What counts as workplace discrimination? How does stereotyping affect a seemingly fair decision process? Is there a line between friendly advice and sexist opinions? These are some of the questions that were discussed in the Ann Hopkins vs. Price Waterhouse case of 1985. The court found that Price Waterhouse did violate Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 on the basis of gender discrimination in the workplace. Although there are some valid opposing points, I ultimately agree with the court’s decision because the firm did not address the sexist comments and stereotyping made by its employees against Hopkins. Ann Hopkins vs. Price Waterhouse is considered a significant case because it established that discrimination does not have to be explicit to be unlawful and because it set the standards for future sex discrimination cases. The Case of Ann Hopkins vs. Price Waterhouse Ann Hopkins, a long time employee of Price Waterhouse, was nominated for a partnership in August 1982. Being a partner mean less supervision, more responsibility, a double in Hopkin’s paycheck and a more secured job as it is tenured appointment. …show more content…
A lower standard of evidence, such as the ones presented in Hopkin’s case, can be used as valid proof. This is a step forward to combat discrimination in the workplace because this recognizes that implicit forms of biases, such as stereotyping, have huge impacts in how people are treated in the workplace. Unaddressed biases can affect many workplace decisions, from promotions to daily interactions with coworkers. Not only did this case address this issue, it also established that firms are responsible for making sure that its employees are aware of biases and stereotypes and for proactively looking into incidents where stereotypes might have influenced a workplace
Before Sandra stepped up, women that presented their case would often be discriminated against, because an all male panel would not be able to understand a woman’s problem. Sandra Day O’Connor stepping up helped women be heard in court because she knew how they felt. Sandra Day O’Connor shined a light on gender discrimination by ruling on discrimination cases and channeling how other people would
Matheson Trucking, Inc. vs. Matheson Flight Extenders warehouse workers The discrimination case that I am discussing is the recent victory of five former and two current warehouse workers of Denver Colorado’s Matheson Flight Extenders, a branch of the Sacramento, California based-Matheson Trucking Company. This suit, stemming from incidents beginning in 2010, involved managers committing the atrocity of race discrimination, defamation of character, and demoralization. My thoughts are intense anger at the treatment of these workers. What training or ethics class, or intro to being a decent human being did these managers miss?
Introduction This case study of Vehar v. Cole National Group is a case where the plaintiff, Wendy Vehar, accused Cole National Group of sex discrimination claiming that as a female she was not being the same wage as a male for performing the same duties. Additionally this study will determine if the plaintiff established a valid prima facie as well as if there was a basis for equal work. Next, what factors did the appeals court base its decision and why is the other-than-sex factor that is presented by the employer insufficient to avoid a trial? Finally, what should the employer have done differently to ensure this type of situation did not occur in their business?
In the present business world, companies strive to be so politically correct, ethical, and unbiased that is seems ludicrous that language bias could still be a problem. In Lisa Scherzer’s article titled ”Workers Sue Target for Racially Offensive Document”, the author reveals that the usage of language bias is still an issue, even in large companies such as Target. While the document was not meant to be circulated outside of management, its apparition raises awareness concerning the racial slurs, stereotypes, and racist humor utilized by Target’s management against Hispanic employees. First, language bias appears in the form of racially charged words was used by Target’s management. One of the plaintiffs claims that the management team uses ethnic slurs, such as the term “wetback”, when addressing Mexican employees (Scherzer).
In 1991, President Bush Sr. was in office, the first Gulf War raged, and Thurgood Marshall, the first African American to be appointed to the United States Supreme Court, was leaving office. Women were earning 30% less than their male counterparts and just 33 women held positions in the U.S. Congress (“The Wage Gap Over Time,” 2016; Manning, Brudnick, & Shogan, 2015). Then, as now, conflicts between conservative and progressive values dominated the public conversation, and controversy plagued the President’s nomination to the Supreme Court, Clarence Thomas (“An Outline of the Hill/Thomas Controversy”). the middle of all this, Anita Hill, an attorney and professor from Oklahoma, spoke out about sexual harassment she experienced while working for Clarence Thomas. Hill’s choice to speak out ignited a national discussion about sexual harassment in the workplace, and fundamentally changed the narrative surrounding women who spoke out about unwanted sexual attention.
