Frederick Douglass Essay

Life has many ups and downs. It is like a roller coaster ride in that it takes many turns. All the way through the life of a person, there will be good times and celebrations along with bad times and grief. The most significant thing to remember is to think positive and always stay strong mentally even at your lowest points. Frederick Douglass is a name of struggle. Being born into slavery, he faced many hardships throughout his life that people of today will never know, but overcome all of them because of his relentlessness to never give up, his passion to learn, be his own man, and more significantly staying strong mentally and keeping faith in God. Mental stiffness is when all things seem to be going wrong and there are no signs of hope, but you continue to strive for what you believe in, and Douglass did a good job of that. Douglass never gives up even when there appears to be no hope, and in the end is rewarded for all of his commitment. After the whole thing Douglass goes through, in the end he is not granted his freedom, but instead takes it on his own and his dream of being free is no longer a dream but in fact reality. Douglass resided in Baltimore intermittently from his arrival in the city in 1826 at the age of eight until he escaped from slavery twelve years later. Reflecting the uncertainties of black life in antebellum Baltimore, Douglass could state that â€Å"a city slave is almost a free man compared with a slave on the plantation† and lament that while in Baltimore â€Å"I often found myself regretting my own existence and wishing myself dead† (Narrative 50, 56). Douglass’s conflicting impressions of his adolescence as a slave in Baltimore, impressions of comparative liberty and abject despair, reflected the larger paradox of African-American life in the city that claimed America’s largest black population at the time of the Civil War. Located on the border of slavery and freedom, Baltimore created space for African Americans to develop dynamic institutions that proved very important to their post-emancipation history. Yet these institutions developed under harsh restrictions on the freedom of non-slave African Americans that white Baltimoreans devised to replace the increasingly impractical bonds of slavery. Black agency amid the constraints and opportunities of an urban slave society gave Douglass with his first classroom in the limits of freedom for nineteenth-century African Americans. When Douglass’s mother Harriet Bailey died he was hardly affected by the news for the reason that he rarely seen her. Douglass’s father was a white man; slaveholders usually impregnated their female’s slaves to increase the number of slaves they owned. As a child Douglass didn’t work in the fields because children weren’t strong enough. Therefore, he had free time to do other things besides tasks. Sometimes he would go along wit the Colonel’s grandson, Daniel, as a servant when he went hunting. Daniel in time became close to Douglass which was an advantage. But, Douglass still suffered because slave children were only given a long linen shirt, therefore in the winter he would be really cold. When Douglass was eight years old he was selected to go to Baltimore to live with Hugh Auld. Douglass was not sad to leave the plantation because he had no family or any sense of home that children usually had. He believes that if he had not been removed that he would still be a slave today. Douglass was amazed how kind his new was; unlike other white women she did not punish him for looking her in the eye. But, after some time, her kindness turned to cruelty, and she completely changed as a person. When Douglass first moved in with the Aulds, Mrs. Auld began teaching him the alphabet and some small words. When her husband found out he ordered her to sop because â€Å"education ruins slaves, making them unmanageable and unhappy. † Douglass overhears this and comes up with the strategy of what white men use to enslave blacks. From that he now understands what he has to do to win his freedom. Douglass lived in the Auld’s household for seven years, he was able to learn how to read and write. Mrs. Auld became hardened and cruel and no longer tutored him. But, Douglass already learned the alphabet and was strong-minded to learn how to read. Auld rents Douglass for one year to Edward Covey, who was known for â€Å"breaking† slaves. For the first six months Covey worked and whipped everything out of Douglass to the point where he no longer cared about reading or freedom. This all changed when Douglass and Covey had a clash and after the fight Covey never touched Douglass yet again. Douglass was then rented to William Freeland, even though Freeland was milder and a fairer man, he was still going to escape. Frederick went on to become a famous orator, U. S. minister to Haiti, and a leader of his people. Douglass, like the other slaves is not born with this mental toughness, but acquires it mainly through his faith in God, hard work, and learning to read and write. Douglass’ faith in God is crucial because Douglass can turn to God at any point in his life. When Douglass is at his lowest, his faith in God is always there to lift him up. â€Å"O God, save me! God, deliver me! Let me be free! † (72). Their are times where Douglass questions God because of brutal conditions with Mr. Covey, but Douglass still stays strong mentally and spiritually, and that is key to taking his freedom. Douglass has a strong mind of his own, and does not let anyone or anything change what he believes is right. Conditions for slaves are pretty much severe everywhere they go. Slaves work long hard hours, for pretty much nothing, and to go along with that are poorly nourished. Douglass is lucky enough to be sent to Baltimore to live with the Auld’s because conditions are a slightly easier there, but most importantly because that is where he learns to read and write. Luckily for Douglass, Mrs. Auld teaches him the alphabet and small words before her heart turns to stone. â€Å"Very soon after I went to live with Mr. and Mrs. Auld, she very kindly commenced to teach me the A, B, C. After I had learned this, she assisted me in learning to spell words of three or four letters. † (45). Although reading lessons with Mrs. Auld eventually stop, this does not stop Douglass in trying to acquire as much knowledge as possible. This makes Douglass even hungrier for knowledge because he knows that being literate is key to being free. The poor white children of the neighborhood eventually teach Douglass how to read in return for some food. â€Å"As many of these as I could, I converted into teachers. With their kindly aid, obtained at different times and in different places, I finally succeeded in learning to read. † (49). This is crucial for Douglass to gain his freedom, and help him believe in himself. Although brutal times are shortly ahead for Douglass at Mr. Covey’s, the slave tamer, this knowledge and insight is definitely one of the major factors that helps him get through it. Before going to Mr. Covey’s, Douglass’ been through a lot of mental and physical pain, but he does not know the worst is yet to come. Because of his disobedience and excessive curiosity in Baltimore, Douglass’ master sends him to Mr. Covey’s, who is one of the cruelest slave tamer’s around. Douglass states that the first six months with Mr. Covey are unbearable. Douglass’ first task is to guide the oxen, and when he fails he barely leaves with his life. Covey whips him repeatedly, and continues to do so for weeks. Covey’s extreme work and brutal punishments drain Douglass mentally and physically; he feels his hope for freedom is slipping away. This is where Douglass’ faith in God is crucial because he literally has no one else to turn to except God. It seems as if Douglass is about to let Mr. Covey win, and believe that all he is put on this earth to do is slave for others. But one day as Mr. Covey tries tying Douglass up for another brutal beating; Douglass defends himself and finds the courage within him to stand up to Mr. Covey by fighting back. Douglass injures Mr. Covey to the point where he is bleeding. Because of his courage to stand up for himself, Covey never lays a finger on Douglass again. This part of the autobiography is indeed a turning point because it restores Douglass’ confidence that he always had inside of him, and makes him believe that he will one day be a free man. â€Å"This battle with Mr. Covey was the turning- point in my career as a slave. It rekindled the few expiring embers of freedom, and revived within me a sense of my own manhood. † (78). This is indeed the turning point in his life because he stands up for what he believes in