Every company has a responsibility to ensure that employees are treated equally and fairly. Part of being an employer is finding ways to prevent discriminatory acts before they happen. But most companies still have a long way to go to correct their approach to gender discrimination. A labor attorney for employees would suggest employers improve gender equality to reduce the liability risks. Read on for a few tips.
- Avoid unfair judgment, favoritism, and bias.
Gender discrimination occurs the most during the hiring process. Employers must avoid unconscious bias when making decisions for employment. For example:
- Only hiring candidates based on qualities instead of skill. “Like me” bias is when hiring managers select prospective workers that resemble them.
- Using double standards to differentiate acceptable behavior in the workplace. It is often between men and women.
- Assuming women can’t do the job if they have kids or are interested in starting a family while employed is a form of gender stereotyping.
Men can face gender discrimination too. Employers should not base one’s sex on their hiring decisions – even to increase diversity at work.
- Don’t use sex to evaluate work assignments.
Job assignments should be fairly distributed, free from gender bias and personal relationships. Assignments are indicators of experience and skill, which are necessary to advance and rise in job rank.
- Implement equal pay for employees of the same role
In 2021, women are earning 80 cents for every dollar their male co-workers make. Gender gaps are not as detrimental as they were years ago but it is still a complicated situation to navigate alone without a lawyer. It can result in losing female talent, litigation, and defamation of the company when it happens. Whether you’re a man, woman, or non-binary, you deserve full and fair compensation.
- Disparate treatment is harmful to the work environment. Enforce business inclusion!
Disparate treatment is an intentional act of employment discrimination against people in a protected class. It is the most common form of discriminatory treatment. For example, an employer may opt not to include a group of women from a board meeting. In most cases upper management has a history of excluding women to prevent them from advancing at work.
If you are experiencing gender discrimination at work, you should reach out to our sex discrimination attorney to schedule a consultation.
