Unit IV Research Paper

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Research two companies in the Fortune 500 that offer partner benefits. Compare and contrast the companies as you answer the following questions:
How do the requirements for coverage for domestic partners, such as length of the relationship compare with requirements for benefits of married couples? Do companies usually require a waiting period after dissolution of a marriage (divorce) before a new spouse can become eligible for benefits? What factors, such as legislation, may influence the inclusion of these stipulations? Can any of the terms you defined above be applied to either company based on other information you learned about them? Why, or why not?

Use the following terms in your discussion and include appropriate examples for each one:

 Glass walls  Sticky floor  Glass escalator

Write a minimum three-page paper using APA formatting, and include in-text citations and reference page.

Textbook: Diversity in Organizations 2e Myrtle P. Bell

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UNIT IV STUDY GUIDE Sex and Gender Discrimination Course Learning Outcomes for Unit IV Upon completion of this unit, students should be able to: 1. Examine the role of corporate culture as a contributor to gender discrimination. 2. Distinguish between the glass wall, glass escalator, and sticky floor and discuss their impact in the workplace. 3. Judge the effects of the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” military policy on other industries. 4. Evaluate EEO laws that are relevant to gender considerations in the workplace. 5. Justify why certain groups should be protected under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act. 6. Evaluate company policies on partner benefits. Reading Assignment Chapter 9: Sex and Gender Chapter 11: Sexual Orientation Unit Lesson Sex, Gender, and Sexual Orientation What is the first characteristic that you notice about a person when you walk into a room, a meeting, or any other type of setting? More than likely, you take notice of many factors, but one that everyone unconsciously notices another’s gender. For some of you, the person’s gender may make you a bit uncomfortable; for others, it will make no difference. Actors Gloria Swanson, Thomas Meighan, and Lila Lee in the 1919 silent film, “Male and Female” (CecilF, 2011) Research suggests that knowing someone’s gender allows one to make predictions about that person. It does not matter if those predictions are accurate or inaccurate—they lead to perceptions, and perceptions are your reality. They allow you to use your senses to give meaning to the world around you. However, perceptions can be inaccurate and lead to stereotypes. Before beginning our discussion on sex and gender, let’s clarify their meanings. Sex and gender are often used interchangeably. Sex often has a biological basis. Gender describes traits and behaviors that are regarded by the culture as appropriate to women and men. Gender is a social label and not a description of biology. Legislation Sex and gender appear quite frequently in public discourse. There are many pieces of legislation related to sex and gender in the workplace. This leads us to discuss a major piece of legislation that we learned about in Unit I—the Lily Ledbetter Fair Pay Act, which was signed into law in 2009. BSL 4000, Managing Diversity in Organizations 1 UNIT x STUDY GUIDE Title Then-Senator Barack Obama met with Lily Ledbetter in 2008, when the Supreme Court was considering legislation concerning women and pay discrimination. (Magnus Manske, 2012) The website for HR Hero (2012) maintains that the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act changed the statute of limitations for when employees could make a claim of discrimination on the basis of pay. Before the passage, employees had up to 180 days to make a claim of discrimination. However, it can take several years for people to find out that they have been discriminated against. Think about it—in the first six months of employment, do you discuss pay-related issues with other employees? Probably not! In fact, it could often be grounds for termination. So, how do you know if you are being compensated comparably? Now thanks to this act, each new paycheck represents a new incident, and it is 180 days from each incident. This gives the employee more protection from discriminatory practices and it more realistically holds the employer accountable for any discriminatory practices. Glass Ceiling Another issue dealing with sex and gender is the glass ceiling. The glass ceiling has its roots in the corporate sector, but is prevalent in other career fields as well. For example, in the field of education, 80% of teachers in the United States are women (Smith, 2003). Yet, they make up only 5% of administrative and superintendent positions. Since schools are essentially a prototype of American businesses, this is not surprising. In the Fortune 1000, only 3.6% of CEOs are women (“U.S. Women in Business,” 2012). Women have very limited opportunities for attaining higher positions, even in fields that have been traditionally dominated by women. Men, however, often take a ride on a “glass escalator” when employed in woman-dominated fields. The glass escalator is an invisible force that gives men advantages in female-dominated industries. In order for organizations to increase performance and maintain a competitive advantage in the global marketplace, they must take advantage of all unutilized talent that is potentially available. Knowing this, what can organizations do to eliminate the glass ceiling? Making a cultural shift, such as getting rid of the “good old boys club” and eliminating the glass ceiling, must start at the top positions. Sexual Harassment Anita Hill, Paula Jones, Mitsubishi Motors, Isaiah Thomas, Ford Motor Company, Miller Brewing Company, Herman Cain, Bill Clinton, Clarence Thomas, Jerold Mackenzie, The Cheesecake Factory Inc., and countless others are individuals and organizations that have been associated with sexual harassment, whether as defendant or plaintiff. It is critical that employers and employees be very familiar with how courts define sexual harassment and what constitutes as an occurrence. Under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, sexual harassment is illegal. It constitutes discrimination with respect to a person’s conditions of employment. The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) describes sexual harassment as unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, and other verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature (EEOC, 2012). Sexual harassment can occur in the form of quid pro quo (“this for that”) or the creation of a hostile environment. According to the Supreme Court, an employer has absolute liability when a supervisor creates a hostile environment that results in a tangible employment action (termination, demotion, reassignment, failing to promote, and so on). The EEOC’s guidelines are also very clear on this issue. It does not matter if the BSL 4000, Managing