In a world that is constantly
evolving, ensuring your business follows equality laws will help to protect the
company and its staff. Workplace discrimination continues to be a prevalent
issue in the US, with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC)
receiving over 73,000 new discrimination charges for Fiscal Year 2022.
Although it is down to the employer to
create a safe environment and protect employees from any form of harassment,
the EEOC prohibits employment discrimination. This means it is illegal
discriminate in situations related to hiring, firing, benefits, harassment,
training, and wages.
If you would like to ensure your
business follows equality laws, this article lists three of the most effective
tips to do just that.
Avoid Discrimination
To avoid discrimination as a business,
you must first understand the laws that are in place to safeguard companies and
workers. After all, it is the employer’s responsibility to protect all of their
employees and create a diverse and safe workplace. There are numerous
anti-discrimination laws that direct companies how to treat staff correctly.
However, the laws vary from state to
state in the US. For example, employment discrimination laws in Riverside apply to employers with five or more workers. This is due
to California having more comprehensive anti-discrimination laws than federal
laws, which only apply to businesses with 15+ employees or 20+ in the case of
age discrimination.
The laws might also vary depending on
the type of discrimination. There are laws for age discrimination,
disabilities, immigration, and more. Your business must follow all of the
relevant anti-discrimination laws to ensure your staff are safe. This will ensure
you can ensure equality for all in your company and act appropriately if any
discriminatory incidents occur.
Create Diverse and Inclusive Policies
Implementing policies that revolve
around diversity, equality, and inclusion can help you create a safe and
welcoming workplace. Policies are vital in encouraging progress, making
decisions, and tackling challenges. These policies can be used to set
boundaries in the workspace, and they should be designed to be fair, follow the
law, and reflect the diverse needs of all staff. There should not be any
discriminatory language or policies used, as this would go against the EEOC.
Inclusion should be at the forefront
of these policies when they are in the development stage. It should use
content, language, and structure that is relevant toe the abilities,
backgrounds, and identities of those involved in the business. The policies
should be comprehensible to all, so you should consider the language used, the
ease of understanding, and the promotion of equity.
Extra care might be needed to ensure
the policies are available in alternative formats, including audio and braille.
You can evaluate the need for this by including various employees in the
development process.
Provide Equal Pay
If you suspect there may be a
discrepancy in pay, such as women receiving less than men in the same role,
then you must rectify this issue promptly to follow the Equal Pay Act. This Act
was brought in to ensure those who worked the same role, with the same skills,
should be paid the same salary. Employers can fix issues with inequal wages by meeting
with other senior members of staff from administration, compliance, human
resources, and legal.
At this meeting, you will need to
discuss the salary discrepancies, the challenges facing the business and its
workers, and an action plan to eliminate the pay gap. You can also give the
opportunity for employees to voice their opinion on the matter. It is
encouraged the entire organization be aware of any potential or existing issues
regarding inequal pay to ensure everyone is agreed to tackle it.
However, if there are any inequalities
in salary of those who perform the same role, you must remember that wages
cannot be reduced to equalize pay;
the wages must be increased.
By using the three tips listed in this article, you can run a business that follows the equality laws and protects its employees from harassment.
