Civil Rights Act Of 1964: Gender Discrimination In The Workplace

The Civil Rights Act of 1964 created the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission which is responsible for administering laws prohibiting discrimination in the work place. Types of discrimination in the workplace prohibited are age, race, creed, color, sex and place of national origin (Liuzzo 538). Some of the employment discrimination was eliminated with the Civil Rights Act of 1964, but to this day women are still being discriminated in certain fields of work; such as medical fields and large companies. Workplace gender bias is something all women are aware of, and age discrimination is becoming more common in the Baby Boomer population. A woman over 50 is finding it difficult to get hired even with experience. Discrimination can be presented

In the comparisons the US Census revealed women earned less than men. Occupations with the smallest gap in wages and are considered pink collar jobs include store clerks, housekeeping positions, cooks, office clerks and social workers. The occupations with the biggest wage gap and are considered to be blue collar jobs include financial advisors, doctors, supervisors, and CEOs. There is long history of discrimination on the basis of sexes that still keeps women’s salaries low and allows fewer opportunities for advancement. In some of the instances the women had the same education and knowledge to perform in the blue collar jobs as a man but were denied the opportunity and increase in pay. Some would argue the wage gap is influenced by the women’s decisions to stay in a particular job, but statistics show men in the same job make more money. Companies would see women of small stature and automatically assume she could not handle the duties of heavy labor so they would give the position to a male who is bigger and stronger. A female would be guided more towards an office position even though that would not be her

Companies look at relationships between clients from a different mindset to determine whether a female or male be placed in a certain position. Their decision would also be based on company revenue and relationships in the industry. Some professions would be considered strictly male oriented such as forklift operator, construction workers, and auto mechanic and truck driver.
Age discrimination is also protected by the law, but there are still cases where older individuals are bypassed for employment opportunities. The Age Discrimination Act protects individuals who are 40 years or older. This type of discrimination is not partial to either gender, it can affect both genders. The over 40 society who has been in the work environment for most of their adult years has gained the knowledge and experience applicable to the current job market. These individuals could provide a wealth of information to the younger work force just starting