Human Resource Assignments

Assignment 1

Employment Discrimination

In the past ten years, nature of work and employment contract has undergone numerous changes. As employees are more focused on grooming their skills and increasing their employability, so are the employers to hire people, who can assure the achievement of their desired targets in the best possible manner. The term employment discrimination refers to single out an applicant or employee because of gender, race, age, religion, ethnicity or any other reason. Employment discrimination can be also be viewed in terms of biased privileged and facilities provided to employees in an organization based on citizenship status, sex, color, disability or race (Employment discrimination, n.d.).

To analyze the situation more precisely, age discrimination for elderly people is a more commonly discussed the issue in the USA. According to the statistics of the GAO (2006), over the next twenty years number of workers above the age of 55 will significantly increase. The demographic projection of this group states this increase in number as one-fifth of the total workforce strength of the nation by 2015 (Tishman et. al., 2012).

Tishman et. al. (2012) claim that based on the evidence misinformation, stereotyping and ageism about elder people are continuing to be the major cause of issues at the workplace and other segments of society. Dennis and Thomas (2007) have cited both positive and negative perceptions about elderly people held by mangers at workplace. These negative perceptions about mature people include their inflexibility, lack of aggression, complacency, inability to adapt to new technology and increasing cost of health insurance due to their physical limitation. Moreover, the statistics of the AARP survey conducted in 1995 had stated that employers did not highly valued traits, which were most admired about older people such as judgment, low turnover, experience, punctuality and commitment to quality. Additionally, James, Swanberg, and McKechnie (2007) have argued that young co-workers' perception that older people are less capable than young employees is another obstacle that adds to work related issues faced by older people.

In the US, there are several federal and state laws including Age Discrimination Employment (ADE) of 1981, Equal Pay Act (EPA) written and enforced by the national authorities to ensure that there is no person kept away from his right only because of any unfair reason. Despite the enforcement of law, the US court receives thousands of discrimination claims each month, which means that employees are facing work related issues.

Companies shall understand the significance of demands and needs of older employees, and they shall incorporate organization programs, which can best address older people needs and resolve their common issue. Employers can provide transportation facilities to older people, they can initiate awareness programs at an organizational level to remove all the myths and illogically perceived discrimination against older people at work place. By evaluating skills of older employees, companies can enrich their job responsibilities with tasks that involve mental capabilities rather than physical strength. Employers shall understand the healthcare need of older employees, and they must ensure that their work related ...