Eeo - Equal Employment Opportunity History and Laws

Equal Employment Opportunity History and Laws

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. EEO strives to assure that all applicants, male and female alike and all ethnic groups have a fair chance in the hiring process, in competing for advancement, and each employee must have the same access to development probabilities. Equal Employment Opportunity is based on equality and it is encompassed by a series of statutes intended to proscribe workplace discrimination.

History

In the 1960s, Americans anticipated on the President, Congress, and the courts would implement the pledge of the 14th Amendment. In June 1964, the U.S. Senate passed the Civil Rights Act. Nearly a month later the U.S. House of Representatives passed the bill and President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the bill into law. Equal Employment Opportunity was established by Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, but its purpose has been fashioned by more than a solitary part of legislation (Youth at Work, 2011). The requirements of this civil rights act would allow the government to make a set of laws to help end discrimination on the basis of gender as well as nationality in employment, advancement, and dismissals. These laws became a self-governing body making it a key component in dealing with unfairness issues. Since its creation, Congress has progressively made other authorities available such as: investigatory mandates, setting up programs to bring disputing sides together, filing lawsuits, and managing charitable support programs (National Archives, 2011).

Major EEO Laws

Title VII and Pregnancy Discrimination Act

Title VII makes it prohibits discrimination against anyone on the grounds of race, color, religion, national origin, or sex. The Pregnancy Discrimination Act is an amendment to Title VII. This law makes it illegal to single out women because of pregnancy, childbirth, or for any medical condition that may be related to pregnancy or childbirth. It is intended to protect female employees or prospective employees from being dismissed from a job or being passed over for promotion due to motherhood. In addition, Title VII also makes it necessary that employers reasonably allow for the religious practices of their employees, unless doing so would conflict with the needs of the business or cause adversity in the workplace (Laws Enforced by EEOC, 2011).

Equal Pay Act of 1963 (EPA)

The Equal Pay Act forbids gender discrimination in the form of wages paid to men and women doing the same type of work, in occupations that call for the same aptitude and accountability, with comparable working conditions, in the same organization (EEO is The Law, 2011).

The Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967 (ADEA)

"The Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967, as amended, protects applicants and employees 40 years of age or older from discrimination based on age in hiring, promotion, discharge, pay, fringe benefits, job training, classification, referral, and other aspects of employment" (EEO is The Law, 2011).

Title I of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA)

Title I ADA forbids employers from discriminating against an experienced applicant with a disability in the private components of society and in civic and local governments. It also calls for employers to accommodate the bodily or psychological boundaries of a competent person with a disability who is an candidate for employment or a current staff member, unless providing modifications to the workplace would cause difficulty in the function of the company (Laws Enforced by EEOC, 2011).

Sections 102 and 103 of the Civil Rights Act of 1991

"The Act authorizes compensatory and punitive damages in cases of intentional discrimination, and provides for obtaining attorneys' fees and the possibility of jury trials. It also directs the EEOC to expand its technical assistance and outreach activities (Federal EEO Laws, 2011).

Sections 501