Read Chapter 7 in the required textbook about the concept of "Avoiding Discrimination and Harassment" from pages #145-148, which is specifically about job analysis and employee performance evaluations. Some experts believe that employee performance evaluations are subjective and ineffective, but others believe that they can serve to improve the productivity of employees.
https://smallbusiness.chron.com/advantages-disadvantages-performance-evaluation-21143.html
--- Job Description: https://www.governmentjobs.com/careers/losgatos?
--- Employee Performance Evaluation: https://www.losgatosca.gov/DocumentCenter/View/1572
QUESTION 1: As you review the performance evaluation form and one of the job descriptions; what is one area in the performance evaluation that you think might cause "bias" on part of the supervisor who will be filling out that evaluation form? Why is there bias?
QUESTION 2: Based on your answer to Question 1, what would you recommend as a solution so that there is no potential bias?
Slide 1 Chapter 7 Discrimination and Affirmative Action © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. What is Discrimination? • Discrimination occurs when a person is deprived of some benefit or opportunity – Because of membership in some group toward which there is substantial prejudice © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. What is Discrimination? • Workplace discrimination occurs when – Employers make decisions that affect the economic interest of employees – Their decisions are based on a persons non job related characteristics © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. The 1964 Civil Rights Act • Protected classes are – Groups that employers are not legally permitted to take into consideration – They include • Race, color, religion, sex ,handicapped, elderly, pregnant women, and national origin © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. Discrimination on the Basis of Sex • Sex Discrimination – Discrimination based on the fact that a person is male or female • Not on sex-related matters, such as sexual orientation or marital status • Sexual harassment also constitutes a form of sex discrimination. © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. Utilitarian Arguments • Utilitarian arguments against discrimination – Creates an economically inefficient matching of people to jobs – When applicants are evaluated on the basis of characteristics productivity suffers © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. Kantian Arguments • Kantian arguments against discrimination – It is morally objectionable because • Everyone deserve to be treated – As the equals of others – With dignity and respect © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. Arguments Based on Justice • Arguments against discrimination based on justice – To discriminate is to treat people differently when there is no good reason for doing so – Discrimination is unjust because • Characteristics, such as race or sex, are irrelevant to the performance of a job © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. Job Analysis • Job analysis consists of two parts: – An accurate job description • Details the activities or responsibilities involved in a position – A job specification • Lists the qualifications required to perform the job as described © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. Objective Tests and Subjective Evaluations • Objective tests commonly used to make decisions on hiring and promotion: – These tests: • Measure specific knowledge and skills • Measure intelligence and general aptitude for performing certain kinds of work • Gauge an applicant’s suitability for employment © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. Affirmative Action • Affirmative action’s goal was to eliminate discrimination in the work place. – Advocates believe that victims of discrimination deserve some advantages – Opponents believe that affirmative action causes reverse discrimination © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. Equal Opportunity or Equal Treatment • Equal Treatment – The right to an equal distribution of some opportunity or resource or burden • The Right to Treatment as an Equal – The right to be treated with the same respect and concern as anyone else © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. Some Problems with Affirmative Action • Involves hiring and promoting less qualified people. – Thus lowering the quality of the workforce • Is damaging to the self-esteem of – Employees who are favored because of race or sex • Produces race consciousness. Chapter 8 Employment Rights © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. Unjust Dismissal • Dismissal is considered to be unjust under two conditions, when 1. An employee is dismissed without a good cause 2. The dismissal occurs without a fair hearing • These two elements together constitute due process. © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. Employment at Will • Employment at Will – An employer may terminate an employee at any time and for any reason • unless an employment contract specifies otherwise • The relationship continues to exist only as long as both parties want it too. © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. Freedom of Contract Agreement • A legal document signed by both parties, in which – A business firm states the terms under which it is willing to hire a person – The person signifies by their acceptance a willingness to work under those terms © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. The Efficiency Argument • The Efficiency Argument states the success of any business enterprise – Depends on the efficient use of all resources, including labor • The efficient operation of business benefits both employers and employees. © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. Exceptions to Employment at Will • Exceptions to employment at will made by the courts – Public policy – Implied contract – Bad faith and malice © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. Arguments for Due Process • A terminated employee should not be inflicted without – An adequate reason and a fair hearing. • The right is owed out of respect for the dignity of workers • Treating employees fairly is good management practice © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. Defining Freedom of Expression • A definition of freedom of expression includes four elements: 1. The nature of the expression 2. The subject or topic of the expression 3. The location or venue of the expression 4. The audience of the expression © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. Legal Protection for Expression • The First Amendment guarantees freedom of speech. • Employees in the private sector have a right to expression – As such a right is contained in employment contracts © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. Participation and Democracy • Worker participation – A process that allows employees to exercise some influence • Over their work • The conditions under which they work © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. Participation and Democracy • Workplace democracy exists when employees have some real control over – Organizational goal-setting – Strategic planning • This ensures that their own goals and objectives can be met – And not only the organizations © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. The Market Mechanism • Market Clearing Price – The wage at which exactly the desired number of workers is employed • The wages set in a free-market economy reward people in proportion to – The knowledge and skills that they have acquired and the effort expended Chapter 9 Occupational Health and Safety © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. The Distinction between Safety and Health • Safety hazards involve – Loss of limbs – Burns, broken bones, and electrical shock – Cuts, sprains, and bruises – An impairment of sight or hearing © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. The Distinction between Safety and Health • Injuries sustained from safety hazards are: – Usually the result of sudden and violent events involving • Industrial equipment • The physical environment of the workplace © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. The Distinction between Safety and Health • Health hazards are factors in the workplace that cause – Illnesses and other conditions that develop over a lifetime of exposure • In the modern workplace, most occupational health problems result from – Routine exposure to hazardous substances © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. Regulation of Occupational Health and Safety • Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSH Act) was passed in 1970. – Requires employers to provide their employees with a place of employment • Free from recognized hazards – That are causing or are likely to cause death or serious injury © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. The Concept of a Direct Cause • Factors that enable employers to – Deny that their actions are a direct cause of an accident in the workplace • When there is such a multiplicity of causes it is difficult to assign responsibility • The impracticality of reducing the probability of harm any further © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. The Concept of a Direct Cause • Common law defense for employers relating to industrial accidents – Lack of care on the part of the employee – The negligence of coworkers © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. The Voluntary Assumption of Risk • Another common-law defense is that – Employees voluntarily assume the risk in work • Individuals choose these lines of work even when safer employment is available • Hazardous jobs offer a wage premium in order to compensate for the greater risk © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. Risk and Coercion • A standard analysis of coercion involves 2 elements: 1. Getting a person to choose an alternative that he or she does not want 2. Issuing a threat to make the person worse off • If they do not choose that alternative © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. The Justification for Refusing Hazardous Work • Relevant factors for justifying a refusal to work are when the employee believes – The working conditions pose an imminent risk of death or serious injury – The risk cannot be avoided by any less disruptive course of action © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. Three Standards for Reasonable Belief • Three standards for reasonable belief are: – Subjective Standard – Objective Standard – Reasonable Person Standard © 2012 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved. The Problem of Reproductive Hazards • Fetal-protection policies are open to the charge of being discriminatory because – They limit the job opportunities of fertile women – Ignore the substantial evidence of risk to men © 2012 Pearson