and actually wins. After this point Douglass is extremely confident in himself, and due to the knowledge he gains and his mental strength he is able to get through possibly his hardest obstacle in his life. â€Å"I did not hesitate to let it be known of me, that the white man who expected to succeed in whipping, must also succeed in killing me. † (78). This is such a powerful line in that it shows Douglass’ relentlessness to never give up, and it shows that he is once again strong, not necessarily physically, but more importantly mentally. This turning point helps Douglass stay on track, and eventually helps him escape to New York City. After New York Douglass goes to Massachusetts were he meets abolitionist Garrison, and is eventually employed as an abolitionist. All in all, Frederick Douglass achieves his goals due to hard work and his passion to learn. After all, the struggle throughout his life, Douglass’ dream finally comes true, and it could not have happened to a more deserving man. One more Douglass’ master was Mr. Gore who was a key example of the many white people who let their power go to their heads. Frederick Douglass lived a hard life as a slave as pretty much all slaves did. He is pushed to the limit mentally and physically, and although there are times Douglass almost breaks down, he never lets that happen to him. By learning how to read and write he realizes that knowledge is power, just like it is today. Ignorance is ugly, and he does not want that to happen to him. Douglass’ knowledge helps open doors for him that he would never have opened if he was not educated. Frederick Douglass is an amazing man, and shows that if you are strong mentally you can accomplish anything you put your mind too. Douglass accounts in his thrilling and morbid firsthand account of slavery in the south. Douglass lets the reader look at slavery in a style that reflects the desperation of slave life. Points covered range from the exploitation of slave women by their white masters to the violent treatment, and in some cases murder of slaves, to the back-breaking labor and lack of personal time. The biography includes chilling accounts of his mother. She walked twelve miles every night to see him, in infancy, and when she died, Douglass was not even allowed to witness her burial. This was common practice in those times, but to the modern reader, this is quite appalling. Douglass’ life was only made more complicated by the accusation that his master, Captain Anthony, was also his father. The treatment of these ‘mixed’ children was often worse than that of regular slave children due to the fact that the mistress of the house felt animosity towards them. As a result, Frederick had to face the wrath of Captain Anthony’s wife. What made Douglass’ experiences truly unique was the fact that he learned how to read and write. Most slaves were killed if they were caught doing so but in Douglass’ case, he was very lucky. When he was sent to Baltimore, Sophia Auld, his new mistress, taught him how to read a few simple words. From that point, he taught himself new words everyday through The Columbian Orator, a collection of speeches and essays dealing with liberty, democracy, and courage. Douglass saw this as his ticket to freedom. Douglass sheds some light on several areas such as the reason behind the slave songs and what it feels like to watch a family member be beaten and abused. His narrative does a very thorough job of conveying the slave experience to an audience that has no idea. The image conjured of slave owners and all of southern society in the 18th and 19th century is a negative one. This caricature holds shockingly true in Douglass’ narrative. However, there is a lot more complexity to Southern society show in Douglass’ well-crafted words. There are different kinds of slave owners in different parts of the south. People like Captain Anthony and Thomas Auld, who reside in the deep south, are cruel to the slaves they own, as they are property. Like the cotton gin, they are there to turn a profit. As long as they can work and do work, nothing else really matters. In Baltimore, a different type of slave owner is known. Sophia and Hugh Auld live next to neighbors that do not own slaves and are therefore, conscious of how they treat their slaves in public. Sophia had not even owned slaves before Douglass, so in the beginning, she was very kind and treated Douglass as you would treat any child. The abolitionist movement is a larger concern in Baltimore, because it is in the very streets. In the deeper south, though they are concerned about slaves escaping and abolitionists, the threat is not as axiomatic. Douglass also exposes the false piety of slave owners. Though many of them are bible thumping, none of them truly understands the lessons they are preached. Douglass analyzes the moral woes of slavery and the unnatural state that all involved are subjected to. Douglass’ words give the reader a depiction of southern life and morality in an intricate and intriguing way, which is fair and abrasively honest. In modern times, people think of slavery and think that it was north against south. In reality, many Northerners were indifferent to the plight of slaves. When Fredrick Douglass first escapes to the north, he finds that there are many people who support slavery and many that oppose it, but most of them are indifferent. This is because most northerners have no idea what is going on in the south. Therefore, they are ignorantly blissful with their lives. Douglass addressed this issue in letter to an abolitionist associate. Douglass moved to New Bedford in the year 1838 and found work as a caulker for whaling ships. In New Bedford, he decided to drop the name â€Å"Bailey,† in order to defend himself from slave catchers, and became famous as Frederick Douglass. Between the time of 1790 and 1860, the institution of slavery declined in Baltimore but the boundaries of African-American freedom narrowed significantly. When free black people posed little threat to white people, as in the 1790s, whites imposed relatively few limitations on them. But as the free black population grew so did racial competition for jobs and social power. White privilege responded to the dynamism of free blacks by circumscribing their liberty. Douglass lived in Baltimore when free African Americans made considerable economic gains and expanded an already powerful network of black institutions. By the time of the Civil War whites rolled back many of the gains of the 1830s and pushed free blacks to the edge of slavery. Douglass first witnessed white racism towards free black people during this tightening of Baltimore’s restrictions on non-slave African Americans that coincided with slavery’s end. Work cited Browne, Gary Lawson. Baltimore in the Nation, 1789-1861. Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press, 1980. Douglass, Frederick. Letter to an abolitionist associate. In Organizing for Social Change: A Mandate for Activity in the 1990s. Edited by K. Bobo, J. Kendall, and S. Max. Washington, D. C. : Seven Locks Press. [1849] (1991) Douglass, Frederick. Life and Times of Frederick Douglass. 1892. New York: Collier, 1962. Douglass, Frederick. My Bondage and My Freedom. 1855. New York: Dover, 1969. Douglass, Frederick. Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass. 1845. New York: Penguin, 1968. Fields, Barbara Jeanne. Slavery and Freedom on the Middle Ground: Maryland during the Nineteenth Century. New Haven: Yale University Press, 1985. Frey, Sylvia. Water from the Rock: Black Resistance in a Revolutionary Age. Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1991. Gardner, Bettye. â€Å"Ante-bellum Black Education in Baltimore. † Maryland Historical Magazine 71 (Fall 1976): 360-366. Gardner, Bettye. â€Å"Free Blacks in Baltimore, 1800-1860. † Diss. George Washington University, 1974. Garonzik, Joseph. â€Å"Urbanization and the Black Population of Baltimore, 1850-1870. † Diss. State University of New York, Stony Brook, 1974. Graham, Leroy. Baltimore: The Nineteenth-Century Black Capital. New York: University Press of America, 1982. Maryland. House of Delegates. â€Å"An Act Relating to Paupers, Beggars, Vagrants, Vagabonds and Disorderly Persons in the City of Baltimore. † The Laws of Maryland ch. 116. March 10, 1854. Muller, Edward K. and Paul A. Groves. â€Å"The Emergence of Industrial Districts in Mid-Nineteenth Century Baltimore. † Geographical Review 69 (1979): 159-177. Steffen, Charles G. The Mechanics of Baltimore: Workers and Politics in the Age of Revolution, 1763-1812. Urbana: University of Illinois Press, 1984. Wesley, Charles H. Richard Allen: Apostle of Freedom. 1935. Washington: Associated Publishers, 1969.

