The United States has legislation in place that forbids discrimination based on a person's sex. However, under certain special circumstances, this discrimination can be exercised. But we are more concerned about sex discrimination in employment as it has a tendency to rear its ugly head when it comes to recruitment, training, promotion or paying an employee.
Sex discrimination in employment can be either in the form of harassment or victimization. That is why employers have to have workplace policies in place so that all employees are treated equally irrespective of their gender or marital status. And, any neglect on the part of the employer can be viewed as sex discrimination.
So, what does sex discrimination in employment mean? Basically it refers to treating an employee differently based on the person's sex or gender. This treatment is usually negative and not seen as favorable. This means that if an employee is not paid equally for similar work just because of his or her gender, it can be viewed as sex discrimination. In other words, two employees of different gender doing similar work have to be paid the same salary or wages.
You can also discriminate based on sex if you refuse to offer a job to a person just because a job is traditionally seen as a man's job or a woman's job. This type of discrimination is referred to as direct sex discrimination.
Then there is indirect sex discrimination where an employer ends up putting a requirement in a job that is seen as unreasonable or unjustified. For example, an employer sends a memo stating that women employees are required to wear perfume.
Although we might brush it under the carpet, but sex discrimination in employment is a reality and that is why there are laws in place to handle situations that might crop up in an organization or a workplace.
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