| |
| |
 |
|
| |
|
|
| |
How
sensitive should we be to minorities' rights in U.S. companies?
|
|
| |
Europeans
who start a business in the U.S. need to consider this subject.
There are a lot of cultural differences in this area, even though
our laws are quite similar. In the U.S., as in most European
countries, it's forbidden to deny a position to someone because
of his or her sex, age, ethnic origin, religion, sexual preferences,
disability, etc. These laws are rigorously enforced in the U.S.,
and many organizations provide support and legal aid to minority
members who suspect an employer of discrimination.
Our advice: Keep
certain rules in mind, especially during the hiring process:
Never deny a position to
someone by stating you were looking for someone younger, or
for a man rather then a woman. Find a better reason!
During a job interview, do not ask the candidate if he
or she is married, or has children, etc. This could be understood
as a disguised way to inquire about the candidate's sexual preferences.
However, it's perfectly acceptable to ask the candidates if
they can travel 80% of the time—if they don't want
to for family reasons, they'll usually say so.
When reprimanding an employee,
or if a conflict occurs, always keep the discussion on factual
grounds, and never let personal considerations take over. More
of your coworkers will be glad to discuss their children or
their latest weekend during the lunch break, but if they do
not show interest in such a discussion, don't insist—respect
of privacy is very important in the U.S.
Avoid making personal comments
or practical jokes,
even if you feel they are completely innocent—they can
be poorly understood by some of your coworkers. Even if they
don't say anything, one day you might receive a surprise letter
from an attorney.
Don't ask your secretary to serve you
coffee unless you're in a meeting with customers,
as this request could be considered inappropriate or gender biased. |
|
| |
|
|
| |
 Questions? |
|
|
|
©
Copyright 2000 IT-Startup.com. inc. All rights reserved.
