Laws to Protect Diverse Employees

Abstract

Although a diverse working environment can produce an efficient workflow, employees are not always treated fairly based on these diversities. Laws were established in 1963 to protect workers from unfair treatment by employers and coworkers. Since that time, laws have been added and amended to parallel changes in society and technology, from equal pay and equality based on sex, race, and religion, to genetic nondiscrimination. The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission supports these laws and can sue employers when the complaints of diverse workers do not solve problems they face in the workplace. It is vital that employees understand their rights and that employers strictly follow these laws that require them to treat workers with fairness. ABBREVIATIONS: EEOC - Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, UPS - United Parcel Service, ADEA - Age Discrimination in Employment Act, IRCA - Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986, GINA - Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act of 2008