Human resources management: key concepts and questions

¶ … fall into the "reasonable accommodation" category of less than $500 would be things like modifying work schedules, reassigning workers to different tasks or departments, restructuring jobs, making facilities accessible, and providing interpreters or readers.

It is very important that Muslims have protection because employers are not allowed to discriminate against any religion. Whether the employer agrees with or likes the religion does not matter. That employer must not discriminate against the employee because he or she chooses to practice a particular religion.

The organization and other employees are negatively affected because it hurts their morale. They see that the company does not value all employees, and that some who work for them are considered "better" than others based on criteria they are not able to control. This sends the wrong message.

In other countries, laws are not as much of a concern for HRM. However, with employment becoming much more global it is very likely that HRM specialists will have to start focusing much more on the laws, rules, and regulations of other parts of the world. There are many companies with overseas operations.

5. To minimize their chances of litigation and of being found negligent when it comes to sexual harassment, managers can make sure there are clear policies for their departments and a clear definition of what constitutes this type of harassment. These policies should be in writing, and acknowledged (also in writing) by all employees. Keeping an "open door" with regard to employees being able to come to them with concerns and grievances is also important in reducing risk.

6. The decision in Griggs v. Duke Power Company is considered a landmark because it was the first case of its kind. The premise was that the requirements for the job that were keeping out African-Americans were not really needed to perform the job. As such, they kept African-Americans from being hired, which was discriminatory. Even though the company had not intended to discriminate, it still did and was held liable for its actions.

7. An English-only rule in a workplace with a diverse workforce would result in lower morale and other problems because it devalues an entire group of people and creates controversy among employees. The ability to speak English has nothing to do with how well a person performs his or her job duties. Additionally, when a company has an English-only rule that is not a necessity for the business itself, it can result in discrimination claims based on disparate impact and national origin.

8. A bona fide occupational qualification (BFOQ) is a qualification that employers are allowed to consider when it comes to whether they will hire or retain an employee. In other words, it is not a discriminatory factor, and is necessary to the performance of the actual job. In another context or another type of job it may be considered discriminatory, however.