Diversity in the Workplace Essays

Diversity in the Workplace Essays Diversity in the Workplace Essay Diversity in the Workplace Essay Age, physical and mental ability; chapter thirteen and fourteen Union Institute University 1 . What possible effects could a large proportion of people aged 45 to 64 and a smaller proportion of people under 45 in the current workforce have on organizations ability to attract and retain a competent and motivated workforce? How might discrimination against younger and older workers combined affect employers, given the shifting age distribution? In the corporate world, some managers and supervisors do not want to hire older workers and others do not want to hire younger errors, complex, expensive, dysfunctional recruitment and selection could result. The shortage of younger workers and the aging of the population make employment fairness toward both groups of workers critical to employers ability to attract and retain an adequate supply of workers in the future. Moreover, the importance of fairness to young workers, their future careers, and future influence on diversity issues should provide organizations with sufficient motivation to treat younger workers fairly, even in the absence of legislation requiring it. However, this coordination is likely to affect the employer since the worlds population is aging, and older people are working longer than ever before. Because these older workers often have more corporate memory and experience than others, organizations that fail to recognize the value in providing opportunities for older workers will be disadvantaged. In addition, there are fewer younger workers entering the workforce than in the past, and younger workers are more diverse in race and ethnicity than ever before (Bell, 2012, pig 401). 2. In addition to the suggestions provided in this heaper, what other things might organizations do to counter employees age-based stereotypes. These existing stereotypes and misconception both older and younger workers has lead to discrimination and unfair treatment at work and can reduce organizational function. In order to avoid this organization should identify the potential problems within the organization. This will enable you to know what you want in terms of the human resources and go for it. The organization should offer trainings to enable the employees to get awareness on discriminatory practices. In hose, training the employees should be given the open forum to participate actively. They should also be given the responsibility to speak up when they encounter any form of discrimination practices and harassment. When it comes to promotion, the employer should do it in terms of a reward to a performance tenure, whereby they are rewarded in form of promotions because of their value to the organization but not age. However, the importance of fairness to young workers, their future careers, and future influence on diversity issues should provide organizations with sufficient titivation to treat younger workers fairly, even in the absence of legislation requiring it. With or without widespread federal protections against discrimination, young workers should be assured of fair organizational treatment, freedom from harassment and discrimination, and recourse if it does occur ( Bell, 2012, pig 429). 3. How might the lack of broad federal legislation prohibiting age discrimination against younger workers contribute to their experiences of discrimination and harassment at work? The federal laws are designed to reduce, and ultimately eliminate, both younger and older age discrimination. Young people have a right to be treated fairly and have the same opportunities as everyone else. Many employers without any laid legal channels to protect this vulnerable group, take advantage of this since there will be no any lawsuits against them. There are cases of indirect discrimination occurs when a requirement, condition, or practice used for all parties negatively affects people of a particular age or age group. For example, it is unlawful to require strength and agility tests that disadvantage older applicants or employees when the levels of strength or agility are not prerequisites to successful Job performance. Bell, 2012, pig 429). Most employers preferred to work with older people aged 45 to 64 this is because young population will is always considered unsuitable to occupy the executive position within the corporate industry. Since the executive positions are left for the old aged generation because of their competency in handling the corporate affairs. They are considered to have corporate memory and experience than others therefore competent for the Jobs. Most employers take advantage to the age range of 14 to 17, who are always vulnerable to sexual harassment than the older workers. They take advantage of their lack of proper professional conduct to assault them. 4. Many Midriffs programming chief at the Weather Channel reportedly stood by a diversity poster as he made disparaging age- and gender-related comments about the appearance of women anchors. What signal does this send about the genuineness of the Weather Channels commitment to diversity? The weather Channel is not committed to diversity this because they treat the female workers with a lot of prejudice and discrimination at work. The negative statement of appearance of female anchors shows they perceive the women workers with contempt. They are only attracted to the attractiveness of these women rather than their Journalistic education, skills, and experience. They choose people with certain looks to read the news and believe attractiveness is based on age. This is the main reason for the preferences of hiring younger and male workers. This has severely disadvantage older women, many of whom may desire. (Flint, 2005). Chapter 14 Questions 1 . What are reasonable accommodations? How does a