Legal - Employment Legal Issues
Equal Opportunity

Equal Opportunity

Employers are prohibited from discriminating in the hiring, promotion, discharge, pay, fringe benefits, and any other aspect of employment on the basis of race, color, sex, national origin, age, or disability.

Remember, your business is responsible for any discriminatory actions taken by managers or supervisors. You need to be sure that everyone on your management team understands discrimination law and abides by it.

In addition to being bad for business, violation of this law subjects you to potential government action. The greatest risk you face, however, is from an employee or job applicant filing a civil suit.

And don’t just quietly abide by the law. Make it obvious to the world that you are an equal opportunity employer. Certainly hire and definitely make an effort to promote women, racial minorities, people over forty, and the physically challenged. This will create a public image of your company as a progressive, forward-looking employer. It will demonstrate to those in protected groups that they can be hired by and get ahead within your firm. This reputation will also enable your company to defend itself against “false” discrimination suits brought by bitter or disgruntled employees or job applicants.