Essay on Equal Employment Opportunity Laws

Equal employment opportunity laws make it unlawful to discriminate against any person because of sex, religion, colour, race, or national origin. Such laws apply to employing and dismissing, assigning, promoting, training, or retraining.

In 1964 Congress the Civil Rights Act and in 1972 the Equal Employment Opportunities Act. Employers since then have been required to develop affirmative action programs. These laws require employers to seek out women and minorities and promote them to positions for which they are qualified.

In 1967, the Age Discrimination in Employment Act was passed, the law that prevents enforced retirement before age 70. The Vocational Rehabilitation Act prohibits employers with federal contracts from discriminating against the handicapped.

It can readily be seen that administrators must set up an affirmative action office in their institutions to keep track of the local situation. It is also obvious that enforcement of all the EEO laws becomes quite a task.

The employment Opportunity Commission has the overall responsibility for enforcement. Those who are administering the affirmative action programs in the various institutions are required to stay informed regarding women, minorities, and handicapped who are employed. They try to locate and hire qualified individuals who are available.

Those responsible also set up timetables for their recruiting activities, supervise the interviews, control the questions asked, and set up goals for recruiting and employing those who qualify according to EEO laws.

Every administrator should be familiar with the need for and operation of affirmative action plans. Such plans are now generally effective in all educational institutions having any federal funds included in their income.

The purposes of affirmative action will generally include correcting policies and practices determined to be discriminatory, preventing both personal and institutional discrimination, and providing for normal upward mobility and career development for all qualified minorities.

Sound anti-discrimination plans will protect individuals from discrimination on the basis of ethnic origin, race, gender, and/or creed and will not operate to the consistent disadvantage of a particular group of people. Such plans should provide for equal opportunities for education, professional growth, and economic security.

While most institutions have established an office with the responsibility to oversee and implement affirmative action practices, every administrator who selects or recommends any person for employment must be thoroughly familiar with, and committed to, the alternative action goals of the institution. In most instances, the major concerns will be:

1: The publication of vacancy notices so individuals, regardless of sex, race, ethnic background, or creed, will have the opportunity to apply.

2. The fostering of an atmosphere in the organization that will be comfortable for all employees.

3. An attempt to achieve a reasonable balance among males and females, blacks and whites, the handicapped and non handicapped, and other distinctive groups.

4. A regular review of the status of each department to monitor the degree of compliance with affirmative action policies.

While some administrators have found programs of this nature slightly onerous and limiting, those who embark upon them with enthusiasm and commitment soon find that they provide more advantages than disadvantages.

A broader outlook, a more diversified staff, and a greater understanding of societal problems ensue. The careful monitoring of such programs assists administrators to appreciate the problems and feelings of employees generally. Public relations are normally enhanced and community support increased.

It has recently been found advisable for administrators and teachers to become more familiar with unionism. In all probability, they will sometime be in the midst of negotiations with a union leader.

A good administrator would insist on becoming involved. Such a person who is also an able negotiator can do a great deal to improve relations with both the union and his/her staff.

With the expansion of the unions and their growing interest in physical education and sports, it behooves all administrators, teachers, and athletic directors to give attention to the unions and their operation.

The objective of preventing conflict cannot always be achieved, and yet it is important to continue efforts in that direction. Unions do have considerable effect on wages and salaries whether the employer is unionized or not.

Administrators and staff members do need more knowledge of and experience with unionism than most of them have now. Somewhere in the curriculum for teachers, coaches, and executives, room must be made to include some experience and some class work with regard to unionism.

For those staff members and administrators who have not been exposed to this before their graduation from a professional preparation program, provision should be made for further learning in this regard. Administrators, particularly, need to be knowledgeable and conversant with the problems involved.