company determine what is reasonable and what is not? Reasonable accommodation is when a change can be implemented to enable a qualified person with a disability to perform essential Job unctions without unduly burdening the employer. A company is capable of determining what is reasonable or not reasonable when the process of providing an accommodation require significant difficulty or expense relative to the employers size, financial resources, and/or the nature and structure of the organization, then the employer would face undue hardship and would not have to provide the accommodation. (Bell, 2012, pig 438). A reasonable accommodation is reasonable when it results in benefits to other employees and the organization in many ways. Accommodation that is economical to the organization. Therefore, the managers can enable people with disabilities to work without thought or fanfare. For instance allowing an employee who is a student to tailor his or her work schedule around classes is a reasonable accommodation. They can also allow the employees to take time off to study for exams and make up the time on weekends or after the school, term is an accommodation. These employees would then come back to bring new skills to the organization. 2. What similarities exist between perceptions about the competence and performance of workers with disabilities and older workers? The errors with disabilities and aging population are perceived as unproductive in the labor markets. The employers always perceived disability as am obstacle to development in an organization since it impedes performance. They always take a prospective employee with a disability as unable to perform adequately because of the disability. Another similarity is that aging and disability are both acquired. Because some disabilities are acquired, some employers and employees discriminate and fail to accommodate them as before. An aging population, a greater propensity to acquire a disability with age, and working longer make the employment experiences of people with disabilities an increasingly important issue for organizations. (Bell, 2012, pig 432). 3. Accommodation for Ms. Barrios for inability to respond rapidly to an emergency evacuation is very simple, the management needs to move her office to a room closer to the emergency exit or incase of a storey building some meters away from the elevator. They should also improve on their emergency alarming system promptly any emergency cases. The benefit of this is that the organization will be able to respond promptly to emergency cases hence safeguarding the lives of its employees in any case of emergency. The case was not resolved before Ms. Barrios termination since the DuPont has a long history of hiring people with disabilities. Another reason is that DuPont has also conducted surveys to assess their performance, attendance, and safety records. In Equal to the Task II, DuPont reported that workers with disabilities had above-average or average ratings of performance, attendance, and safety in 90%, 86%, or 97% of cases, respectively (Bell, 2012, pig 449). . How can recommendations for employment equity for people with disabilities be helpful in ensuring equity for other non-dominant group members? Once overall training has been conducted, organizations should ensure all human resources functions are free of barriers. The first requirement is a valid, written Job description prior to advertising and interviewing for p osition, which makes clear what the essential and marginal functions are. Such a Job description can help decision makers avoid discrimination against qualified individuals with disabilities or the non- dominant group members (Vance, 1976 pig 445). The organization should also use Job description and structured interviews when selecting applicants who are capable of successful Job performance, with or without seasonable accommodations. This means even the non-dominant group shall be considered on equal grounds. They should also be given equal and same opportunities for training and development as those without disabilities. Finally, Managers and coworkers with hiring responsibility should be trained about stereotypes and misconceptions of people with disabilities. The fact should be made clear that the performance and rates of absence from work of those with disabilities are comparable and sometimes better than those of people without disabilities are (Bell, 2012, pig 456). Execute Action Chapter 14 Conduct library or Internet research on the positive effects of work on peoples health and well-being. Discuss the applicability of employment to the health and well being of people with disabilities. According to the research people in work tend to enjoy a happier and healthier life than those who are out of work. Quite a number of people with physical disability like frequent muscle and Joint pain who have been advised by their health officers and medics to return to work tend to enjoy better health since there is a reduction in the level of pain, and an adequate improvement in the function and quality of life than those who stay off work. There are people who are sick and disabled that have remained in or return to work as soon as possible because its therapeutic, working helps to promote recovery and rehabilitation, and reduces the risk of long-term incapacity. The medics have also found out that being out of work for long periods was generally bad for your health, resulting in: more consultations, a continuous use of drugs and medical consultations and at times higher hospital admission rates than for the average population. Moreover well- being on the other hand has a positive impact to the production of a given company nice it has been confirmed that theres a strong business case for having a healthy workforce. Healthy staff is more productive and thats good for the bottom line of an organization.

