Gender Discrimination Law Education and Training

Know the laws on gender discrimination to ensure your business avoids unnecessary legal hassles
By Michele Vrouvas You don't have to be a human resource professional to research laws on gender discrimination. Any business owner or supervisor should be familiar with federal and state laws banning discrimination on the basis of sex, whether that discrimination occurs during the hiring, training, promotion or termination process. Penalties for violating these laws can be steep and have the potential to tarnish a corporation's otherwise commendable reputation.

Some corporations are engaging the services of legal professionals to review their existing employee management policies so that those policies clearly do not practice any kind of gender discrimination in business. Here are some suggestions for undertaking a gender discrimination law education and training program:

1. Find the applicable statutes that relate to gender discrimination law.

2. Enhance your understanding of gender discrimination laws by reading articles in professional journals.

3. Stay on top of information on gender discrimination laws when you access timely blogs where professionals share their experiences in everyday terms.

Use federal and state resources for gender discrimination laws education

Comprehensive training on gender discrimination must begin with the statutory sources of those regulations. You'll need to know the enforcement powers of federal commissions and agencies in addition to how these organizations implement the laws in their hiring and employee management practices.
Try:  The US Code is a source for federal laws prohibiting gender discrimination in the hiring of federal employees. There are also state laws protecting against discrimination based on sex. State of New Jersey Office of the Attorney General offers a clear explanation of laws against discrimination and how the Family Leave Act fits within those provisions. The Alaska Legal Resource Center identifies the various chapters of the statutes that prohibit discrimination based on race or sex in public education.

Educate yourself with online sources presenting new research on gender discrimination topics

Invigorate your staff's educational opportunities by allowing them to learn how legal professionals interpret the statutes. Online commentaries help non-legal professionals understand the key terms and fundamental provisions these the laws are based upon.
Try:  Employee Issues gives you a nutshell overview of the topic and explains it all in layman's terms. Access informative articles on the Human Rights Law Review, which analyze gender discrimination laws and provide insightful discussions. Expert Law identifies the proofs that a citizen alleging gender discrimination must offer in order to prevail in a court of law.

Read educational information from gender discrimination lawyers

Add immediacy to your staff's educational program on gender discrimination law by allowing them to access various media sources. Newspapers, educational journals and online blogs provide timely reports on developments in this area of the law while at the same time reporting on real life cases that involve employment laws against gender discrimination.
Try:  Find out whether company dress codes can become material issues in gender discrimination cases by checking out the discussion at The Delaware Employment Law Blog. Education Week reports on Supreme Court cases that interpret sex discrimination in public schools.

Allow employees to participate in webinars and seminars on gender discrimination laws

Finish off your educational program on gender discrimination with timely events like seminars.
Try:  The Miller Law Group hosts web seminars on how to spot discrimination in the workplace. Lorman Education Services hosts a live event dedicated to the most frequently asked payroll questions that can teach you how to avoid pregnancy discrimination in your company's payroll policies.

• As you undertake a gender discrimination law education and training course, remember that some employees have won cases against their employers on the grounds that the company's human resource policy did not provide adequate disciplinary actions against employees who violated those policies.