Question.3452 - Chapter 3: 1. Discuss some of the protected characteristics covered by equal employment opportunity laws and why they are important in today's employment setting. Chapter 4: 2. Describe how changes in the workforce have been impacting organizations, including organizations for which you have recently worked.
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Discuss some of the protected characteristics covered by equal employment opportunity laws and why they are important in today's employment setting. Laws about Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) protect characteristics such as race, colour, and handicap. Protection against discrimination based on race or skin colour ensures that people are treated equally regardless of ethnicity. This is crucial for encouraging an environment where all workers have equal opportunity and preventing racial bias in the workplace. Research suggests that The ambivalence that white Americans have for black Americans has been shown by researchers studying American race relations (McConahay, 1983). Companies must ensure that recruiting, promotion, and retention policies don't discriminate against or favour employees based on race or ethnicity. The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) mandates that companies make reasonable accommodations for their employees with disabilities, allowing them to carry out their job responsibilities efficiently. One significant demand-side issue influencing disabled people's ability to participate fully in competitive employment is their employers' attitudes. Even though companies express essentially good attitudes toward disability, discriminatory employment practices may nonetheless exist (Burke et al., 2013). This protects people who have mental or physical disabilities. This guarantees inclusive and accessible workplaces that value the contributions of all workers, regardless of skill level. Creating equitable opportunities and preserving a good, encouraging work environment depends on stopping discrimination based on disability. Describe how changes in the workforce have been impacting organisations, including organisations for which you have recently worked. Workforce changes like adopting hybrid work patterns and the rise in automation have greatly influenced businesses, including those I recently worked for. The transition to hybrid work, where workers alternate between working remotely and in the office, has completely changed how businesses function. Many companies now highly value flexibility, enabling workers to work from home occasionally to support work-life balance and lessen the strain of commuting. Due to this shift, businesses now need less office space. Thus, they are remodelling or downsizing to house fewer workers who work there full-time. Simultaneously, the implementation of automation has fundamentally altered labour procedures. Automation technologies have been incorporated into daily operations to handle repetitive tasks like data input, customer service, and recruitment screening (Tyson& Zysman, 2022). Examples of these tools include robotic process automation (RPA) and AI-powered software. For example, one company I worked with used automated chatbots to help consumers, which reduced response times and freed up staff to concentrate on more demanding jobs. This has decreased operating expenses while simultaneously increasing efficiency. Nevertheless, automation necessitates that staff members acquire new technical abilities to operate and communicate with these systems, which calls for continuous training and development. References Tyson, L. D., & Zysman, J. (2022). Automation, AI & work. Daedalus, 151(2), 256-271. McConahay, J. B. (1983). Modern racism and modern discrimination: The effects of race, racial attitudes, and context on simulated hiring decisions. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 9(4), 551-558. Burke, J., Bezyak, J., Fraser, R. T., Pete, J., Ditchman, N., & Chan, F. (2013). Employers' attitudes towards hiring and retaining people with disabilities: A review of the literature. The Australian Journal of Rehabilitation Counselling, 19(1), 21-38.More Articles From Human Resource