Equal Employment Opportunity at the Workplace

By having an equal workplace enables you to generate many ideas from a workforce full of energy, different skills, resources, and experiences. As a result, this will give your company a competitive advantage against the rest.

What is Equality in the workplace?

Equality is not only about promotion, but also fostering an environment that allows everybody to be free from discrimination and prejudice. Individuals and all employees at the workplace have the right to be valued and respected despite a company’s culture.

What do Equal Opportunities mean?

Having equal opportunities means that everybody is treated fairly during the recruitment and employment process. It is all about ensuring a balanced working environment, where everyone can feel equal and treated justly. Equal opportunities mean no judgments based on stereotypes; every employee has the right to treated as an individual. Employees should feel appreciated, valued and understood, hence, the need for offering equal and fair opportunities. 

The importance of equal employment

Equal employment practices are very important both for an organization and individuals. Employees or people looking for jobs should not be discriminated based on age, sexual orientation, disabilities, pregnancy/ parental status, marital status, and veteran/military status. Everyone in an organization deserves equal chances to be selected and to apply for posts or even to be promoted from their current position to a higher level.

In most cases, employees are discriminated on the grounds of their ability, potential or experience. This should not be happening because we live in a society that embraces diversity. People cannot have the same ability due to their differences. Therefore, it is essential for organizations to implement equal employment opportunity (EEO) practices to ensure that every individual is being treated equally and fairly. This increases the level of an individual’s commitment, satisfaction, and loyalty to their employer. An individual contributes fully where he or she is confident and comfortable in all situations.

When an organization is considering the significance of equal employment practices, it is not difficult to see the benefits of EEO laws. First of all, companies that confidently state that they are practicing equal employment stand a greater chance to attract dedicated and qualified candidates. Secondly, companies which are EEO compliant minimizes the likelihoods of facing wrong discharge lawsuit or discrimination. Finally, organizations that practice equal employment for all increases the chances of having a diverse workforce. As a result, this brings many positive implications for departments, teams, and overall organizational creativity and productivity.

How to implement Equal Opportunities in the workplace

Here are some of the ways an organization can practice equality in its working environment:

• Reassessing job requirement for the senior leadership team to prevent gender discrimination.
• Expanding the applicant pool to allow diversity at the workplace.
• Making sure that all employees have the same access to available opportunities.
• Rethinking your interview process by accommodating all candidates.
• Getting serious about addressing life/work balance.
• Making sure that everyone has access to mentors.
• Having a fair evaluation.
• Coaching all employees despite their personal statuses.

Let us embrace equal opportunities in our companies by putting equality policies.

Related: The Cage that Frees: Why Good Policy Matters