Human Resources †Employing and maintaining staff Essay

Human resources is a department which is a key component for any size business as it’s responsibilities affect the whole business The main responsibilities of the Human resources department can be split into 4 areas, Employing and maintaining staff, Training for new employees, Procedures, laws and legislation and Providing a safe working environment. The recruitment process is important: because it ensures that everyone in the business follows the same procedure . The best possible candidate is hired and reduces the risk of hiring a unsuitable candidate , saves further recruitment costs . Makes sure money and time are being used efficiently and effectively . The Recruitment process : the steps involved in finding and appointing new employees A vacancy arises Vacancies occur in a business because of maternity/paternity, death, retirement , dismissal , promotion , expansion . A job description is written or revised based on the job analysis . Job analysis – to see if it’s necessary or can be shared by other employees . it allows HR to become ware to any changes that many need to be made in the job description . They do this by reviewing the job . This is important because it makes sure the job description is correct and includes all the responsibilities/tasks , so you can get the best possible candidate . A person specification or job profile is written Person specification – skills/attributes of the person (eg communication, the ability to work as a team , hold a driving license ) / Educational and vocational qualifications , such as GCSES and NVQS . This is to eliminate people that wouldn’t be suitable for the job , this saves money and time . it is important because it makes sure you don’t get the wrong candidate , ensures you get the best possible candidate . Serves as a measure which the applicants can be judged against . It helps to design the advert , select in interviews and short list . A decision is made about whether to recruit internally or externally Internally in large business – notice boards , emails , website – intranet , memos , appraisals , meetings and newsletters . Externally – local and national newspapers , Job recruitment agency , radio advert , company website , trade journals – specialist magazines , job centres , social media –twitter and Facebook . You need to consider these factors when deciding whether to recruit externally or internally : cost , target audience and how quickly you need them . This is important as you need to know if the job can be completed within the business by being spread out over employees , even though you would have to pay them for the extra hours they are doing . It would save money as you do not have to pay for the advert , you could send around an email or put a notice on the notice board . You could do 1 on 1 interviews rather than panel interviews . In panel interviews there is more staff , that are not doing their job because they are interviewing so replacement have to paid for . Advertisements are drawn up and placed in appropriate media Design job advert – includes job title and hours , skills/qualifications required , key duties , where the job is , how to apply and where to send the application . All of this information is important because they may have a busy lifestyle and be unable to do flexible hours , lack certain skills and qualifications . When the candidates view the advert they can decide for themselves if the job is unsuitable for them , this lowers the recruitment costs and the business does not have to waste time and money interviewing and sorting though the candidates application . The key duties, location , how to apply and where to send application are stated because on the candidate needs to be able to do these duties , reach the location and apply . Application forms are issued and/or cvs and letters of application are requested . The applicants will need to complete an application form / letter of application and cv . They are sent out to the applicants and the applicants return to them to the correct business within the business . This helps with short listing . The job description and person specification are compared against to check for correct qualifications . The application form is the best to judge against , as they all have the same layout so this makes them quicker to judge against . There is also no discrimination as all candidates are given the same questions . Short listing takes place Short listing – selecting the candidates who best meet the qualities , qualifications and experiences requested on the job description . Primark and other large companies make applicants take an aptitude test and selection questions as this saves time and money . Interviews are held and assessment and testing takes place Factors to consider before the interview : Who will interview the candidates? Most likely the supervisor of the member / staff responsible for them/ store manager / HR manager . Is it going to be a One to one or panel interview . Panel interview is more fair as it is less biased . Where will you interview the candidates ? Make sure here is no interruptions , quiet and accessible for disabled candidates . What questions will be asked . All the candidates get asked the same questions , reduces discrimination . Judged on all the same questions , easy to compare . Need to cater to all , eg Deaf people . How to ensure fairness in the interview? What tests will you run , aptitude and psychometric tests? This is important because in the application form a candidate could lie and say they are confident as they are sitting in front of a computer screen . Many mistakes are made in the interview and it is easily to judge the candidate a nd tell when they are lying . Selection takes place and someone is appointed You should seek references from previous posts , to ensure that the candidates have been honest throughout , and not omitted to inform prospective employer of any issues that many effect his/her ability to do the job . This isn’t done at the beginning as the candidate may have a current job and wouldn’t want their employer knowing unless they have an interview . This is important as if the candidate is not chosen they can call up and ask why they were not chosen , to ensure there is no discrimination against the candidate and there a valid reason for the selection . Contract of employment – rates of employment , hours to be worked , holiday entitlement , sick pay procedures , duties Letter of appointment : offer , job title , pay , start date , where to report to and other relevant information. Maintaining staff Staff retention It is important for a business to keep it’s staff because this will minimise disruption to other employees , as other employees will have to pick up the duties of that job whilst the recruitment process is being done . The new employees will not be trained so this can cause the customers to get annoyed at the bad customer service . The trained employees will have to be constantly looking over the new employees this can decrease productivity . The recruitment process is costly and time consuming , on average it costs  £2000 to recruit per person. It is costly because of the training costs and other factors . The longer the employees are there , the more familiar they will become with the businesses policies and the better they will get with the customers . A business such as Primark can encourage staff retention by having monetary rewards which will include discounts or a pay rise linked to them achieving a target / an appraisal . They can have flexible working schemes which allow staff to start and finish work later/earlier. The business needs to make sure the business has a safe and suitable working environment that is not detrimental to physical or mental health . Staff should be praised upon and recognised , they can be valued within the employee of the month . All staff should receive a fair pay with opportunities for promotion . If the staff retention is bad the labour turnover is high so this may put off future candidates from applying because they can see the labour turnover so will wonder so many people are leaving . They will assume the business isn’t that good as there are many problems making the employees leave so the business will not get the best candidates for the job . The recruitment process is expensive and is done in the certain steps to ensure the best candidate is chosen , this would make this process a waste of time . If employees are covering roles there is less time to spend with customers so this will affect the customer service . Appraisals Appraisals can also be done , this is an examination of an employees performance over a period of time , this is carried out by the employees line manager . An appraisal report will include the strengths of an employees , the development needs of an employee , a report on the achievement of objectives set at the previous appraisal and an action plan using the weaknesses to identify training needs. Labour Turnover HR measure how successful they are retaining staff by looking at the labour turnover for each year . Labour turnover is the proportion of employees leaving a business over a period of time . HR will analyse the results and look at the trends to decide on what action they think will be appropriate . This is important as the business needs to know if their staff retention is good or bad , as this affects the money in the business . High levels of labour turnover will indicate a problem within the business , HR will look at the main issues and take steps to address them . Low levels of labour turnover will indicate that the business is keeping it’s employees satisfied or that unemployment is high so fewer people are leaving for other jobs . To identify issues HR will carry our exit interviews so they discuss with the employee why they have left the business , and if HR can do anything to make them stay or improve the business for the future so this does not reoccur . Grievance HR must design and set up this the grievance procedure , they must ensure the process allows complaints to be dealt with quickly and fairly . This must ensure all staff have access to this . This is important so both the employer and employee are satisfied . Ensuring employees are trained as necessary in accordance