Glass ceiling
The federal Civil Rights Act of 1964 prohibits employers from discriminating against job seekers and employees on the basis of race, religion, sex, pregnancy and national origin. Today there are more women in the workplace than ever before, and according to the U.S. Department of Labor, over 43 percent of the 70 million job hires in the U.S. in 2009 went to women. In spite of these gains, discrimination still exists, and women should remain aware of what their rights are.
Sexual Harassment
One of the most blatant forms of discrimination in the workplace is sexual harassment. Forms of harassment include unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors and other verbal or physical conduct that is sexual in nature. Particularly troubling is when the offender implies that the victim's rejection or acceptance of the behavior will affect her employment. Often harassment can be indirect, such as when a coworker posts or displays offensive materials.
Gender-Based Discrimination
The most severe form of gender-based discrimination is the outright exclusion of women in the workplace. Another example would be to classify certain jobs as "men-only" or "women-only." A third example is making appearance, namely attractiveness, a requirement for a particular job.
Salary Equality
The Equal Pay Act demands that men and women be compensated equally for the same work. The key to salary equality is that the law equates workers with the same job description and disregards job title. All forms of compensation are included in this law, making it illegal for companies to give bonuses or other incentives to one employee and not another.
Pregnancy Discrimination
The "sex plus" theory refers to discriminating against females of child-bearing age, pregnant women or women with small children. It is illegal for a company to terminate an employee based on pregnancy.
Exclusion from Opportunity
Excluding women from high-ranking positions is a form of discrimination that is very closely monitored. Several watchdog organizations monitor the percentages of female management and executives in the top U.S. companies. If a company has a disproportionately low number of female executives, it can be construed as discrimination, even if the company has a large percentage of lower-level female employees.
Tags: discriminating against, women workplace