Emergency Response Team Never Employment Discrimi
Topic: Employment Discrimination and Safety
A major law in the United States (U.S.) related to providing equal employment opportunity is the Civil Rights Act of 1964. The Act prohibits employers from discriminating against individuals because of their race, color, religion, sex, or national origin. Employers may not discriminate in any employment action, such as hiring, firing, or the terms of employment like pay, working conditions, or privileges of employment.
Protection from discrimination based on disability was not covered by the Civil Rights Act. Instead, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990 protects workers and applicants with disabilities.
The U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) makes sure the workplace is safe for the public and employees.
- Two-thirds of accommodations for workers with disabilities cost employers less than $500. Identify at least two ways employers can provide reasonable accommodations to employees with disabilities. Provide examples.
- What are some advantages to an employer to provide accommodations to workers with disabilities?
- What are some industries that might be particularly concerned with compliance with OSHA? Why?
Can you just make response each posted below # 1to 3?
1 From: Ericka Ivory posted Jul 14, 2018 1:26 AM
There are many ways to accommodate employees with disabilities within a company, for instance modified work shifts, maybe giving the options of 6 hours instead of 8. Coming in later or leaving earlier. Also, dress codes can be modified to meet the need of the employee, making the work area wheelchair accessible if it not.
Some of the advantages of providing these accommodations to worker with disability, According to “U.S Chamber Commerce report” Leading Practices on disability Inclusion” Hiring People with disabilities is good for the bottom-line of a company.” It also give the sense of responsibilities to the employee with that they will take pride in their job and job performance. Longevity to the company.
Some of the industries that might be particularly concerned with compliance with OSHA would be Child Care, OSHA says no open toed shoes in this type of workplace setting but most daycare doesn’t enforce this rule. Construction sites, some of the requirement will limit how to get the job done in a timely manner.
2 . From: Melissa Abdelmesih posted Jul 14, 2018 4:41 PM
Reasonable accommodations vary according to the employee’s disability. If the employee has back issues causing a disability but works a desk job the employer can provide a lift up desk or a chair with added lumbar support. If the employee has bladder issue they can be placed closer to the restroom. Another accommodation would be handicap parking for wheelchair bound employees.
Some advantages for hiring workers with disabilities include tax credits, longer job retention and adding diversity to the workforce.
There are many industries that have a fear of OSHA. My husband worked for a major airline many years ago as a mechanic. The airline had such an emphasis on making sure the airplane was ready and on time. If the flight was canceled due to a mechanical issue someone was getting in trouble. In an effort to not get in trouble the mechanics would take short cuts in fixing the plane and letting the mechanics at the arrival city handle the issue, sometimes the departure mechanics would simply tape the plane would could have resulted in catastrophic events. Another industry that would be fearful of OSHA is construction companies. They bid on a job and give a rough estimate of completion time. In an effort to meet the deadlines the employee’s safety isn’t always taken into account.
3. From: Erika Lewis posted Jul 14, 2018 11:50 AM
Hello Everyone,
If a business would like to hire or hires someone with disabilities, they may first want to know what the disability is and make the necessary accommodations. For instance, if an employee in a wheelchair is hired, the company will want to ensure that a ramp is installed so that the employee can enter and exit the building safely. Being deaf/hearing impaired is considered a disability, but should not stop a business from hiring a great candidate. If a business would like to hire a hearing-impaired employee, they will need to install a Telecommunication Device for the Deaf. This will allow the employee to complete the same job functions as others within the company or at least fulfill the duties that they applied for.
According to Noe, R & Hollenbeck, J 2016, employers will receive a tax credit of up to $2,400 for each qualified disabled individual that they employee. This advantage was made possible by the Work Opportunity Tax Credit that was established in 1996. Most tax credits are always beneficial for businesses as they allow the organization to deduct some part of their expenses as it relates to their taxes.
When it comes to the Occupational Safety and Health Act, some industries that may show concern with keeping to compliance needs are emergency response teams, construction workers, landscaping, and those that work in agriculture. The reason for this is because to some degree, they are working with elements of nature and nothing is 100% certain. An emergency response team never truly knows the depth of the disaster until they are on site and they can be exposed to toxic water, air, etc. Construction workers and landscapers are exposed to debris, possible falls, and things collapsing around them if not mounted/installed correctly. Agricultural workers are exposed to excessive heat and all types of unsanitary conditions. I understand why OSHA compliance would be a concern for these industries.
Noe, R and Hollenbeck, J (2016) Fundamentals of Human Resource Management. New York. McGraw-Hill Education.