with job role and business procedures The importance of training It is important for a business to train all its staff so the employees know how to operate in house systems such as operating tills. Also to make sure the business is remaining competitive and keeping up with customer requirements such as learning how new styles and cross selling. The staff need to be aware of the companies polices affecting legalisation , and health and safety . This also motivates staff as they can now operate efficiently. They will also have the same training as the rest of staff so they won’t feel left out and unmotivated . If the employees are motivated , they will give better customer service . This makes the business more competitive as the customers would go to their business over a competitor with bad customer service . This would allow the business to make higher quality goods and sell for higher prices . The more training an employee gets the more productive and efficient the employee can be , therefore there are lower costs for the business and mor e profit being made . So they can charge lower prices and attract more customers . Induction training The main aim of induction training is to make sure the employee feels motivated as soon as they join the business , and become familiar with their position to increase productivity . In induction training there are many things that need to be covered including aims and objectives and the history of the business. They will need to met key staff so when they start actually working there they will know who everyone is and where to go if they have problems . This is important because the employee is less likely to remember all the rules and policies if they put in a room and made to listen to them for the first day . Employees that do not get induction training will be unable to integrate into the team easily . They will fail to perform to their highest , have low morale and reduced productivity . All the information is broken down into different sections , each should be delivered by a different member of staff . A brief introduction into the business’s history allows senior management to be introduced to the new employee . Future plans for the business could be explained here , the idea of working at a focused , determined and fast-moving business is very motivating . Shortly after administration will step in and go through the contract of employment , this will include disciplinary / grievance/ sick pay procedures , what to do if you are unable to attend work , hours of work , rates of employment ,holiday entitlement and duties. Staff handbooks are given out , pension schemes and uniform requirements are explained. On the job training This training is given whilst the employee is doing their regular duties . It is done on a normal working day in the normal work place . A demonstration can be done this is working alongside an experienced employee and showing them what to do and what standard the work needs to be done to. Job shadowing is similar , the employee will watch an experienced member of staff perform the duties . The employee will have to watch carefully so when they are their own they can perform the tasks to the same standard . Observation is where the employee will perform their tasks are usual whilst being watched and then they are given feedback at the end . Coaching is where the employee learns new skills and have the chance to practice the skills with a coach before actually doing them at the workplace . The coach will watch them perform the skills and give feedback till the employee can perform the skill to a high standard . Mentoring is another option , the employee will be paired with an experienced member of staff and they can discuss the employee’s progress and problems. . On the job training is important because training occurs whilst you are doing day to day duties so training is less disruptive to productivity . You can also do computer based training which is commonly used in health and safety training , it is training through a computerised program . This is relatively cheap and easy to organise . In-house training can be carried out by a member of staff, they will be given the task of training other employees , this could be linked to new legislation .This ensures everyone is aware of new policies . There are disadvantages to this method they include employees not taking the training as seriously because they are just doing normal duties . Another member of staff may teach the employee a bad habit which they will pick up and do . The member of staff may not have received training on how to train effectively so their training could be a waste of time and ineffective. As the training is being done within the workplace there are more distractions so this could make the learning environment very difficult . Off the job training This training is usually done away from the normal workplace , they will not being doing their usual duties so they can focus their full attention onto the training . An external training agency can be brought in or an employee can carry out the training . As the employee is away from their normal work environment it is easier to focus and harder to get distracted . The employee is given the opportunity to discuss ideas with employees from or outside the business , this allows them to bond better as a team. Although there are disadvantages which include the cost , the cost would be higher if you hired an external trainer , there is lost productivity . Even though the employee is being trained , they are not doing their usual duties . HR must be able to identify training needs , not all employees need the same amount of training as they may have previous experiences . This is important as it reduces costs as the business will not have to pay for unnecessary training . New training is needed when there are new systems , new company policies , after illness periods , maternity , promotions and changes in the law/ health and safety . Costs The cost of on the job training includes that the employee will be less productive during the training period , if the trainer is a fellow employee they will not be doing their job and the training may disrupt other employees and decrease productivity over the whole department. The cost of off the job training includes the cost of the course , travel expenses , loss of productivity whilst the employee is on the course , other members of staff may become resentful as they have not been sent on the course so there will be a decrease in efficiency. If the training is on going , the costs will keep getting higher . Ensuring the business follows procedures, laws and legislation HR is responsible for ensuring that the business is operating within the employment laws , this includes the equality act 2010 , employment rights act 1996 and the health and safety at work act 1974 . The employees must be trained on these policies and trained again when there are new changes in the law . HR needs to understand the implications of not following the law .This is important as the business can be prosecuted if they fail to do so and they can be involved in a tribunal . Also the business can get a bad reputation and limit the employees willing to join the business . Corporate social responsibility and ethics can lead to customers not thinking the business is ethical and there will be a loss in sales . The employment rights act of 1996 sets out an employees basic rights , and includes the right to a contract of employment , holiday and maternity provision . The equality act of 2010 , tells employers that they may not discriminate on the grounds of race , age , religion , sexual orientation , sex, or disability against employees when recruiting , paying or promoting . The health and safety at work act of 1974 , sets out the requirements for keeping people safe in the working environment , this includes keeping accident books and recording visitors to a business. HR needs to look at these acts when doing tasks . When creating grievance / disciplinary procedures , adverts , job description , person specifications and short listing , the equality act is needed to help . When doing interviews , short listing and adverts , the employment rights act should be looked at . The health and safety act helps when doing the interviews and risk assessments , such as Primark does , they use this to make sure younger / disabled employees are safe and not working over time. Providing a safe working environment It is important to provide a safe working environment so there are no injuries caused to anyone , this is Primark’s job . The employee needs to ensure it’s own safety by working and behaving safely in Primark . An unsafe working environment can lead to a bad reputation to customers , this will cause a sales loss . A bad reputation can also put off potential employees , the recruitment process is time consuming and expensive so it is necessary that Primark does not limit the candidates . There is an accident book, which must be completed every time an injury occurs whether is it a minor or major injury . Every time a visitor enters the business , they must log on a visitor book . In the case of an emergency such as a fire , everyone must be evacuated and the business needs to know if everyone is safely out the building . If a visitor did not log onto the book , the business would be completely unaware that there person was there. In a visitor book , there are a few sections to fill out , this can vary business to business . Most often your name , reason for being there and who you are there to see and proof of identification are required . This is important as it makes sure no one at the workplace is put into danger . Fire safety is important when trying to make your workplace as safe as possible , this includes carrying out a fire risk assessment of the premises and reviewing it regularly , as well as telling staff of any risks you may find . Appropriate fire measures must be put in place and maintained , this includes a plan for emergency . All staff must receive fire safety instructions and training . All staff must be trained on a certain type of equipment before they use it . This is important as this reduces injuries , and if they are taught how to use it correctly they can work faster compared having to figure it out by themselves.

