HRM/546
Discrimination Laws
Gender discrimination is the practice of letting a person’s gender, unfairly become a factor when deciding who receives a job, promotion or other employment. Gender discrimination is very serious and should not be taken lightly for it has severe consequences. In the following you will read how the law defines gender discrimination also some examples cases of gender discrimination.
“Title VII has been in effect for over 40 years and only 15 percent of women work in jobs typically held by men such as engineers, stockbrokers, and judges” (Bennett-Alexander & Hartman., 2007., p. 265). Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 is legislation that was designed to protect any form of gender discrimination and has contributed to employment laws in this country. Its pivotal point is to prevent workplace discrimination in areas of race, color, religion, or national origin. Gender discrimination ensures coverage for both male and female; however females will normally see the most benefit in for pregnancy and Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) services (Bennett-Alexander & Hartman., 2007)
Gender Discrimination - Example One example is the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) of 1993. The FMLA allows an eligible employee to be entitled to a total of 12 workweeks of leave during any 12 month period. The FMLA “…was enacted primarily in response to women’s concerns about keeping their job or not being demoted or losing benefits after the birth or arrival of a child” (Bennett-Alexander & Hartman, p. 297). The reason for the leave include the birth of a child, an adoption, or the care of sick children, a spouse, or parents. When the employee returns to work, he or she is guaranteed their same job or an equivalent position.
Another example that falls under this law is a case from 1984 that first addressed the boundaries of sex discrimination under Title VII. This case involved and Eastern