The Equal Employment Opportunity

(EEO) Act – Benefits, Rights and

Responsibilities

The Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Act,

implemented by the Federal government, applies to

private employers, labor organizations, employment

agencies, and educational institutions under states and

Federal governments. In this article, we briefly discuss

the benefits, rights and responsibilities under the EEO

Act.

EEO – Equal opportunities and benefits to all

employees

Equality with respect to employment opportunities is a

fundamental right and must be implemented for every

aspect of work life. Equal opportunity encompasses

equality in access to jobs, promotions and other

opportunities in associations, corporations and nonprofit

organizations.

The EEO Act protects employees and job applicants

against discrimination on the basis of an individual’s

national origin, color, race, religion, sex (including

pregnancy), age (40 or older), disability, or genetic

information.

Rights and responsibilities of executives, managers,

directors

The EEO asserts certain responsibilities for personnel in

businesses - executives, managers and directors.

Should ensure fair workplace practices

Executives, managers and directors are responsible for

effective enforcement and management under the Act

through company policies and practices.

Should consult employees about decisions that affect

them

Executives, managers and directors should make sure

that employees are aware of the implications of a

decision that could affect them. Doing so will lead to

clarity among the workers on these issues.

The aforesaid personnel should take the viewpoint of

the employees. It will lead to the alleviation of fear and

confusion occurring due to some issues between

employees and their employers. It will also encourage

employees to stay focused on their jobs.

Give equal rights to all employees

Employees at managerial and supervisory levels must

be fair and award equal consideration to all employees.

They must build a mechanism to judge the quality of

performance and other attributes such as personal

integrity, high level of skills, etc. so that discrimination

of any sort is averted.

Provide opportunities for employees to brainstorm

with diverse workforce

Employees may have different issues and concerns due

to discrimination in the workplace. Managerial and

supervisory personnel should create a platform to

facilitate opportunities for different classes in the

workforce. For this, employers should engage in

interactive discussions with employees in designing the

appropriate platform. This is likely to help both

employers and employees to address issues without

compromising the stake of either party.

Ensure diversity in employment

Employers should be aware that diversity in the

workforce is good. Make diversity one of the principles

of hiring and build a hiring strategy accordingly.

Make sure that employees are aware (as a matter of

fact) that hiring criteria is based on merit, skills,

competence and no other consideration. Make the

norms clear to avoid confusion and give clarity to

employees.

Ensure legal compliance while hiring

It is important to be in compliance with the rules

under the EEO Act while hiring. Failing to do so

constitutes noncompliance.

Personnel at the managerial/supervisory level must

not show any discrimination while hiring applicants.

For example, assume a woman applies for a job.

Rejecting the woman’s application based on the

concern that she may eventually take family and

maternity leave, would be a violation under the act.

Benefits of EEO to businesses

Staff retention

Diversity policies adopted in consideration of the EEO

Act lead to trust between employers and employees and

encourage committed and loyal employees.. This helps

employers retain skilled and competent workers.

Greater business productivity

EEO compliance leads to mutual trust between

employers and employees. Because of this, employees

will stay focused on their jobs, in turn increasing

productivity.

Better way of recruitment

Transparent hiring policies coupled with compliance of

the laws help employers attract higher quality workers

from different sections of society based on merit.

Encouraging diversity among the workforce ensures

that people belonging to one particular race, color,

national origin, etc., would not be dominant.

The EEO Act is beneficial to both employees and

employers. By ensuring compliance with this law,

employers can boost employees' trust and goodwill, and

make the workplace more productive.

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