International Oil and Gas Law Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4000 words

International Oil and Gas Law - Research Paper Example ..5 4.2 Importance of risk management †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦5 4.3 Classic concession †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦6 4.4 Territorial jurisdiction†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦..7 4.5 Guarantee schemes†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦8 4.6 Collaborative agreements†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.9 5. Ways in which Urbania should proceed with the proposed oil development in the Amazia Forest region and ways in which should it decide which oil company to work with †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦..................................................................................................................................10 5.1 Tackling the ethical issue †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦..10 6. ... Introduction Oil is one of the most precious natural resources utilized by countries in business arena rigorously reaping enormous revenues and adds to the growth and development of an economy. The omnipotence of oil utility is also magnificent as we all know. But oil is not a renewable resource and thus its importance against its tremendous usage becomes much more pronounced. The developing countries in the world are mainly instilled with vast resources of oil and gas and their increase in demand is also increasing in rapid scale in the recent years. Multinational oil companies, investors, suppliers, contractors as well as consulting firms are considerably shifting their attention towards these developing nations for carrying on their business operations (Razavi, 1996, p.2). The escalation in global oil production also carries along with it an urge of unparalleled risk management. With the rise in peaking of oil production, the liquid fuel prices and price volatility has been rampan t subjected to dramatic influence on economic, social and political forefronts of the countries. Strategies are devised by the organizations engaged in the oil industry for risk mitigation. The risk management paradigm is indeed of great significance for mammoth investments in the oil industry projects which are time consuming. Apart from that, running business in an ethical manner is a definite necessity. Oil companies working in a country be it national or international must comply with the proper legal environment so that business operations are done in a suitable way and oil productions are carried on in a sustainable manner. The countries are required to maintain a strong legal environment which is an utmost necessity (Razavi, 1996,

Why is the study of political science imperative for an educated human Essay

Why is the study of political science imperative for an educated human being in society - Essay Example According to Marcus, â€Å"democracy, bureaucracy, autocracy, amongst others formulates basic forms of government†. This is a vivid implication that politics qualifies as a science. Scholars establish diverse ideologies and theories to articulate the dynamics of politics. Marcus also asserts that â€Å"Politics keep changing with in different times.† In this case, political science has immense importance towards every elite in society. The study is imperative to the elites in diverse ways. In the art of politics, people must exceed the figure of two. This implicates that interactions amongst two or more individuals comprise politics. In definition, politics entails an art of influence within a civic level (Marcus, 2010). The influence may as well infiltrate to the individual level. Therefore, the study of political science is imperative to the elites upon understanding its dynamics and nature. Political science is imperative to educated individuals in diverse ways. Marc us quotes that â€Å"Scholars in political science pursue knowledge in politics†. This knowledge accumulates within them to propagate comprehensive understanding of the political dynamics. Therefore, this knowledge inculcates immense capacity towards the scholars. In this case, political science scholars are in a capacity to give a comprehensive and logical account of the basic changes (Marcus, 2010).

Excerpt from Declaration of Independence Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Excerpt from Declaration of Independence - Essay Example In a dramatic presentation of the American plight against the backdrop of the abuse that they were exposed to, this excerpt captures the origin of the right of the American people to send the government packing. Additionally, the mandate on the civilian American to form a new government in the instance was triggered by the explanation of the incapacitation of the colonial leadership. The ultimate explanation of the American Cause was incompetence of the government, right of the people and the mandate to deliver happiness and safety to the American people. Apparently, the founders of the American nation had deep conviction of provision of a democratic environment as a partial responsibility of the government of the day and the civilian force. To this end, the leadership of the American nationalism behind the call for independence from Britain had their best feet forward with a complete case having overwhelming evidence on the incompetence of the colonial government (Armitage, 2007). Ostensibly, the case was sandwiched between the mandate of a model American government formed to cater for the plight of the American citizenry and the clear incompetence of King in several accounts where his discretion was called to question. The creation of such a perfect case to the American people was enough to obtain the most appropriate backing in form of a revolution that would overthrow the colonial government in case the grievances fell on deaf ears. Declaration of Independence meant that the American people had come to the end of the road for a difficult era in the hands of the insensitive government. A litany of the incompetence of the leader of the colonial government claimed in this excerpt follows making the case a strong weapon against the authority of the government. Such an attack on the mandate of the government to protect the unalienable and self-evident rights of the American people was a well protracted move to

