Home Depot’s Bumpy Road to Equality

In the Chapter Case is Home Depot morally wrong in its ethical approach of hiring employee’s practices. We read that Home Depot treated applicants differently bases on race and sex in hiring for position available at this company. Home Depot’s has developed a worldwide builder emporium with the goals of having a store in every local community. Bob Nardelli Corporation has pledge to have a “store within 30 minutes of every customer in the United States.” (Text139). Leaving open the door of more than 50,000 employees. This has legalities that women and minority in the labor force be able to be hired in position of equal workforce utilizing its employees. Which brings the question to what type of discrimination did we have in the case of Home Depot lawsuit. The Discrimination states that while applicable some minorities in the position of hiring was not hire and the position was left open and people with equal qualifying was hired. Under Disparate Treatment “Whenever an individual is treated differently based on race, color, religion, sex or national origin, age, and disability status.”(Text 114). The plaintiff’s burden proved and met the plaintiff’s protection group and applied for and qualified for the job. Despite possessing the qualification the plaintiff was rejected. After rejection the position stayed open and the position was either filled by a man or equal qualifying applicant. Bob Nardelli Home Depot states “disparity by noting that most female job applicants have experience as cashiers, they are placed in cashier positions; most male applicants express an interest in or aptitude for home repair work such as carpentry or pluming.” (Text 139).The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission could prove that a majority of women was by passed for the positon in the lumber floor and hardware because of the fact that they are women and better at cashiers, the lumber, electrical and hardware was filled with 70% male, and the front office was filled with 70% women. If this is the discrimination that is being lead at the front office then maybe minority applicants were not getting a fair attempt at employment.  

Looking at R.L Craig “Systemic discrimination in employment and promotion of ethnic equality.” “A number of countries has used a paired-testing or situational testing.” People in regard of sex, race or religion in this case study we observe the applicant that indicating the ethnic discrimination of the unequal treatment of qualifying people.  “The testing methodology and results are easily understood by policymakers.”(Craig). Results show that when mostly interaction with customers there are discrimination in the hiring. “Steering people to less desirable alternatives.” (Craig). The Gender and Management by Dr. Fielden, The Equal Employment Opportunity in Australia compare to the United States have led from the 1960s to change for an equal pay wage, then in 1975, and Anti-discrimination legislation at a federal level. The EEO introduced “affirmative action,” (AA). In research the Australia has study Equal Opportunity for Women Act of 1986.

“…is about achieving equal employment opportunity for women… [And] to

Achieve this goal, the barriers in the work place which restrict employment a

And promotion opportunities for women have to be systematically eliminated.” (Fielden, D.S. 2004).

The United States Reconstruction Civil Rights Acts of 1866 and 1871 eradicated Slavery, and created the Equal Pay Act of 1963, and amendment of the Fair Labor Standard Act. The major legislation regulating equal employment opportunity of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. The Age Discrimination Employment Act passed in 1967, and amended in 1986. The Rehabilitation Act of 1973 enforced affirmative action. Women Pregnancy Discrimination Act was able to reach accommodation in the work force with EEOC. Passed laws of Executive order 11246 that created the Affirmative Action in hiring minorities’ women, a fair workforce effort in this country. The Civil Rights Act of 1991; prohibits discrimination just like Title VII law. Home Depot lawsuit came with the cost to improve its company with automotive hiring. This electronic screening of applicant eliminated good chances of discrimination and the favoritism in hiring people. Bob Nardelli spent 10 Million dollars on this machine that will prevent 900 store for discriminating against hirers. The level of minority has increase in the management department by 28%, and women management has increase by 30% in the workforce.  Home Depot made extra effort to repair their damage reputation. They paid an agreed settlement of 65 million dollars to the women and promise to better their hiring practices.  Bob Nardelli worked on recruitment by keeping any active military duty personal on staff by having and “orange apron,” when they return home. Patriotic jester by Home Depot may have save many of server personal job by having a position waiting when they return State- side. Home Depot did much to help their image and may have grown to fast in staff. This foresight may have wow the share-holders but the community identified that unfair treatment was practices. 

Work Cited

Noe, Hollenbeck & et,el. “Human Resource Management, ‘Gaining a Competitive Advantage.’”10e. McGraw Hill Education, New York, NY. Copyright 2017.

Fielden Sandra Dr. “Gender and Management: Knowledge into practice” Emerald Group. Limited Publishing, E-Book web. 2004/6/18

R.L. Craig. “Systemic discrimination in employment and the promotion of ethnic equality.” 2014 E-book 2017-09-27