Ethics of Ethics of Job Job

discriminatidiscriminationon

• Discrimination – the wrongful act of Discrimination – the wrongful act of distinguishing illicitly among people not distinguishing illicitly among people not on the basis of individual merit, but on on the basis of individual merit, but on the basis of prejudice or some other the basis of prejudice or some other invidious or morally reprehensible invidious or morally reprehensible attitude.attitude.

• E.g. – employment discrimination in US- E.g. – employment discrimination in US-

religious groups – Jews & Catholicsreligious groups – Jews & Catholics

ethnic groups – Italians, Poles & Irishethnic groups – Italians, Poles & Irish

racial groups – Blacks & Asiansracial groups – Blacks & Asians

Forms of discriminationForms of discrimination

• Isolated behavior (intentional)- male Isolated behavior (intentional)- male interviewer preferring women interviewer preferring women candidatescandidates

• Routine behaviorRoutine behavior• Isolated behavior (unintentional)- Isolated behavior (unintentional)-

individual unthinkingly adopts traditional individual unthinkingly adopts traditional practices & stereotypes practices & stereotypes

• Systematic routine of org to discriminate Systematic routine of org to discriminate against women or minoritiesagainst women or minorities

• Affirmative action program –Affirmative action program –

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

Discrimination & LawDiscrimination & Law

• Civil rights Act of 1964 – made it illegal to Civil rights Act of 1964 – made it illegal to make it hiring, firing, or compensation make it hiring, firing, or compensation decisions on the basis of race, color, religion, decisions on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, or national originsex, or national origin

• Executive order 11246 – required co’s doing Executive order 11246 – required co’s doing business with the federal govt. to to take business with the federal govt. to to take steps to redress racial imbalance in steps to redress racial imbalance in workforceworkforce

• Equal Employment Opportunity Act of 1972 – Equal Employment Opportunity Act of 1972 – gave EEOC increased power to combat gave EEOC increased power to combat “underutilization” & to require affirmative “underutilization” & to require affirmative action programsaction programs

Extent of discriminationExtent of discrimination

• Average benefits Average benefits • Placing discriminated groups at Placing discriminated groups at

lowest levels of institutionslowest levels of institutions• More advantageous positions to More advantageous positions to

preferred onespreferred ones

• Discrimination in US – Discrimination in US –

(i)(i) The income gap b/w Whites & minorities The income gap b/w Whites & minorities has not decreasedhas not decreased

(ii)(ii) Large Y inequalities based on sex existLarge Y inequalities based on sex exist

(iii)(iii) Black unemployment is more than twice as Black unemployment is more than twice as high as Whiteshigh as Whites

(iv)(iv) Minority poverty rate is 2-3 times of Minority poverty rate is 2-3 times of WhitesWhites

(v)(v) Poverty rate of families headed by women Poverty rate of families headed by women is 3 times that of male headed onesis 3 times that of male headed ones

(vi)(vi) Most higher-paying jobs go to white malesMost higher-paying jobs go to white males

• Glass ceiling – an invisible, but Glass ceiling – an invisible, but impenetrable barrier to further impenetrable barrier to further promotion sometimes encountered promotion sometimes encountered by women or minoritiesby women or minorities

• Increasing problems for women & Increasing problems for women & minorities –minorities –

(i)(i) Women & minorities make up most Women & minorities make up most new workersnew workers

(ii)(ii) Women are steered into low-paying Women are steered into low-paying jobs & face a glass ceiling & sexual jobs & face a glass ceiling & sexual harassmentharassment

• Utilitarian arguments which claims Utilitarian arguments which claims that discrimination leads to an that discrimination leads to an inefficient use of human resourcesinefficient use of human resources

• Rights arguments violates basic Rights arguments violates basic human rightshuman rights

• Justice arguments which claims that Justice arguments which claims that discrimination results in an unjust discrimination results in an unjust distribution of society’s benefits & distribution of society’s benefits & burdensburdens

Utility Utility

• Discriminating job applicants on the basis of Discriminating job applicants on the basis of race, sex, or other characteristics unrelated race, sex, or other characteristics unrelated to job performance is necessarily inefficient to job performance is necessarily inefficient & contrary to utilitarian principles& contrary to utilitarian principles

• Objections encountered:Objections encountered:(i)(i) The jobs shud be assigned on the basis of The jobs shud be assigned on the basis of

job related qualifications only so long as job related qualifications only so long as such assignments will advance the public such assignments will advance the public welfarewelfare

(ii)(ii) Society as a whole may benefit from some Society as a whole may benefit from some forms of sexual discriminationforms of sexual discrimination

Rights Rights

• Discriminatory practices violate the Discriminatory practices violate the principle in two ways :principle in two ways :

(i)(i) Racial & sexual discrimination is Racial & sexual discrimination is based on stereotypes that see based on stereotypes that see minorities as “lazy” or “shiftless” & minorities as “lazy” or “shiftless” & women as “emotional” & “weak”. women as “emotional” & “weak”.

(ii)(ii) Placing members at lower positions, Placing members at lower positions, lower salaries & lower job lower salaries & lower job opportunitiesopportunities

JusticeJustice

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

Discriminating practicesDiscriminating practices

• Recruitment practices – word of mouth Recruitment practices – word of mouth referrals, only White males, for MEN onlyreferrals, only White males, for MEN only

• Screening practices – disqualifying Screening practices – disqualifying minority class who are unfamiliar with the minority class who are unfamiliar with the language, concepts & social situations in language, concepts & social situations in the aptitude & intelligence tests the aptitude & intelligence tests

• Promotion practicesPromotion practices• Conditions of employment – less wages & Conditions of employment – less wages &

salaries to women & minorities, providing salaries to women & minorities, providing secretarial or clerical positions only, less secretarial or clerical positions only, less benefitsbenefits

• Sexual harassmentSexual harassment