Social science research methods and ethics Essay

Social science research methods and ethics - Essay Example Social research methods are important to give a valid reason for any particular condition or issue. It helps in understanding the cause and consequences of particular situation which further is utilized to develop policies, guidelines and improvement of human life and living conditions. Researches are done for vast reasons and various ways. Social research of any kind is obviously a complex activity. It is carried out within a variety of cultural, legal, economic, and political environments which are bound to influence the research, its scope and its focus.1 This is a person who conducts research. The research can be a group activity or an individual activity depending upon the requirement and resources allocated for the research. In both the cases there are ethical issues involved at various levels. This group is the respondent group who is an important part of the research. The interest and protection of this group is one of the prime concerns area if there are any suspect of being harmed due to the result. The research process starts with selection of an appropriate topic for the research. The research topic should be such that it contributes to the area of work. The problem is defined. The literature on the similar work or related work is reviewed and the findings of literature reviews are considered to formulate hypothesis. Once the hypothesis is formulated the appropriate research method is chosen. The research method chosen should be good enough to cover the hypothesis and topic of research. Data collection is the next step. This is a tedious process and very much depended on the responded and ability of researcher or interviewer. The collected data is compiled and analyzed for the logical results. The results are compiled in the report format and shared with others. There are six types of research methods i.e surveys, participant observations, secondary analysis, documents, unobtrusive measures and experiments. Each of these

CEO Compensation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

CEO Compensation - Essay Example y, the works that are expected for the CEO to perform, and the economic status of the company, if it is gaining much for a certain period that will qualify whether the CEO deserved the amount of pay. As noted by Solomon (2007), survey says that the CEOs in the US are really overpaid because there is â€Å"an absence of objective ways to measure an executive performance†. Secondly, much is expected from an American company so these companies live up with the expectations. Tough competitions set in, and to stay on â€Å"top†, companies must hire the â€Å"best† CEO to run their company. And the â€Å"best way† to have the â€Å"best† CEO to come and stay in the company is to lure them with excessive salaries and benefits even before they will produce results as what most CEOs in the US enjoy now. Japanese CEOs generally received much lower levels of compensation compared to their counterparts in the US. As reported by Wiseman and Del Jones (2009) in the USA Today, CEOs of big companies only earned an average of $809, 000 in 2003, with a difference of $11.4 million compared with the CEOs of the US. This fact alone, however, is not sufficient to imply that U.S. CEOs are overpaid. It is because big companies in Japan are generally smaller compared to big companies in the US. Relatively, it is unfair to compare the compensation received by CEOs of small companies to big companies. On the other hand, the practices of US companies in encouraging CEOs to join them are not being practiced in Japan. As Wiseman and Del Jones (2009) noted â€Å"Japanese firms rarely poach talent from rival firms, outbidding each other for management superstars†. Usually, CEOs of companies in Japan were previously rank-and-file employees of the company they are working with who worked hard for th e company for several years until they reached the top position. Chief executive officers of US companies are very much benefited when there is an increase if the company’s value within a certain period.

Book Report on Three Books Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Book Report on Three Books - Essay Example After reading the author's story and confronting his notions, the reader finds that they stick in his mind just like the way a delicious meal's aroma engulfs and settles with a person. Charles Fourier is amongst the extra obscure individuals among chief utopian thinkers. This is not on grounds that we know remarkably little of him, but since for a majority of academicians his identity amasses a stock illustration of long standing. By reference to Frank Manuel’s preface of 1971 to choosing from the writings of Charles Fourier, nearly all the scholars of Utopia are conversant with the slender, droning subsistence. The writings are centered on the poorly paid clerk, roomer in monotonous boarding residences and the pitiful return home each mealtime to wait for the affluent sponsor who would sponsor the founding of Harmony. His area’s general secretary, refused to edit one of Fourier’s exertions because, the appraisal of such bizarre paradoxes shows too many complexit ies ever becoming too hazardous. Most ensuing judgment faced with such notions as sexual appeals, amid extraterrestrial bodies and oceans finally becoming lemonade, adjusts this verdict only by totaling or be taken sincerely. Jonathan Beecher takes apart this typical representation and discloses Fourier as an additional wholly rounded individual and rationally logical intellectual. Beecher has dedicated over 20 years of powerful analysis to the author, who, he thinks of all socialist intellectuals appeared to tender the broadest, most liberal revelation of human likelihood. The consequence is a merge of individual and scholar memoirs that can position as ultimate; no basis, serious or minor, appears to have fled the writer, who incorporates them into a complete, sensible, and extremely decipherable study (Goodwin, Barbara, and Keith 56). Nietzsche "Beyond Good and Evil" Beyond Good and Evil, is a complete general idea of Nietzsche's way of established thinking. The volume comprises of 296 sayings, ranging in extent from a handful sentences to some pages. These sayings are thematically clustered into nine dissimilar sections and are concluded by a foreword and a verse. Whereas every saying can position individually, there is the existence of a linear development amid sayings within sections and from one section to the next. However, each saying gives a characteristic viewpoint and still the section conclusions leave out a grand deal. The preface indicts theorists of rigidity, and the initial section surveys this allege. Every grand viewpoint, Nietzsche declares, is modest surplus to the confession. Theorists build up intricate structures of thought to validate their individual suppositions and chauvinism. If we could excavate these, we could perceive what these theorists treasure most profoundly, and so achieve analysis into their temperament. Nietzsche compares their rigidity with the "liberated spirit" that is not detained in a meticulous viewpoint. He antici pates that the future theorists will be typified by such an untried technique, eager to attempt out whichever supposition, and trail every dispute all through to its end. After a debate, of the spiritual spirit, which he asserts is a type of rigidity; Nietzsche get on a sequence of axioms, the majority of which emphasize

