Microsoft Word - APAM-2 4.1.doc

• Biological – Insects, fungi, and bacteria.


• Stress – Work, physical and chemical environment.

Each country has specific laws and regulations that regulate health and safety in the
workplace. It is important that managers and employees are aware of them and ensure
they are observed.

Equal opportunity
Equal opportunity means that members of a protected group or class must be employed
without being subjected to various forms of unfair discrimination. The discrimination
could be based on race, gender, age, or disability. Since the 1960s, governments in
Europe and America have been passing various policies and laws against all forms of
discriminatory employment practices.
Equal opportunity policies may affect all components of the employment process in
an organisation, including recruitment, selection, training, promotion, transfer, pay and
others like leave and housing etc. The rationale for equal opportunity revolves around
the following:

• Maximising employees’ potential will improve performance.


• Compliance with the constitution and other legislation.


• The need to have a proportional labour force that represents all of the community.

Table 3.2 Equal opportunities in human resource activities
Human resource
management issues

Caution Gender consideration Implications

Job analysis Ensure good prac-

tice in selection

criteria

Be aware of men/women’s /

disabled jobs

Avoid gender/disability sensitive

criteria

Recruitment and

selection

Ensure good prac-

tice is used

Be aware of

gender/disability criteria

Avoid gender/disability sensitive

criteria

Performance

appraisal

Ensure good

practice is used

Be aware that women and

men have different styles of

performance

Consider background

Avoid gender sensitive comments

Reward

management

Ensure good

practice is used

Be aware of equal rewards

systems

Recognise background

Consider gender specific needs

Training and

development

Open access Recognise different patterns

of participations in learning

Recognise flexibility

Allow for flexibility to accommo-

date gender and disability special

needs

Industrial relations Ensure representa-

tion in trade unions

Be aware gender/ disability

issues are important

Ensure fair representation

Equal employment opportunity and affirmative action
Affirmative action is a step further than equal employment opportunities. Dessler (2005)
emphasises that in affirmative action the employer has to take decisive measures in
staffing functions to protect minority groups, people with disabilities or females in the
organisation. In order to make such measures realistic and achievable, there should be a
policy on equal employment opportunity, an officer responsible for its implementation,
broad organisational awareness creation, implementation and continuous reviews.
In Tanzania, 54% of the labour force is made up of women. Despite the fact that the
national employment policy 1997 advocates equal rights of employment for women,