Diversity in Organizations 2 employer knew about the behavior or not or if it was authorized or prohibited. Employers are also responsible UNIT x STUDY GUIDE for the conduct of co-workers, customers, suppliers, and other stakeholders. Title On the other hand, employers may have an affirmative defense if they can show that they had a clear policy on sexual harassment and that it was communicated to all employees. In fact, some courts have concluded that if organizations do not have a clear policy on sexual harassment, they are condoning or sanctioning the behavior. Sexual Harassment Jossifresco, 2007 In 2011, there were more than 11,000 sexual harassment charges filed with the EEOC (EEOC, 2012). According to the EEOC (2012), approximately 16% of those charges were from men. However, harassment of an employee because of sexual orientation does not constitute illegal sexual harassment under Title VII, which brings us to the topic of sexual orientation. Sexual Orientation Sexual orientation typically refers to homosexuals, heterosexuals, and bisexuals. However, most research focus on homosexuals and bisexuals. A couple of very controversial topics that have garnered much attention are same-sex marriages and workplace benefits. Same-sex marriages are not recognized under federal law. However, some states such as Massachusetts, Iowa, New York, and Connecticut permit same-sex marriage. Problems occur because same-sex marriage is only legal in these states. For example, a same-sex couple was married in Boston, but they were residents of South Carolina; they had only traveled to Boston to get married. Six months after the marriage, they decided to get a divorce. However, since South Carolina did not recognize the same-sex union, they could not be granted a divorce, so the marriage was deemed null and void. A lot of legal maneuvering takes place when same-sex marriages are recognized by some states and not others. The perplexing legal considerations that require attention include such issues as partner benefits, rights to medical, and Social Security benefits. As stated by Bell (2012), sexual minorities represent a large percentage of the population and cannot be ignored. They are educated, and their earning potential as well as their purchasing power is increasing. Many employers recognize their value in the workplace and offer partner benefits. In fact, nearly half of Fortune 500 companies provide coverage to same-sex partners. Although there are no federal laws protecting sexual orientation, many states have adopted local ordinances prohibiting discrimination. Federal civilian employees are protected under the Employment Non-Discrimination Act, and military personnel are protected under the repeal of the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy. Given the controversial nature surrounding the issue, many might argue that legislation is forthcoming. It should be unacceptable and unethical to discriminate on the basis of irrelevant criteria. Organizations should realize the full potential of all employees and move from a culture characterized by exclusionary practices to one characterized by inclusionary practices. References Bell, M. (2012). Diversity in organizations (2nd ed.). Mason, OH: South-Western CecilF. (2011). Male and female (1919) [Photograph]. Retrieved from http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Male_and_Female_%281919%29_3.jpg Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. (2012). Sexual harassment. Retrieved from http://www.eeoc.gov/laws/types/sexual_harassment.cfm BSL 4000, Managing Diversity in Organizations 3 HR Hero. (2012). Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act. Retrieved from http://topics.hrhero.com/lilly-ledbetter-fair-payUNIT x STUDY GUIDE act/ Title Jossifresco. (2007). Gold seal policy [Graphic]. Retrieved from http://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Gold_seal_ policy.svg&page=1 Manske, M. (2012). ABarackandledbetter [Photograph]. Retrieved from http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:ABarackandledbetter.jpg Smith, F. (2003). Perceptions of the internal and external barriers to promotion to administrative positions for women in the New Hanover County School District in North Carolina (Unpublished doctoral dissertation). Walden University, Minneapolis, MN. U.S. Women in Business. (2012). Retrieved from http://www.catalyst.org/publication/271/women-ceos-and-heads-of-the-financial post-500 Learning Activities (Non-Graded) Interview If you are heterosexual, interview a close friend or relative who is openly gay about his or her experiences at work. If you are gay, how do your experiences compare with those reported in the chapter? Write a one- to two-page paper discussing the information obtained from the interview. You may use your textbook and other resources to provide support for your information. All sources, both references and in-text citations, should be cited using APA format. Apply What You Have Learned Create an informal organization chart for the organization in which you work, or any organization for which you can gather information. Study hiring practices, promotions, and other areas that impact pay and advancement. Can you find any evidence of glass ceilings, walls, or escalators in the organization? If you do, try to identify the type of discrimination, such as sexual orientation, gender, race, etc. You can use your textbook or any other reliable source for your information gathering. Using APA formatting, write a minimum 2-page report on your findings. Correctly cite all sources, including in-text citations and references. Scenes of Discrimination Select a movie from the list below, or find another movie of your choice that relates to gender discrimination. Although you may have watched the movie in the past, please watch with a different set of lenses this time around that are focused on analyzing the discrimination:              G.I. Jane Philadelphia North Country A League of Their Own Million Dollar Baby Woman of the Year Mary Poppins Nine to Five Erin Brockovich The Hours Disclosure Obsessed Horrible Bosses BSL 4000, Managing Diversity in Organizations 4 Identify the main characters in the movie. Use examples from the movie to discuss role each character UNIT the x STUDY GUIDE played in perpetuating or eliminating discrimination. Describe any defining moments Title that led to a change in attitude for characters in the movie. Use your text and other resources to support your responses. Use APA format when writing your paper and referencing sources. Notice: These are non-graded Learning Activities, so you do not have to submit them. If you experience difficulty in mastering any of the concepts, contact your instructor for additional information and guidance. Key Terms 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. Employment Nondiscrimination Act (ENDA) Equal Pay Act of 1963 Gender role socialization Hostile environment Sex discrimination Sex segregation Sexual orientation Tangible employment action BSL 4000, Managing Diversity in Organizations 5
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