Equity in a workplace is key to realizing key goals of an individual corporate body. The Berkeley University of California identifies it as one that gives a sense of value and belonging to all employees and provides them with favorable working conditions. Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO), Affirmative Action (AA) and Diversity are the fundamental pillars of establishing Equity in a Workplace. The paper looks at each of these pillars, bringing out the differences in each one of them.
EEO refers to an employment culture, where there is no discrimination whatsoever regarding an individual’s personality, background, gender or even religion. According to Berkeley Human Resources (2016), EEO works as a primary principle that gives equal opportunities to all workers in an organization. Creating an environment where all employees can feel a sense of fairness boosts their morale. A good example is where a company employs workers from different religious backgrounds, say Muslims and Christians, who are both allowed to present proposals, without the fear of being judged based on the religious affiliations. With this setup, workers feel appreciated, and their position respected, gearing them to maximize their potential towards the success of the organization. It is; however, argued that the establishment of an EEO set up could lead to some workers having a higher chance of opportunities than others. This argument implies that the equity acquired will not be equal across the board.
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Affirmative Action (AA) ensures that EEO is extended to the minority groups. AA provides that the minorities are given opportunities to contribute to the economic growth and development. This provides minors with a chance to tap into a network of many opportunities, providing them with a standard playing field with the rest of the workforce. An application of this is the employment of physically challenged persons not based on their physical appearance but merit. However, AA is risky in that some of these minorities could be placed in positions that they were not prepared for. This could risk a dysfunction in the area or field work given to them.
The last key element of Equity is Diversity. Diversity refers to the employment of employees from various and different aspects of life. It is the sourcing of employees from various religious, ethical, racial backgrounds and even different geographical locations (Berkeley Human Resources, 2016). This kind of set up brings together different talents and creativity to a company. A good example is when a corporation hires people from the various ethnic backgrounds and geographical locations. These people bring to the table different and vast ideologies and mentalism to such an institution. However, diversity can create a culture clash in the organization as some employees may feel their culture is superior to that of others.
EEO, AA and Diversity are; therefore, key elements that companies should incorporate to their structures. The contribution of these items to the smooth and efficient running of an organization is tremendous. Therefore, companies should embrace these aspects for sustained productivity.
References
Berkeley Human Resources. (2016). What Are Diversity, Equal Employment Opportunity, and Affirmative Action. UC Regents . Retrieved from http://hr.berkeley.edu/policies/affirmative-action-eeo/about.
