EEO

PHILOSOPHY OF EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY
AND HUMAN RESOURCE PROSPECTIVE

Equal employment opportunity is an important concept for employers, employees and job
applicants. The concept of equal employment emerged during the civil rights era to make
minorities and women equal to their white-male counterparts. Title VII of the Civil Rights Act
aims to protect employees from discrimination. Therefore, the Equal Employment Opportunity
Commission (EEOC) was developed specifically to address issues of discrimination and unequal
employment practices.
In addition to the protected classes addressed in Title VII, the Equal Employment Opportunity
law protects discrimination based on sexual orientation, age, individuals with disabilities, marital
status, and parental/pregnancy status.
Equal employment opportunity is an employment practice where employers do not engage in
employment activities that are prohibited by law. It is illegal for employers to discriminate
against an applicant or employee on the basis of race, age, color, sex, religion, or national origin.
Human Resource Management Focus In Equal Employment Opportunity

(EEO)
Equal Employment Opportunity is continually in the spotlight of human resource (HR)
management. The number of EEO complaints and lawsuits remains significant, indicating that
ongoing progress is needed to decrease employment discrimination. EEO issues in HR
Management are so prevalent that it has become one of the biggest concerns for HR
professionals.
While HR professionals agree that equal employment opportunities are a legitimate focus, there
is considerable controversy over best way to achieve equality. One way is to use the "blind to
differences" approach, which argues that differences among people should be ignored and
everyone should be treated equally. The second common approach is affirmative action, through
which employers are urged to employ people based on their race, age, gender, or national origin.
The idea is to make up for historical discrimination by giving groups who have been affected
enhanced opportunities for employment. The former approach emphasizes equal treatment
regardless of individual differences; the latter emphasizes fairness based on individual
circumstances. "The goal of any affirmative action plan should be achievement of genuine equal
employment opportunity for all qualified persons."
Thus, it is important for HR professionals to understand Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO)
concept and its process encountered throughout HR Management.
Management Process
As a supervisor, you are often faced with personnel decisions: Should you hire this applicant?
Whom should you promote? What corrective action should you take with an employee?
Every one of your personnel-related actions is affected by EEO law. If you violate EEO law, the
University must bear the responsibility. To prevent such violations, it's not enough to simply
know that the law forbids discrimination. You should know the specific kinds of discrimination
to avoid in your day-to-day activities with job applicants and staff. Your job involves many
different personnel functions, including hiring, training, promotion, termination, and others.
Below are examples of actions you can take to fulfill EEO/AA responsibilities:
Ensure bias-free selection processes by forming diverse selection committees, evaluating

candidates on job-related criteria, and completing and maintaining necessary records.
Promote accountability for EEO/AA by ensuring that responsibilities in this area are
clearly indicated in the applicable job descriptions of managers and supervisors who
report to you.
Evaluate the performance of your supervisory staff in implementing established EEO/AA

responsibilities.
Educate yourself by participating in relevant training and education programs on campus

and encouraging subordinate staff with EEO/AA responsibilities to do the same.
Provide reasonable accommodations such as assistive devices, job restructuring, and site
modification for disabled staff members.
Maintain a hospitable work environment; ethnic jokes and harassment of any kind should
not be tolerated.
Review all personnel activities for potential differential impacts on different groups and
unintentional bias in such personnel actions as selection, salary increases, promotion,
reclassification, layoff, corrective action, training, and termination.
Encourage and invest in staff development, ensuring that all staff have access to
opportunities.
Make sure all staff are informed of the University's non-discrimination policy and the
procedures for resolving discrimination complaints.
The Importance of Equal Employment

Equal employment practices are important for both individuals and organizations. On an
individual basis, EEO laws accomplish many things. First, EEO helps establish a baseline for
acceptable behavior, which is important considering the vast array of lifestyles, values, and
attitudes individuals have. Secondly, EEO practices help individuals feel they are being treated
fairly and equally, which can increase an individuals level of commitment, satisfaction, and
loyalty to their employer. A third reason involves a persons mental mindset and sense of
personal worth and well-being. An individual that feels confident in all situations, even ones
where he or she is a minority, will help the individuals sense of overall worth and ability to
comfortably contribute.
When considering the importance of equal employment practices for organizations, it is easy to
see the benefits of EEO laws. First, an organization that can confidently state that they practice
equal employment has a greater advantage to attracting qualified and dedicated candidates.
Secondly, an organization that is EEO compliant decreases the chances of facing a discrimination
or wrongful discharge lawsuit. Finally, an organization that ensures equal employment for all
increases the chances that it will have a diverse workforce, which has many positive implications
for teams, departments, and overall organizational productivity and creativity.

EEO

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PHILOSOPHY OF EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY

AND HUMAN RESOURCE PROSPECTIVE

Human Resource Management Focus In Equal Employment Opportunity

Ensure bias-free selection processes by forming diverse selection committees, evaluating

Evaluate the performance of your supervisory staff in implementing established EEO/AA

Educate yourself by participating in relevant training and education programs on campus

The Importance of Equal Employment

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