When job-seekers in West Virginia apply for a job, they typically expect that potential employers will base their decision on the most qualified candidate regardless of outside factors. One location of the popular home improvement store Home Depot allegedly exercised discriminatory hiring practices at its stores when, instead of bringing on the most qualified people for certain positions, it relegated women to lower positions. Home Depot recently reached a settlement with the U.S. Department of Labor to compensate victims of sex discrimination during the hiring process.
At Home Depot, sales positions typically include higher pay and more opportunities for promotions within the company. When the company's hiring practices were audited, it was revealed that many women who had the right credentials and qualifications to become a sales associate were passed over for male hires. These women were either not hired at all or were brought in at low-level cashier positions.
Perhaps one of the more upsetting results of the audit is that the women who had been passed over for positions they were qualified for were not even aware that the company had discriminated against them. However, while Home Depot did agree to the nearly $85,000 settlement, a spokesperson merely commented on the company's cashier hires, which included both sexes. Part of the settlement also includes filling at least five sales associate positions with qualified female hires.
Sex discrimination might not be as blatant as it was in the past, but that does not mean that workers in West Virginia are immune to its effects. It can be exceptionally disconcerting to realize that well qualified and knowledgeable job candidates can still be passed over for promotions and hires simply because of their gender. Victims of discrimination in the workplace can sometimes feel helpless, but successfully settled discrimination claims are typically achieve monetary compensation.
Source: dailybulletin.com, "Home Depot to pay $83K in gender discrimination settlement at Pomona store", Oct. 1, 2015
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