Ethics of Job discrimination

Discrimination – the wrongful act of distinguishing illicitly among people not on the basis of individual merit, but on the basis of prejudice or some other invidious or morally reprehensible attitude. E.g. – employment discrimination in US- religious groups – Jews & Catholics ethnic groups – Italians, Poles & Irish racial groups – Blacks & Asians

Forms of discrimination Isolated behavior (intentional)- male interviewer preferring women candidates Routine behavior Isolated behavior (unintentional)- individual unthinkingly adopts traditional practices & stereotypes Systematic routine of org to discriminate against women or minorities

Affirmative action program – A program designed to ensure the proportion of minorities within an org matches their proportion in the available workforce

Discrimination & Law Civil rights Act of 1964 – made it illegal to make it hiring, firing, or compensation decisions on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, or national origin Executive order 11246 – required co’s doing business with the federal govt. to to take steps to redress racial imbalance in workforce Equal Employment Opportunity Act of 1972 – gave EEOC increased power to combat “underutilization” & to require affirmative action programs

Extent of discrimination Average benefits Placing discriminated groups at lowest levels of institutions More advantageous positions to preferred ones

Discrimination in US – The income gap b/w Whites & minorities has not decreased Large Y inequalities based on sex exist Black unemployment is more than twice as high as Whites Minority poverty rate is 2-3 times of Whites Poverty rate of families headed by women is 3 times that of male headed ones Most higher-paying jobs go to white males

Glass ceiling – an invisible, but impenetrable barrier to further promotion sometimes encountered by women or minorities Increasing problems for women & minorities – Women & minorities make up most new workers Women are steered into low-paying jobs & face a glass ceiling & sexual harassment

Utilitarian arguments which claims that discrimination leads to an inefficient use of human resources Rights arguments violates basic human rights Justice arguments which claims that discrimination results in an unjust distribution of society’s benefits & burdens

Utility Discriminating job applicants on the basis of race, sex, or other characteristics unrelated to job performance is necessarily inefficient & contrary to utilitarian principles Objections encountered: The jobs shud be assigned on the basis of job related qualifications only so long as such assignments will advance the public welfare Society as a whole may benefit from some forms of sexual discrimination

Rights Discriminatory practices violate the principle in two ways : Racial & sexual discrimination is based on stereotypes that see minorities as “lazy” or “shiftless” & women as “emotional” & “weak”. Placing members at lower positions, lower salaries & lower job opportunities

Justice Principle of equal opportunity – social & economic inequalities are to be arranged so that they are attached to offices & positions open to all under conditions of fair equality of opportunity

Discriminating practices Recruitment practices – word of mouth referrals, only White males, for MEN only Screening practices – disqualifying minority class who are unfamiliar with the language, concepts & social situations in the aptitude & intelligence tests Promotion practices Conditions of employment – less wages & salaries to women & minorities, providing secretarial or clerical positions only, less benefits

Sexual harassment