CSS Alabama - Civil War - Confederate Raider

CSS Alabama - Civil War - Confederate Raider Nation: Confederate States of AmericaType: Screw SteamerShipyard: John Laird Sons, BirkenheadLaid Down: 1862Launched: July 29, 1862Commissioned: August 24, 1862Fate: Sunk, June 19, 1864 CSS Alabama - Specifications Displacement: 1,050 tonsLength: 220 ft.Beam: 31 ft., 8 ft.Draft: 17 ft., 8 in.Speed: 13 knotsComplement: 145 men CSS Alabama - Armament Guns 6 x 32 lb. guns, 1 x 100 lb. Blakeley Rifle, 1 x 8 in. gun CSS Alabama - Construction Operating in England, Confederate agent James Bulloch was tasked with establishing contacts and finding vessels for the fledgling Confederate Navy. Establishing a relationship with Fraser, Trenholm Company, a respected shipping company, to facilitate the sale of Southern cotton, he was later able to use the firm as a front for his naval activities. As the British government remained officially neutral in the American Civil War, Bulloch was unable to purchase ships outright for military use. Working through Fraser, Trenholm Company, he was able to contract for the construction of a screw sloop at the yard of John Laird Sons Company in Birkenhead. Laid down in 1862, the new hull was designated #290 and launched on July 29, 1862. Initially named Enrica, the new ship was powered by a direct-acting, horizontal condensing steam engine with twin horizontal cylinders which powered a retractable propeller. In addition, Enrica was rigged as a three-masted barque and was capable of employing a large spread of canvas. As Enrica completed fitting out, Bulloch hired a civilian crew to sail the new vessel to Terceira in the Azores. Reaching the island, the ship was soon met by its new commander, Captain Raphael Semmes, and the supply vessel Agrippina which was carrying guns for Enrica. After Semmes arrival, work began to convert Enrica into a commerce raider. Over the next few days, sailors endeavored to mount the heavy guns which included six 32-pdr smoothbores as well as a 100-pdr Blakely Rifle and an 8-in. smoothbore. The latter two guns were placed on pivot mounts along the ships centerline. With the conversion complete, the ships moved into international waters off Terceira where Semmes officially commissioned the s hip into the Confederate Navy as CSS Alabama on August 24. CSS Alabama - Early Successes Though Semmes had sufficient officers to oversee the running of Alabama, he had no sailors. Addressing the crews of the attending ships, he offered them signing money, lucrative bonuses, as well as prize money if they signed on for a cruise of unknown length. Semmes efforts proved successful, and he was able to convince eighty-three sailors to join his ship. Electing to remain in the eastern Atlantic, Semmes departed Terceira and began stalking Union whaling ships in the area. On September 5, Alabama scored its first victim when it captured the whaler Ocumlgee in the western Azores. Burning the whaler the following morning, Alabama continued its operations with great success. Over the next two weeks, the raider destroyed a total of ten Union merchant ships, mostly whalers, and inflicted around $230,000 in damage. Turning west, Semmes sailed for the East Coast. After encountering poor weather en route, Alabama made its next captures on October 3 when it took the merchant ships Emily Farnum and Brilliant. While the former was released, the latter was burned. Over the next month, Semmes successfully took eleven more Union merchant ships as Alabama moved south along the coast. Of these, all were burned but two which were bonded and sent to port loaded with crewmen and civilians from Alabamas conquests. Though Semmes desired to raid New York Harbor, a lack of coal forced him to abandon this plan. Turning south, Semmes steamed for Martinique with the goal of meeting Agrippina and resupplying. Reaching the island, he learned that Union ships were aware of his presence. Sending the supply ship to Venezuela, Alabama was later forced slip past USS San Jacinto (6 guns) to escape. Re-coaling, Semmes sailed for Texas with the hope of frustrating Union operations off Galveston, TX. CSS Alabama - Defeat of USS Hatteras After pausing at Yucatan to conduct maintenance on Alabama, Semmes reached the vicinity of Galveston on January 11, 1863. Spotting the Union blockading force, Alabama was seen and approached by USS Hatteras (5). Turning to flee like a blockade runner, Semmes lured Hatteras away from its consorts before turning to attack. Closing on the Union sidewheeler, Alabama opened fire with its starboard broadside and in a quick thirteen-minute battle forced Hatteras to surrender. With the Union ship sinking, Semmes took the crew aboard and departed the area. Landing and paroling the Union prisoners, he turned south and made for Brazil. Operating along the coast of South America through late July, Alabama enjoyed a successful spell that saw it capture twenty-nine Union merchant ships. CSS Alabama - Indian Pacific Oceans In need of refit and with Union warships searching for him, Semmes sailed for Cape Town, South Africa. Arriving, Alabama spent part of August undergoing a badly-needed