HND in Business

Management
Module: Human Resource Management Unit
21
Lesson: Equal Opportunities
Lecturer:
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Equal Opportunities
This is an approach to the
management of people at work based
on equal access and fair treatment
irrespective of gender, race, ethnicity,
age, disability, sexual orientation or
religious belief

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Equal opportunities
Reduce the imbalance
of the work environment

Models of best Practice

Framework
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Legislative

Women in Employment
Women contribution to the national product
(Land & Home based industries).
Women based industries Textile, footwear,
clothing & leather, Hotels, catering & retail
distribution.
Gender Segregation Women's job, Men's
job, a few unisex jobs.
Assumptions on service of a women &
different payments for men & women
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Pregnant workers are poorly treated, no

promotions or trainings. No rest time, pressed
for over time, make redundant while on
maternity leave.

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Barriers To Women
Employment
What are the barriers of women
work ?

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to

Ethnic Minorities In
Employment
Employment rate for working age
ethnic minorities is very low
Doubled
unemployment
rate
compared with other priority groups.
Ethnic segregation in the market
Very poor representation in the
higher levels of jobs.

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As HR managers , why do we
need to adopt a positive
action plan on racial equality ?

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Disabled People In
Employment
Disability : Physical or mental
impairment which has a substantial
and long term adverse effect on a
persons ability to carry out normal
day to day activities
(Disability discrimination act 1995)

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Disability

Restricted Mobility
Speech weakness
Poor hearing & eyesight
Learning disability & disfigurement

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Employing A Disability
Person
Often it is restricted
Higher & longer unemployment rate
Very low representation in higher
positions
Negative
attitude
towards
employment

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Changes To Working
Arrangements
Code Of Practice On Disability

Altering working hours

Acquiring or making changes to equipments.
Allocating some duties to other
Providing Supervision
Making adjustments to premises
Training
Providing a reader or interpreter
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How To Avoid Disability

Discrimination In Employment

Be Flexible
Do not make assumptions
Consider whether experts advice is
needed
Plan ahead
Promote equal opportunities
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What Are The Problems That

Can Arise When Employing A
Disabled Person In Your Work
Place ?

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Age Diversity In
Employment
Skill shortage among young people
Mature people will not get the
chance due to the age
Negative attitude on older people.
This
impacts on recruitment,
selection, promotion, training &
selection on redundancy .

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Why Organizations Might

Practice Age Discrimination?

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Other Discriminations
Sexual
Orientation:
Behavioral
norms attitudes cause harassments,
verbal abuse or isolation.
Religious Belief: Discrimination
against faith , Indirect discrimination
through work practices, Dress codes,
Dietary laws, Time off for religious
activities & holidays, facilities for
prayer requirements .
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Discriminations
Direct Discrimination:

An interested group

is treated less favorably than another.

E.g. Fail in promote a women because she is pregnant

Indirect Discrimination:

An employer
applies a provision , criterion or practice to men & women
equally but it has the effect of putting one sex at a
particular disadvantage without justification.
E.g. Changing shift patter early in the morning which make a unfair
situation for working mothers .

Victimization:

An employer disadvantages
workers because they have hunted to exercise their
legal rights or assisted others in doing so .

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Harassments
Racial abuse, unwanted sexual
advances
E.g. Putting a vital object on a high
shelf making it difficult to reach for
women.

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Permissible Reasons
Discriminating Gender
Not physically strength
Politeness or Privacy
Special welfare considerations
Provision of personal services promoting
welfare or education
Laws or customs on duties could not or
could not effectively performed by a
woman.

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Permissible Reasons
Discriminating On Racial
Grounds

Dramatic
performances,
where
requires a person of a particular
racial group.
Artists or photographic models for
advertising purposes
Welfare services directed to a
particular group.

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