Discrimination in the Workplace

...

and performed under the same working conditions,” (Dessler, 2013, p. 33). In 1963, the average pay gap between men and women was 59 cents on the dollar. “Today, the average woman in the United States earns about 23 cents less on the dollar than the average man,” (US Equal Employment). Research has shown that women still earn less than men. This is true, “…even when factors like professional specialization, hours worked, and educational and experience levels are held constant. At the rate we’re going, it will be another 50 years before we eliminate the gender pay gap. The nation cannot afford to wait that long,” (US Equal Employment).

Throughout the years of fighting for equality, the US has gained many programs that have been aimed to help minorities like blacks and women. The Equal Employment Opportunity Act and affirmative action are both examples of action taken to provide equal opportunities without discrimination. The Equal Pay Act is another program set out to help women earn equal pay for the same work done as men. Though there has been some success with these programs, there is still work to be done to provide all of our minorities an equal chance to succeed.

“Many whites with the same qualifications but Negro skin would not have the jobs they have. But don’t ever say this publicly. Let your white friend say it. If you make the mistake of saying this, you will be accused of a curiosity called “playing the race card.” Nobody quite knows what this means. … If the “slavery was so long ago” thing comes up, have your white friend say that lots of white folks are still inheriting money that their families made a hundred years ago. So if that legacy lives, why not the legacy of slavery?”

-Award Winning Novelist, Ngozi Adichie

References

A&E Television Networks. (2016). Civil Right Movement. Retrieved from http://www.history.com/topics/black-history/civil-rights-movement.

Dessler, G. (2013). Human Resource Management: 13th Edition. Upper Saddle River, NJ. Pearson Education.

Social Psychology Network. (2016). Understanding Prejudice: Ten Myths About Affirmative Action. Retrieved from http://www.understandingprejudice.org/readroom/articles/affirm.htm.

Strauss, V. (2014). The Washington Post. Why we still need affirmative action for African Americans in college admissions. Retrieved from https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/answer-sheet/wp/2014/07/03/why-we-still-need- affirmative-action-for-african-americans-in-college-admissions/.

US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. 8, April, 2014. Statement on Equal Pay Day. Retrieved from https://www1.eeoc.gov//eeoc/newsroom/equal_pay_day_2014.cfm?renderforprint=1.