Question

Why do you think we still experience so much discrimination in the workplace even though the major EEO laws have been in existence for decades?

Answer 1

In order to understand as to why we still experience so much discrimination in the workplace even though the major EEO laws have been in existence for decades, let us be reminded in brief about the Title VII of the Civil Rights. The Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, 1964 came in force on 02 July, 1964 establishing the civil rights and US labor laws. The most important Title governing the discrimination was the Title VII that made any employment discrimination illegal on the basis of gender, race, nationality, religion or color. Title VII of the act created the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) to enforce laws that prohibit discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability, or age in hiring, promoting, firing, setting wages, testing, training, apprenticeship, and all other terms and conditions of employment. Race, color, sex, creed, and age are now protected classes. Title VII is administered by EEOC. The commission or its designated representatives have the rights to administer the same.

However, in terms of the Civil rights connected to ‘Equality’, there is a paradoxical situation experienced here as well in Corporate world. For example, in terms of the overall employment opportunities given to both, the Blacks and the Whites, the condition of the Blacks, although improved from the past, still lags behind when it comes to narrowing the wealth gap between the Blacks with that of the Whites. There is still a persistent significant rate of the Blacks who remain unemployed in the market. On the face of it, Title VII is taking care of the inequality but in reality, there is still need to be a change in the mindsets of many of such employers and that of the HR members as well who put the obstacles before the Blacks without offering them a fair chance to sail through the employment process. Hence, there needs to be more steps taken to improve the employment laws in order to make it sufficient to protect the employees at workplace and to do away with the discriminatory practices.