Quality Movers cannot conclude if Paku height and ethnic background would hinder him from performing the job. Quality Movers showed a disparate impact against Paku. In the case of Griggs v. Duke Power Co. demonstrated disparate impact. “In Griggs, the employer required a high school diploma and a passing score on two professional developed test” (Disparate Impact, 2016). “Although the company had failed to prove that his employer had a discriminatory motive, the Supreme Court reversed the decision” (Disparate Impact, 2016).
On the other hand, Title VII of the Civil Rights Act attempts to remedy the “structural imbalance of the court system” by regulating private employers (Han, Week 3 Lecture, 1/23/17). Title VII uses statutory laws to regulate private employers from discriminating against characteristics like race and sex in the workplace by threatening the profits of these private entities (Han, Week 3 Lecture, 1/23/17). Unfortunately, these Title VII claims face their own barriers in court, making it difficult to use subtle discrimination to prove inequality. The limitations of these approaches are evidenced in cases like Washington v. Davis Sup. Ct. (1976), Griggs v Duke Power Co Sup.
Not only was voting rights an issue, but issues such and equal pay, employment, and general gender bias were still amidst in this century. Although these gender transgressions were brought to attention, not all judges/justice’s would agree with the opinion of the court. For example, in the case of Corning Glass Works v. Brennan, the ultimate decision was that no violations to the Equal Pay Act were enacted, regardless of how unjust the female to male pay ratio was, in male
In 1964, the white women of SNCC started to speak out about the bias they faced while working for SNCC by anonymously writing the “SNCC Position Paper: Women in the Movement. " The authors used several examples of discrimination from day to day interactions, to promotions and more. For example there was a woman that worked for SNCC for two years in two different states and was a veteran in the group, but she was asked to do clerical work for others in her committee. Another example was when a new position was available, where both a man and women were equally qualified, the man received the organizational and leadership position while the woman was relegated to secretarial work. During meetings, women were often asked to take minutes, regardless
The argument is convincing to readers based on the quality of evidence the writer provides to support her argument. Simard cites verifiable and credible pieces of evidence to substantiate her claim, these include studies on implicit stereotype from three different world-renowned universities, research study by a leading non-governmental organization against stereotype threat, cross-national comparison study on STEM, and the writer’s personal experience
In addition, stereotypes contribute to hostile and unstable work environments for characters. Harlan cut them off and grabbed Lucy by the wrist. “And where the hell have you been? I’m docking your pay!” (Good, 76).
There are many concepts that underpin discrimination and many theories to draw from this paper will detail and explore the definitions, concepts, and theories such as Stereotyping, Social Identity Theory, and Conflict Theory which are all to the fore in prejudice and discrimination. It will seek to examine current research and suggest strategies based on best practice and evidence to combat discrimination and prejudice within organisations to allow for a healthy productive workforce. Prejudice is an unjustified or incorrect negative attitude in the direction of an individual based exclusively on the individual’s affiliation with a social group, a prejudiced person might not act on their attitude.
Stereotypes have become an asset many have come to use even when unintentional; therefore, this then encompasses microaggressions from the people doing the stereotyping. (Is Unconscious Bias). For example, in a study done it was found that the physical appearance of the defendant
The first African-American congresswoman, Shirley Chisholm, in her speech For The Equal Rights Amendment, emphasizes her point on why women should have equal rights in the workforce. Chisholm’s purpose is to convey the message that discrimination against women is unlawful and unjust. Chisholm adopts a passionate tone in her speech to the American Public. Shirley Chisholm starts her speech by calling out House Joint Resolution 264 which she says, “It provides legal basis for attack on the most subtle, most pervasive, and most institutionalized form of prejudice that exists”.
Everybody has unconscious bias. But what role does it play in our daily lives? And how does it affect us? In the TED talk “What Does My Headscarf Mean to You”, speaker Yassmin Abdel-Magied aims to encourage the audience to acknowledge that everyone has unconscious bias, and to look past their own bias in order to promote equal opportunity, particularly when it comes to the workplace. “We all have our own biases.