In the context of Title VII of the 1964 Civil Rights Act, discuss identical treatment versus equitable treatment with an example.

Question

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

Answers will vary. In the years immediately after Title VII of the 1964 Civil Rights Act was passed, many HR managers operated under the assumption that they were required by law to treat everyone equally. In reality, that assumption is neither the intent of the law nor even truly possible. The real essence not only of Title VII but also of the more contemporary perspective on workforce diversity is that it is appropriate to acknowledge differences among people as long as people are treated fairly. For example, a typical company in the United States routinely gives days off to employees for basic Christian holidays such as Christmas. But people who have different religious beliefs may not acknowledge the sanctity of these religious holidays and instead have different sets of days that they associate with strong religious beliefs. Thus, an employer who provides Christian holidays off should also be sensitive to the need to provide important religious holidays off for various employees of different beliefs and faiths. See 8-1: The Nature of Workforce Diversity