The Equal Employment Opportunities Commission Laws

Section I: Article Summary 

Human resource management is the foundation of a safe working environment. The HR department offers a system for training and overseeing a smooth response to various provisions stated in the Equal Employment Opportunity policies such as sexual harassment (Stevenson, 2019). Coaching offers the first solution in the fight against sexual harassment as it helps to prevent and eradicate the practice that has been reported in several working places. The department is expected to organize training workshops for the stakeholders in all the departments of the company to sensitize and update employees. The agenda of the training should also be to inform the management of different types of offensive sexual behaviors as stipulated in the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) regulations. The HR can be assisted by a lawyer who acts as a link between the company and EEOC. All questions should also be answered regarding the training for clarity. 

Changes in EEOC regulations accompany every year; therefore, the anti-harassment training should be conducted annually for the existing employees and during the inauguration of recruits. Consequently, the company must demonstrate its goodwill in the fight against sexual harassment (Stevenson, 2019). The HR is tasked with sending memos that serve as reminders to employees that sexual harassment is a serious offense. HR is also charged with the responsibility of encouraging victims to report the misconduct without fear of discrimination or reproach and remind them of the procedure of launching a complaint. 

Following its research on the ‘ #MeToo’ Movement and ‘Beyond’, the Society for Human Resources Management formed a conclusion that there was a significant change in how executives dealt with the issue of sexual harassment. The findings were accompanied by several impacts such as decreased employee morale, reduced engagements between management and employees, decreased general productivity, and increased hostility in work environments. 

However, the majority of the employees feel satisfied with their company’s effort to end sexual harassment at work. Nevertheless, there are those of the opinion that sexual harassment is still being reared in the workplace. In relation to this, an effort has to be made to ensure total eradication of the vice, in response to new laws that have been put in place as well as existing ones being enforced. The research also noted that communication between employees and the HR department is more direct and open to fight sexual harassment. The changes in the workplace dynamics have, however, not worked entirely to the good of the company as some female colleagues are no longer invited for trips and networking events in fear that this might turn against some of them and be termed as sexual harassment. 

Relation to Textbook Material 

The chapter analyses public policy on equal employment opportunity (EEO) and how it applies to contemporary workplaces. Anti-discriminatory laws apply to all employees, including immigrants. The requirements are implemented at state and local levels so that they may change slightly according to local government regulations. The commission was formed to deal with complaints presented by employees concerning equality in the workplace. Discrimination, based on whatever reasons, is illegal in the US and could land employers in prison. Violation of these rules and regulations has been divided into four theories to explain employment discriminations: disparate treatment, impact, retaliation, and harassment. To ensure employers do not use clauses of the Act, such as minimum requirements as an excuse for discrimination, the conditions must have a direct link to the job. For instance, if an employer requires recruits to be a given height, height must portray its importance in the job description. 

Employees who feel discriminated can file a charge of discrimination with EEOC. While discrimination based on race, nationality, among others, is prevalent, sexual harassment is rarely reported. It is in the public domain that women are the most sexually harassed, but that is not true. In 2017, the twitter hashtag#MeToo revealed that men also experience almost equal cases of sexual harassment ( Stevenson, 2019 ). The myth that only women are sexually harassed was demystified. Sexual harassment is the most revisited of discrimination since it happens knowingly and unknowingly, between colleagues and from the management. Using numbers and real-world experiences, the article links the theory in the book to the implementation, challenges, and measures taken against those who default EEOC regulations. 

Article Analysis 

The scope of sexual harassment cases is continually changing. The disparity could also be due to varying regulations on what would be termed as sexual harassment. Some workplaces have stricter rules on sexual discrimination, thus report more cases. EEO, therefore, has to keep reviewing the extent to which behavior will be termed as sexual harassment. The rules and regulations are likely to become even more stringent as an initiative to protect workers. The extension could include online harassment that arises from work. For instance, in the wake of the creation of workplace social media groups, individuals could acquire personal contacts of colleagues from the groups and use them for non-work purposes. The increased strictness will enforce equality and feelings of safety in the workplace. However, the rules could reduce interaction between colleagues and the management out of fear of offending each other. Recruits are especially at risk of feeling abandoned or unvalued as employees will keep their distance. As noted in the article, colleagues are skeptical of inviting people of the opposite gender for trips and networking meetings as it may be misinterpreted ( Stevenson, 2019) . Limited interaction will also make the workplace too formal, which will, in turn, limit employees' expression. 

Reference 

Stevenson M. (2019) Sexual harassment- HR as a safe place. Retrieved from https://www.hrexchangenetwork.com/employment-law/articles/sexual-harassment-hr-as-a-safe-place