Deregulation of Aviation in the Commercial Airline Industry Research Paper

Deregulation of Aviation in the Commercial Airline Industry - Research Paper Example Later, airline safety regulation was passed together with 1958 Federal Aviation Act that bore Federal Aviation Administration. By 1938, US government was regulating much commercial aviation in terms of routes, schedules and fare. The three main functions of CAB are regulating airline route, limiting new market entrances by air carriers, and regulation of passenger carriers. CAB report shows typical regulatory thinking. Without certain circumstances that give sound reasons for new carriers, inherent desirability to increase the airline industry was not valid. The 1978 Airline Deregulation Act deregulated many of these controls and completely changed the civil aviation face in the United States. In order to serve any given route, an airline was required to seek permission which led to many barriers in the permission granting. Consequently, the system was removed by airline deregulation including the dismantling of the flag carrier notion. However, this caused a new problem because many civil suits were filed in state or federal court against an airline. While the court handled breaches of contract and personal injury claims the transportation department had neither the facilities nor authority to mediate or try many disputes between airline and consumers (Johnson, 2008). Therefore, many consumers have been left to search for themselves legal justice with their claims. This is enhanced by the Open Skies Agreements between United States and other nations which have opened the aviation market to foreigners and removed competition barriers. This allows airlines to operate their air services to any point of other countries from any point in United States. These agreements have successfully removed competition barriers as well as allowing... The researcher states that in 1978, the United States signed an airline deregulation Act, and later developed a new regulation form, to deal with allocation of scarce availability of slot numbers in the airports and other problems that may be as a result of this scarcity. With cost and price competition views, various solutions were proposed, in order to control the routes served and the prices charged by major airlines. Airline deregulation has yielded and continues to yield uncountable benefits to travelers who fall in the average category. The positive deregulation consequences were significant drop in fare prices, improvement of security, service and programs, among others. Reduction of fare helped passengers to increase their savings, where it is estimated that they saved up to $ 100 billions. It also allowed smaller airlines to proliferate into the big carriers market. Generally, the larger airlines suffered negative consequences of airlines deregulation like bankruptcy, collap se high operating losses more than the smaller airlines. However, millions of flying passengers and smaller airlines gained the better benefits of airlines deregulation. Though smaller markets were not affected by service erosion as predicted by deregulation opponents, larger airlines had nothing to small to smile at, as competition exposure made them suffer heavy losses through labor union’s conflicts. As a result, many of them were liquidated, especially those that were founded in the after deregulation.

Today is a result of yesterday, tomorrow is a result of today Essay Example for Free

