Workforce Diversity

Workforce Diversity

Workforce diversity refers to the variety of the workers in relation to their race , ethnicity , national origin , cultural background , age gender , religion , and sexual orientation . In the United States workforce diversity was initially pursued in the interest of doing away with past discriminations by granting equal employment opportunities in federally-funded projects to the members of the minority groups . This intent was contained in Section 301 (1 ) of Executive 10925 issued by then President John F . Kennedy in 1961 which stated , among others that The [federal government] contractor will not

discriminate against any employee or applicant for employment because of race , creed , color or national origin (The White House , 1961

After President Kennedy was assassinated , the succeeding Johnson administration passed the Civil Rights Act of 1964 . Described as the most comprehensive piece of legislation on civil rights , it provided that No person in the United States shall , on the ground of race color , or national origin , be excluded from participation in , be denied the benefits of , or be subjected to discrimination under any program or activity receiving federal financial assistance (Columbia American History Online , 2004

Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 contained two specific provisions which guarantee workforce diversity . Section 703 (a (1 declared it unlawful for any employer to fail or refuse to hire or to discharge any individual , or otherwise to discriminate against any individual with respect to his compensation , terms , conditions , or privileges of employment , because of such individual 's race , color religion , sex , or national origin ' Section 703 (a (2 , on the other hand , prohibited an employer to limit , segregate , or classify his employees or applicants for employment in any way which would deprive or tend to deprive any individual of employment opportunities or otherwise adversely affect his status as an employee , because of such individual 's race , color , religion , sex , or national origin (U .S . Equal Employment Opportunity Commission , 1997

In 1965 , President Johnson issued Executive (EO 11246 to implement this Act . EO 11246 required contractors of federally-funded projects to resort to affirmative action in to ensure that job applicants and employees are treated equally without regard to their race , national origin , skin color , or religion (Columbia American History Online , 2004 . Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and its implementing Executive 11246 , when properly implemented would ensure fully diversified workplaces in the country , grant equal employment opportunities to members of minority groups , and reduce racial discrimination in the country

The Equal Pay Act (EPA ) of 1963 as amended illegalized workplace discrimination based on sex . It requires employers to pay equal wages to male and female workers who are performing the same kind of work requiring equal skill , effort , and responsibility ' under approximately the same conditions and atmosphere of work . The following exceptions to equal pay have been laid down by this Act , namely seniority , merit system , computation of earnings based on the quality or quantity of output , and wage differentials which are based on...