I feel that one of the most important things I have learned this term is more details and in depth knowledge on discrimination and key laws and regulations that are crucial to know, understand, and be aware of when recruiting and hiring. I say this topic because I plan to go into HR for my career, and will be starting off in an HR role post graduation, so in order for me to be successful and aware of potential discrimination and disparate impact that can happen in the workplace, and avoid discrimination in all forms completely, I need to understand these laws and discrimination forms in detail and know this information like the back of my hand.
Additionally, when dealing with sensitive and confidential topics that come with being in HR, it is important to know and be aware of the laws and regulations that can protect businesses and protect employees. Also, understanding what isn’t protected. There is always potential for HR managers to make appearances in court for certain reasons or situations, so it’s important to know what you and people are protected with, or how to defend discrimination claims when needed. For example, knowing what the Equal Employment Opportunity laws and regulations are and what they can offer for employees and in HR. It is crucial to know what the “protected classes” specifically are under the EEO, as not all classes or groups are protected under this law – only race, color, religion, sex, age, disability, and national origin. Also, the Civil Rights Act of 1964 not only prohibited discrimination under these protected classes, and adding more classes (military experience, marital status, genetic info), but it also made it so retaliation against people who bring up discrimination complaints. Knowing the protected classes, and being aware of where discrimination can easily hide in the workplace, is key in avoiding lawsuits and being an overall just company.
It is clear that discrimination still exists in our world today, in many forms. So it is so important to me in my career to make a difference and not fall into ignorance and be aware of my biases and those around me, so I can do better for any company I work for and create a healthy working culture for ALL my employees!