19 Legal controls over employment

Question 1

How can gender descrimination legislation impact businesses?

Answer 1

1. Advertisments for jobs must not specify a particular gender
2. Work titles must be genderless
3. Promotion and dismissal must not be made on the basis of gender
4. Wages for staff occupying the same position must be the same for both genders

Question 2

How can race and religion descrimination legislation impact businesses?

Answer 2

1. Cannot prevent employees from wearing ethnic or religious dress
2. Must take into account religious holidays of ethnic groups
3. Cannot refuse to employ people from particular ethnic/religious group
4. Workers must recieve awareness training to encourage quality of treatment

Question 3

How can disability descrimination legislation impact businesses?

Answer 3

1. Improve access to workplace by widening doors and providing ramps
2. Allow disabled workers time to attend medical appointments
3. Alter equipment (e.g. phones, computers) to accomodate those with sight or hearing difficulties
4. Allow more time for training

Question 4

How can sexual preference descrimination legislation impact businesses?

Answer 4

Business must take care to avoid sexual preference discrimination in recruitment, pay, terms and conditions of employment, promotion, training opportunities and dismissal

Question 5

How can age descrimination legislation impact businesses?

Answer 5

1. Offering jobs must not be based on age
2. Business taking measures to prevent older workers from being harassed in workplace
3. Business cannot refuse promotion or training based on age
4. In interviews, assumptions cannot be made about the ages of candidates
5. A business cannot state the specific number of years of experience needed to apply

Question 6

Define minimum wage

Answer 6

Minimum amount per hour, which most workers are entitled to be paid

Question 7

Define arrears

Answer 7

Money that is owed to you because you have not recieved regular payments at the correct intervals or amounts

Question 8

What are the main reasons for governments setting legal minimum wages?

Answer 8

1. To benefit disadvantaged workers
2. To reduce poverty
3. To help business (promotes greater equality and fairness amoung workers)

Question 9

Explain one disadvantage of minimum wages

Answer 9

Results in job losses

Because as prices increase, demand falls
Leads to businesses laying off workers to cope with high costs
Therefore higher levels of unemployment in the country

Question 10

What are the benefits of minimum wages to businesses?

Answer 10

1. People on low pay will be better motivated

2. Low wage earners across the nation will have more disposable income - demand rises