Which three important concepts are covered by EEO laws? Briefly explain each.

Question

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

Three important concepts covered by EEO are (1) workplace discrimination, which occurs when people are hired or promoted—or denied hiring or promotion—for reasons not relevant to the job, such as skin color, national origin, eye shape, religion, and the like; (2) affirmative action, which focuses on achieving equality of opportunity within an organization by actively finding, hiring, and developing people from groups traditionally discriminated against; and (3) sexual harassment, which consists of unwanted sexual attention that creates an adverse work environment and which may be of two types—the quid pro quo type, which may cause direct economic injury, and the hostile environment type, in which the person being harassed experiences an offensive work environment.

Workplace discrimination comes in two forms. Adverse impact occurs when an organization uses an employment practice or procedure that results in unfavorable outcomes to a protected class (such as Latinos) over another group of people (such as non-Latino whites). Disparate treatment results when employees from protected groups (such as people with disabilities) are intentionally treated differently.