrimination factors such as race, color, national origin, sex, disability, age or religion. Title VII is the employment segment of the Civil Rights Act and is considered one of the most important aspects of legislation that has helped define the employment law practices in this country. Prior to Title VII, an employer could hire …show more content…

For example, the Indian reservation can provide preferential treatment to other Native American Indians and a religious organization can hire those who only share their faith without fear of a discrimination claim being upheld in court.
If an employee alleges discrimination in the workplace, they may file a complaint with the EEOC. As the claims process furthers, the EEOC will move forward and file suit in federal court if reasonable cause is shown and no conciliation is made between the employer and employee. If no reasonable cause is shown, the EEOC will send the employee a right to sue letter. In alleging discrimination, it is important for both parties to be aware of the theories by which a lawsuit may be brought. A discrimination lawsuit must fit under disparate treatment or disparate impact in order to be recognized under Title VII.
Disparate treatment is considered intentional discrimination. It is “treating similarly situated employees differently because of prohibited Title VII factors”. (Bennett-Alexander etal pp 95) Anheuser-Busch, Inc., v. Missouri Com’n on Human Rights, is an example of a prima facie disparate treatment case. In this case, an African-American woman was subjected to disciplinary action for committing the same infractions as three of her white co-workers. The employer failed to punish all of the employees alike and had no reasonable explanation for reviewing

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