Positive Discrimination

[Benfleet A1]

Our wonderful leaders have now decreed that employers have to use positive discrimination when selecting someone for a position of employment. In other words, employ women or ethnic minorities ahead of anyone else.

My understanding of discrimination is that in most forms it is an illegal practice to perform it. Such examples would be race, sex, age and religious so how can the govenment force this on employers and business without breaking their own policy and indeed, the law.

 

[Cricko]

I did read that to Al..that White men have to come second in future ......Very puzzling.

 

[Firestorm]

I presume that they are saying if two candidates are equally suitable, ideally qualified and evenly matched, the employer should not make the decision based on sex or race. seems fair enough to me.

Also if it includes the "old boys" network where its not what you know, but who you know which gets the job, again seems fair to me

how ever if they are saying that someone is a worse candidate , but should get the job because of their race , sex then that is wrong (and its discriminatory and should be tested in law)

 

[chadded]

If i was looking for a job, I'd go to my next interview as a minstrel.

 

[GNH]

I presume that they are saying if two candidates are equally suitable, ideally qualified and evenly matched, the employer should not make the decision based on sex or race. seems fair enough to me.

Also if it includes the "old boys" network where its not what you know, but who you know which gets the job, again seems fair to me

how ever if they are saying that someone is a worse candidate , but should get the job because of their race , sex then that is wrong (and its discriminatory and should be tested in law)

They're suggesting a mixture of both really. What they say is if two people are identically qualified and evenly matched for a position they should choose the "under represented" person precisely because of the fact they are a woman or black/asain etc. which I think is totaly wrong. However how do you prove that two people were evenly matched? I regularly interview people in my job and you will NEVER find two people who are equal in every respect

 

[Firestorm]

They're suggesting a mixture of both really. What they say is if two people are identically qualified and evenly matched for a position they should choose the "under represented" person precisely because of the fact they are a woman or black/asain etc. which I think is totaly wrong. However how do you prove that two people were evenly matched? I regularly interview people in my job and you will NEVER find two people who are equal in every respect

The problem is that when you bring equal opportunities legislation into the frame, your interviewing techniques can become seriously restricted.
Everyone has to be asked the same questions and there are to be no exceptions (ie you couldn't ask a female candidate known to be a mother how do you feel about working late with no notice and not ask the single man the same question)

What has to be done is that the interviews have to be far more formal withe strict agenda's. Presentations on a subject (same for everyone) are the best way to identify peoples abilities.

As for the shortlist ! EO guidelines dictate how long the advertisment has to be in place before the closing date, the variety of publications it has to go in and that no vacancy can be filled without obtaining a defined number of external applicants !!

 

[Lancashire shrimper]

What a load of loony left labour bullocks. No wonder the BNP beat labour at the Henley by-election yesteday.

Is any rational minded employer going to listen to that twaddle? If given the choice between 2 supposedly 'equal' candidates, an employer will choose the one who is likely to be the more productive, and going to make the most money for them. The government have completely missed the point - they need to focus on people in work to address tha pay gap not deciding the best person for the job is a muslim, woman or black/asian.

Ms Harman et al need to come back to the real world, and focus on real problems like the economy and inflation.

Legislating that discrimination is ok to fight discrimination is totaly hypocritical.

 

[C C Csiders]

If i was looking for a job, I'd go to my next interview as a minstrel.

You'd Revel in that.




Sorry pun-haters, it slipped out.

 

[Mad Cyril]

Isn't any job selection procedure or interview discrimination?

I quite fancy being the CEO of BP but I bet they would find some reason not to give me the job if I applied for it.

 

[Davros]

you've hit upon a very good point there Cyril, even if you were being sarcastic.

How long until you're not allowed to base a job interview on ability, as it is seen as unfair to discriminate against a candidate of less ability simply because of there poor educational background?

 

[Mad Cyril]

While we are on the subject and before I instruct my lawyer....

Would anyone here say it unfair to reject a candidate because they turned up to the interview eating a Pepperami?

 

[Firestorm]

you've hit upon a very good point there Cyril, even if you were being sarcastic.

How long until you're not allowed to base a job interview on ability, as it is seen as unfair to discriminate against a candidate of less ability simply because of there poor educational background?

Equal Opportunities procedures include not allowing someone with "in the job" experience preiority over someone who isn't ! ie if you have been standing in for your manager whilst they are on , say, Maternity leave, and then then choose not to come back, the experience you have gained must not be considered as the other candidates will nor be being treated equally.

The Age discrimination thing, touted around as a "good thing" to prevent the over 50's being turned down because they are too old, has come back to haunt them as it also means that you can't choose someone solely on the grounds that they have more experience !

Luckily the majority of failed candidates don't get to find out what questions the other candidates were asked or the true reasons for why they didn't get the job, or they realise that it will not get you too far in the future to sue someone for discrimination because you didn't get a job,. However as in the recent "headwear in the Hairdressers" situation, combine asking a question which has obviously not been asked of other candidates with a serial "sue er" with a nose for a compensation and the sky is the limit.
Most local authorities pay strict attention to the EO legislation when it comes to procedures , however the candidate assesing forms used tend to be simple things and how the interviewing panel fill that out is still down to personal opinion so common sense will prevail.
Also a panel of interviewers tends to ensure that the "old mate" scenario ges overuled for the better candidate

 

[davewebbsbrain]

While we are on the subject and before I instruct my lawyer....

Would anyone here say it unfair to reject a candidate because they turned up to the interview eating a Peperami?

Only if they were unable to correctly spell Pepperami in a written exam ;)

 

[Hotman]

its ****ing annoying, just like when england used to restrict tickets to englishmen but allow ***** to have tickets without being a member

 

[MK Shrimper]

Nice turn of phrase there Carl. Well done.

 

[Curryman]

Nice turn of phrase there Carl. Well done.

It was rather spiffy wasn't it? Carl knows his onions.

 

[steveo]

typical rubbish you expect from this country. I would think most other countries would encourage their employers to employ their own countryman first. Strange how no one complains that Asian businesses usually always employ Asians in this country.

 

[MK Shrimper]

typical rubbish you expect from this country. I would think most other countries would encourage their employers to employ their own countryman first. Strange how no one complains that Asian businesses usually always employ Asians in this country.

So people of black or asian decent aren't your countrymen because they're not white?

Same old Steveo, same old blinkered racist crap.

 

[steveo]

calm down Mk I said countryman. I didn't mention colour, you are becoming paranoid.

 

[HawkwellShrimper]

Doing things like this will only stir up racial hatred as shown by some of the replies in this thread. Its ashame as I detest racism but it seems this country is its own worst enemy.