Employer Responsibilities and Employee Rights

Discussion Question 1

You have been asked to give a presentation to an Introduction to Business class on affirmative action. Write a defense of affirmative action. Your paper should discuss a total of five (5) issues in defense of the concept.

ANSWER

Affirmative Action

Introduction

Affirmative action is the set of policies, practices, and steps that are taken in preventing discrimination and improvement of employment opportunities to members of minority groups (Benokraitis, 2019). Affirmative action initiated to remedy the effects of enduring discrimination against minority persons. Affirmative action has influenced the programs and policies that offer limited opportunities to minority groups such as women in job hiring and social benefits. The purpose of affirmative action was to compensate for the unfair advantages, past wrongs, and reward the deserving.

Affirmative action has defined the employer’s standards for proactive recruitment and hiring of minority groups such as women, veterans, and disabled individuals. Over the years, research indicates the existence of discrimination in hiring in the labor market (Benokraitis, 2019). The employment practices have had discrimination practices where minority groups have been underrepresented. Therefore, affirmative action has aimed at social and moral obligations to avoid the current impacts of discrimination and amend the past wrong. Affirmative action aims at boosting the representation of minorities (Benokraitis, 2019).

Embracing diversity in the workplace has been a great challenge for employers due to differences in communication, language, and cultural backgrounds.  Relatively, the considerable differences in generations have led to different perceptions in the workplace. Therefore, the main issues have resulted from dealing with cultural and social differences. Affirmative action focuses on ensuring that diversity is acquired and maintained in the workplace. This has been an effective way to help organizations in building a tolerant community since the employees are exposed to various ideas and cultures. Diversity initiatives in the affirmative action plan have been achieved through embracing cultural differences, accepting minorities in the workplace as well as aligning diversity to organizational goals.

Workplace discrimination has been a fundamental issue within the workplace. The workplace discrimination problem has been grounded upon certain prejudices that occur when workers are mistreated. Affirmative action has attempted to eliminate the injustice that occurs from sexual and racial discrimination.  Affirmative action guidelines and policies have created techniques of combatting discrimination in the workplace (Weatherspoon, 2018). Affirmative action has regulated and forbidden employers to discriminate employees because of their national origin, sex, religion, color, and race in decisions about the hiring, firing, compensation as well as other workplace practices. Affirmative steps have ensured that firing, lay off, hiring, and recruiting practices are fair and free from discrimination.

Workplace harassment has been a threatening behavior that is directed to a particular worker or group of workers. Workplace harassment has been a significant source of stress and aggressive actions within the workplace. For instance, constant criticism, overbearing supervision are some of the workplace harassment. Affirmative action policy against harassment has offered a long-standing commitment to maintaining a work environment where all employees are treated with dignity and respect. Affirmative action contributes to a workplace that illustrates a spirit of equal opportunity free from all forms of harassment.

Unequal employment opportunities have contributed to entry barriers in the workplace. Employment barriers have existed in all stages in the workplace, hiring, recruitment, retention, and promotion practices. For instance, many people with disabilities have been denied job opportunities or offered poorly remunerated jobs. Affirmative action programs and policies have focused on equal employment opportunities for individuals or groups that have formerly been underrepresented (Weatherspoon, 2018). Therefore, affirmative action has been designed to eliminate the underutilization of less privileged groups in the workplace.

Conclusion

In summation, affirmative action has continuously supported individuals that have been deprived of equal and fair treatment. Affirmative action has defined all initiatives that support individuals facing discrimination and unfair treatment in the workplace. Therefore, the underlying idea for affirmative action is that past inequality should be corrected by policies and procedures that foster equal opportunity.

References

Benokraitis, N. V. (2019). Affirmative action and equal opportunity: Action, inaction, reaction. Routledge.

Weatherspoon, F. D. (2018). Equal employment opportunity and affirmative action: A sourcebook (Vol. 9). Routledge.