Equal Employment Opportunity Law
Know and embrace EEO law to guarantee a harassment and litigation-free workplace
Most of us know there are equal employment opportunity laws in place to protect our employees and ourselves from workplace harassment and the costly litigation that can follow. But how do we as employers ensure we are doing all we can to protect our employees from infringements to their equal employment rights?It is important to remember that equal opportunity laws are not intended to protect only minority or other special protected groups; instead, equal opportunity employment laws protect all employees from discrimination on the basis of gender, race, religion, and so forth. EEO law affects every part of the employment process, from the help wanted ad placed in the local newspaper to the exit interview when employment ends. Some primary examples of equal employment opportunity law currently on the books are:
1. The Equal Pay Act of 1963 (EPA) which, protects against gender-based wage discrimination.
2. Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which protects against discrimination based on race, gender, color, national origin and religion.
3. The Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967 (ADEA), which protects individuals 40 years old and older against age-based discrimination under equal opportunity laws.
Ask an EEO law expert
Equal opportunity lawyers can be your best friends. Hiring an attorney who is fluent in equal employment laws to review your employment policies and procedures can protect you and your employees...and save you time and money in the long run.
Try: If you can't support an equal employment lawyer on your staff full time, online legal consultants can be your next best bet. Legal experts at Just Answer Corp. or RequestLegalHelp.com can give quick, reliable answers to your questions about equal opportunity law.
Educate yourself on equal employment opportunity laws
Knowledge is power...and arming yourself with at least a basic education about EEO law is a good way to ensure you stay ahead of unforeseen problems in the workplace.
Try: Comprehensive and highly interactive online courses in Equal Employment Opportunity Law are available at eCornell and Employment Law Learning Technologies. Because they are online, you can fit them into your busy schedule at your convenience.
Educate your staff about the importance of equal employment rights in the workplace
Remind your staff about the importance of keeping your business a harassment-free environment. This can save you time, money, and headaches. Make anti-discrimination a team effort. Train your staff members to embrace equal opportunity and anti-harrassment policies.
Try: Compliance training is available online through Brightline Compliance. To build an anti discrimination library for ongoing employee training, HumaNext offers videos on sexual harassment for current and future training opportunities.
- Be proactive when dealing with Equal Opportunity Law in the workplace. Having an equal opportunity employment attorney review your employment paperwork and policies before you implement them in the workplace will help ensure a trouble-free work environment for you and your staff.
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