overhaul. While there, he commissioned one of his prizes, the bark Conrad, as CSS Tuscaloosa (2). While operating off South Africa, Semmes learned of the arrival of the powerful USS Vanderbilt (15) at Cape Town. After making two captures on September 17, Alabama turned east into the Indian Ocean. Passing through the Sunda Strait, the Confederate raider eluded USS Wyoming (6) before making three quick captures in early November. Finding hunting sparse, Semmes moved along the north coast of Borneo before overhauling his ship at Candore. Seeing little reason to remain in the area, Alabama turned west and arrived at Singapore on December 22. CSS Alabama - Difficult Circumstances Receiving a cool reception from British authorities in Singapore, Semmes soon departed. Despite Semmes best efforts, Alabama was in increasingly poor condition and badly needed dockyard refit. In addition, crew morale was low due to poor hunting in eastern waters. Understanding that these issues could only be resolved in Europe, he moved through the Straits of Malacca with the intention of reaching Britain or France. While in the straits, Alabama made three captures. The first of these, Martaban (formerly Texas Star) possessed British papers but had changed from American ownership only two weeks earlier. When Martabans captain failed to produce a sworn certificate stating that the papers were authentic, Semmes burned the ship. This action incensed the British and would ultimately force Semmes to sail for France. Re-crossing the Indian Ocean, Alabama departed Cape Town on March 25, 1864. Finding little in the way of Union shipping, Alabama made its final two captures in late April in the form of Rockingham and Tycoon. Though additional ships were sighted, the raiders fouled bottom and aging machinery allowed the potential prey to out-run the once-swift Alabama. Reaching Cherbourg on June 11, Semmes entered the harbor. This proved a poor choice as the only dry docks in the city belonged to the French Navy whereas La Havre possessed privately-owned facilities. Requesting use of the dry docks, Semmes was informed that it required the permission of Emperor Napoleon III who was on vacation. The situation was made worse by the fact that the Union ambassador in Paris immediately alerted all Union naval vessels in Europe as to Alabamas location. CSS Alabama - The Final Fight Among those who received word was Captain John A. Winslow of USS (7). Having been banished to a European command by Secretary of Navy Gideon Welles for making critical comments after the 1862 Second Battle of Manassas, Winslow quickly got his ship underway from the Scheldt and steamed south. Reaching Cherbourg on June 14, he entered the harbor and circled the Confederate ship before departing. Careful to respect French territorial waters, Winslow began patrolling outside of the harbor to prevent the raiders escape as well as prepared Kearsarge for battle by tricing chain cable over the vital areas of the ships sides. Unable to secure permission to use the dry docks, Semmes faced a difficult choice. The longer he remained in port, the greater the Union opposition would likely become and the chances increased that the French would prevent his departure. As a result, after issuing a challenge to Winslow, Semmes emerged with his ship on June 19. Escorted by the French ironclad frigate Couronne and the British yacht Deerhound, Semmes approached the limit of French territorial waters. Battered from its long cruise and with its store of powder in poor condition, Alabama entered the battle at a disadvantage. As the two vessels neared, Semmes opened fire first, while Winslow held Kearsarges guns until the ships were only 1,000 yards apart. As the fight continued, both ships sailed on circular courses seeking to gain an advantage over the other. Though Alabama hit the Union vessel several times, the poor condition of its powder showed as several shells, including one that hit Kearsarges sternpost, failed to detonate. Kearsarge faired better as its rounds hit with telling effect. An hour after the battle began, Kearsarges guns had reduced the Confederacys greatest raider to a burning wreck. With his ship sinking, Semmes struck his colors and requested help. Sending boats, Kearsarge managed to rescue much of Alabamas crew, though Semmes was able to escape aboard Deerhound. CSS Alabama - Aftermath The Confederacys top performing commerce raider, Alabama claimed sixty-five prizes which were valued at a total of $6 million. Hugely successful in disrupting Union commerce and inflating insurance rates, Alabamas cruise led to the use of additional raiders such as CSS Shenandoah. As many Confederate raiders, such as Alabama, CSS Florida, and Shenandoah, had been built in Britain with the British governments knowledge that the ships were destined for the Confederacy, the US Government pursued monetary damages after the war. Known as the Alabama Claims, the issue caused a diplomatic crisis that was finally resolved by the formation of a twelve-man committee which ultimately awarded damages of $15.5 million in 1872. Selected Sources CSS Alabama AssociationURI: CSS Alabama