Definition - What does Equal Opportunity Employment mean?
Equal opportunity employment is a practice that protects an employee's civil rights by making it illegal to discriminate against an applicant or employee based on any one of the protected statuses in federal law. This includes race, religion, age, and gender. Federal law covers employers of at least 15 employees. It is enforceable by law through establishment of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
SureHire explains Equal Opportunity Employment
Equal opportunity employment is the practice of working to ensure a diverse workforce by hiring employees on merit and not discriminating against employees due to non-pertinent traits. It is unlawful to discriminate against a person based on race, religion, color, national origin, disability, genetic information, gender identity, age, or sex. It is also unlawful to discriminate against a person who has laid a complaint or charge of discrimination. The law protects against such transgressions in relation to hiring or firing, training, promotion, and remuneration.
Employers are responsible for creating equal employment opportunities in the workplace. To comply with the law, they need to maintain certain records and protect the employee from harassment by clients, employees or supervisors. They are obligated to investigate any claims of discrimination and to bring it to a swift resolution. The employee is responsible for bringing any transgressions to the attention of the employer.
