Presentation On The Ethics of Job Discrimination

Presented by: Muhammad Mazhar Qaswar Abbas Muhammad Shahid Aziz

MBC-10-14 MBC-10-32 MBC-10-39

Job Discrimination: Its Nature Forms of Discrimination Discrimination and the Law Discrimination: Its Extent Discrimination: Utility, Rights, and Justice

Discrimination in its root meaning refers to the act of distinguishing one object from another. In modern usage, the term refers to "wrongful discrimination," or distinguishing among people on the basis of prejudice instead of individual merit.

Definition: The wrongful act of distinguishing illicitly among employees not on the basis of individual merit, but on the basis of prejudice or some other invidious or morally reprehensible attitude. Three elements of Job Discrimination: Not based on individual merit Derives from some morally unjustified attitude It has a harmful or negative impact on the interests of the employees

Racism On the basis On the basis On the basis On the basis On the basis

of of of of of

Gender Age Religion disability National origin

Intentional Isolated
A single individual deliberately discriminates on the basis of personal prejudices.

Unintentional
A single individual unwittingly discriminates due to their unthinking acceptance of prevalent practices, stereotypes and attitudes. Routine behavior of an institutionalized group unwittingly discriminates due to institutionalized practice, stereotypes, attitudes, or corporate culture.

Institutional

Routine behavior of an institutionalized group deliberately discriminates on the basis of the prejudices of the group.

American Broadcasting Company (ABC) sent a male and female to interviews in several companies Both have same resumes, qualification and management experience Male candidate receive more job calls for managerial positions but female candidate receive less job calls than male and she only receive calls for non-managerial jobs e-g receptionist. The experiment conducted by ABC shows that women and minorities were systematically given less consideration in hiring.

Present situation in US: examples of enduring inequities due to past discrimination

Blacks received fewer job offers and less desirable jobs than white males. Other research suggests that blacks and Hispanics were offered jobs 50% fewer times than white males.

A program designed to ensure the proportion of minorities within an organization matches their proportion in the available workforce. Affirmative action programs are positive steps designed to eliminate the effects of past discrimination:
No preferences for unqualified individuals No quotas No discrimination of any kind

Civil rights Act of 1964: made it illegal to make it hiring, firing, or compensation decisions on the basis of race, color, religion, gender, or national origin. Executive order 11246: required companies doing business with the federal government to take steps to redress racial imbalance in workforce. Equal Employment Opportunity Act of 1972: gave EEOC increased power to combat underutilization and to require affirmative action programs.

Articles 8 to Article 38 of the 1973 Constitution of Pakistan describe the Fundamental Rights, Guarantee of Equality and Non Discrimination is one of the Fundamental Rights which is available to all citizens of Pakistan

According to Articles 25, 26 and 27:

All citizens are equal and are entitled to equal protection of law There shall be no discrimination (Exceptions: the state can make special provisions for the protection of women and children) There shall be no discrimination on any basis in access to public places, except those specifically reserved for religious purposes (Exceptions: the state can make special provisions for women and children)

According to Articles 25, 26 and 27:

Equality:

There shall be no person can be discriminated in the matter of employment on the basis of race, religion, caste, gender, residence or place of birth (Exceptions: specific services can be reserved for members of either gender if such posts/services require duties which cannot be adequately performed by the members of other gender, e.g. Lady Health Visitor) Article 38 of the Constitution imparts the States obligations aimed at achieving equality

Average benefits Placing discriminated groups at lowest levels of institutions More advantageous positions to preferred ones

Discrimination in US: (i) The income gap b/w Whites & minorities has not decreased (ii) Large Y inequalities based on sex exist (iii) Black unemployment is more than twice as high as Whites (iv) Minority poverty rate is 2-3 times of Whites (v) Poverty rate of families headed by women is 3 times that of male headed ones (vi) Most higher-paying jobs go to white males

Glass ceiling an invisible, but impenetrable barrier to further promotion sometimes encountered by women or minorities Increasing problems for women & minorities (i)Women & minorities make up most new workers (ii)Women are steered into low-paying jobs & face a glass ceiling & sexual harassment

Utilitarian arguments which claims that discrimination leads to an inefficient use of human resources Rights arguments violates basic human rights Justice arguments which claims that discrimination results in an unjust distribution of societys benefits & burdens

(i)

(ii)

Discriminating job applicants on the basis of race, sex, or other characteristics unrelated to job performance is necessarily inefficient & contrary to utilitarian principles Objections encountered: The jobs shud be assigned on the basis of job related qualifications only so long as such assignments will advance the public welfare Society as a whole may benefit from some forms of sexual discrimination

 (i)

(ii)

Discriminatory practices violate the principle in two ways : Racial & sexual discrimination is based on stereotypes that see minorities as lazy or shiftless & women as emotional & weak. Placing members at lower positions, lower salaries & lower job opportunities

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