Today is a result of yesterday, tomorrow is a result of today Essay Today is a result of yesterday, tomorrow is a result of today. To what extent is this statement an apt representation of Buddhist ethics? Today is a result of yesterday, tomorrow is a result of today. This statement, as a representation of Buddhist ethics, would seem to suggest the realm of ethical action is effectively deterministic. This raises many questions about the nature of Buddhist ethics, most significantly: Is this a coherent position? If today is a result of yesterday how can one be said to be possessed of free will? And if one has no free will surely one cannot be considered a moral agent thus consequently, are responsible for ones actions. In this essay I will consider the evidence and arguments supporting this interpretation, together with counter-arguments in order to discuss the statement and reasoning behind this, resulting in my conclusion that will encompass all these arguments. Firstly I will look at morality in Buddhism as it is a Buddhists ethics which determine their behaviour which ultimately affects the results of tomorrow. Classifying Buddhist ethics can be considered an instance of virtue ethics, centred on the idea that the basis of morality is the development of good character traits which, in Aristotles system for example, include intelligence, wisdom (sila), and the ability to discern between good and bad. Peter Harvey contended that the Mahayana idea of skilful means (upaya) is similar to Christian situation ethics because it accepts ethical principles being overridden in certain situations in the name of wisdom and bodhichitta. Situation Ethics does not propose rules but rather suggests a guiding principle to decision making; Acting morally means acting in the most loving way in any situation. Unlike the approach of upaya in Mahayanan Buddhism, situation ethics do not ignore or reject traditional values but is bound by them. Both systems may allow for compassionate killing. There is a story in the suttas of how in one of his past lives the Buddha killed a robber to stop him from killing a number of bodhisattvas and thus prevented the robber from suffering in the hells for aeons. The difference though, is that in Buddhism only a very advanced bodhisattva is permitted to break with the traditional values, while situation ethics can be applied by anyone with a loving heart: This can thus be understood as in Buddhism, a Bodhisattva can act unethically and leave no imprint on the future, yet an unenlightened Buddhists actions will have a negative impact. Many religions emphasise the importance of the notion of good and bad actions, however in Buddhism, pre-determining actions to be good or bad would be a fruitless exercise Buddhists believe that reality of Dharma is beyond the concepts of good and bad; it contains both good and bad unseparated in a pre-conceptual state. Trying to remove half of reality, by definition, would be unachievable, thus trying to remove bad, would be unachievable, and pointless. More than that, the conscious effort to try to remove half of reality is also a kind of affirmation of the existence of just that part that you are proposing to remove. Buddhism does not say that there is no morality; it encourages the central importance of morals and ethical behavior in all areas of life. Although Buddhism believes in right action, it insists that right action is not the same as the Christian concept of right action; that moral action does not always match our conceived notions of morality. Buddhism believes that only this place and this moment are real and all else past and future are not real existence. It therefore follows that the only place where conduct can be right or wrong is here and now. So Buddhism emphasizes that right and wrong are concerned with the present moment, here and now. Acting morally means acting right at this very moment. Acting right at this moment is the only true morality. We can debate right and wrong as intangible concepts, but those abstractions are always detached from the real situation in front of us now, and so they are partial and can never be a complete guide to our action in the present; this notion would thus infer, in relation to the question I am researching, that past actions are not real existence, along with the future, therefore if the past is not real, how can it impact on tomorrow? It therefore follows that the only place where conduct can be right or wrong is here and now. So Buddhism emphasises that right and wrong are concerned with the present moment, here and now. Acting morally means acting right at this very moment. Acting right at this moment is the only true morality. It can be discussed right and wrong as abstract concepts, but those abstractions are always detached from the real situation in front of a Buddhist now, and so they are partial and can never be a complete guide to our action in the present. This therefore would conclude that if right and wrong actions are only connected with today, and not the past nor future No actions of yesterday impede on tomorrow. However this could be seen as a slight contradiction: Buddhism gives guidelines as to what good conduct is in the form of the Precepts these are not meant to be rigid and a broken rule will not result in committing sin, like the Christian Ten Commandments; However they are guidelines as to what right conduct is, but in actual situations conduct is decided by the state of the body/mind in the moment of acting, not by the precepts alone therefore if one is broken, Buddhism urges a buddhist to regain the balanced state and act in the present rather than be punished for past bad conduct, which has passed and can never be changed therefore if Buddhism states to live for today as the future and past are not real, yet the past bad conduct cant be changed therefore has left a mark in Buddhists life, how can past bad conduct even be conceived or considered to never be allowed to change if the past does not exist? To illustrate how a Buddhist might approach some of the ethical problems of today, you can look at the example of abortion. The early scriptures of Buddhism (The Pali Canon) are clear in seeing human life as starting with conception: when there is the union of the mother and father, and it is the mothers season, and the being to be reborn is present, through the union of these three things the conception of an embryo in a womb takes place. The word being, however, should not be thought of as a spirit or soul but consciousness being operated on by the force of (karma) that determines where the rebirth will be (according to previous deeds). When looking at such issue, we can see how it is an obvious moral problem as it has not been discussed at length in Buddhist literature; however there are references in the Pali canon that indicate the practice was regarded as wrong. Buddhist disapproval of abortion is related to the belief that in rebirth and teachings on embryology. It is widely held that conception marks the moment of rebirth, and that any intentional termination of pregnancy after that time constitutes a breach of the first of the Five Precepts (panca- sila), not to kill or injure living creatures, this could also be related the idea of euthanasia in Buddhism. This notion is an avowed view of most Buddhists however this position is not reflected in the abortion statistics in Buddhist countries: In more conservative countries such as South Asia, abortion is generally illegal, unless there is a threat to the mothers life, however illegal abortions are common with 300,000 per annum in Thailand, and in various east A sian countries abortions are even more numerous, such as one million per annum or greater is sometimes cited for countries such as Japan and South Korea. The fourth Noble Truth, the Noble Eightfold Path, sets out the main features of the Buddhist way of life addressing the nature of past behaviour affecting the future. The Buddha offered this path as the middle way, a way of life that does not fall into extreme views or extremes of behaviour but encourages balance and controlled moderation. Buddhist ethics are not based on the pursuit of sensual or other pleasures, and they also dont encourage extremes of deprivation, poverty or self-sacrifice. The various moral guidelines should be taken responsibly but with a light touch: Ethical conduct (sila) is built on the vast conception of universal love and compassion for all living beings, on which the Buddhas teaching is based (Walpola Rahula, What the Buddha Taught, London: Gordon Fraser, 1928). In relation to what is good or bad in Buddhism, the main principle is linked to intention and the determining factor is whether the act is out of selfish desire and craving, out of anger or hatred, or out of mindlessness and ignorance. Any actions that are motivated that way will result in caused suffering to us and to others. However, if the act is motivated by love and compassion they will bring well-being and happiness An action characterised by this moral quality (kusala-kamma) is bound to result (eventually) in happiness and a favourable outcome. Actions characterised by its opposite (akusala-kamma) lead to sorrow. This would thus infer that if actions result in happiness or sorrow , all actions of the past affect tomorrow. In Buddhism, ethical behaviour is ultimately dependent on the mind and not on the body. On the basis of the Buddhas advice, Buddhism has developed into many various types of ethical guidance that Buddhists do their best to follow. The ethical disciplines of Buddhism can be divided into the guidelines for lay people, and the guidelines for monastics. Within Theravada Buddhism, ethical action must always be motivated by ahimsa, the wish not to cause harm, and for Theravada monks, the main ethical guidelines are the 227 precepts of a monk. In Mahayana, ethical action must always be motivated by the bodhichitta, the wish to attain enlightenment for the benefit of others, in contrast to lay ethics where there is no need to attain enlightenment as there is no time to achieve such state. Ethical behaviour on the bodhisattva path consists of the six paramitas or transcendental actions. When one becomes a Buddhist one begins by taking the Three Refuges, refuge in the Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha. The main commitment is to refrain from harming others and to adopt the approach of non violence (ahimsa). Non violence is a prevalent principle of Buddhist ethics as stated in the Dhammapada 5: In this world hate never yet dispelled hate. Only love dispels hate (Dominique Side, Buddhism, Oxfordshire: Phillip Allan, 2005, p151). Lay people can also take one or several of the Five Precepts, which are five basic vows that strengthen the Buddhist way of life: I undertake to refrain from, 1) killing, 2) taking what is not freely given, 3) misusing sexuality, 4) harmful speech, and 5) taking intoxicants. As well as giving guidelines on what not to do, Buddhism encourages positive actions. In the Buddhas advice to a young man called Sigala, recorded in the Pali Canon, the Buddha explained the positive approach can be applied in daily life within the framework of the Six Relationships: 1) Take care of your family 2) Take care of your marriage 3) Keep good company 4) Develop good relationships between teachers and students 5) Develop good relationships between employers and employees, and 6) Develop a supportive and harmonious relationship with the monastic Sangha. The importance of love and compassion is also outlined in 118 of the Dhammapada, Set your heart on doing good. Do it over and over again and you will be filled with joy (ibid, p153). This statement could be interpreted as if you continuously do good the outcome tomorrow will leave you filled with joy, therefore suggesting the idea of free will in Buddhism. In the Noble Eightfold Path, ethical conduct includes three factors which overlap with the Five Precepts and Six Relationships: 1) Right Action, 2) Right Speech, and 3) Right Livelihood. Lay morality rests on the principle that lay people aim to minimise their bad actions and maximise their good so they have a better rebirth. Human actions (karma) in the Buddhist framework were to be determined based on both the intent or motive (chetanaa) and the consequences (vipaaka) of the action. In the Dharmaniyama (moral duty code), theories of causality in Buddhism were challenged in the view that human destiny was unaffected by the ethics or morality of human actions. It countered the doctrine of amoral causation (akriyavaada) whose supporters argued that there was no merit in doing good and no demerit for doing evil. In Buddhist teachings, individual karma is created by situations and moral predicaments, thus the outcome of a Buddhists future will be a result of yesterdays actions. Every action a Buddhist performs can leave an imprint and their karmic potential will allow for its own effect. Positive or virtuous actions give way to future happiness, and negative, non virtuous actions will result in future suffering. This connection between actions and their effects is known as the law of karma; this law is the foundations to Buddhist morality (sila). In the Buddhas teachings, Sila was spoken of vital importance as it allows for higher attainment of wisdom (panna) and concentration (Samadhi); this was mentioned in his Visuddhimagga: A wise man, after establishing well in virtue, develops consciousness and understanding (http://web.ukonline.co.uk/buddhism/panadpa8.htm). The law of karma is seen as a natural law just like physical laws like gravity. Karma is unlike morality in other religions as it is not operated by God or any other supreme being because Buddhism does not require supernatural intervention. The idea that karma works without any outside intervention means that the result of karma is not a reward, nor is it a punishment because they believe that this infers dependence upon a supreme power in judgement, whereas in Buddhism there is nobody to judge us, we determine our future by the way we act and the way we think, this idea is expressed clearly in the first verse of the Dhammapada, What we are today comes from our thoughts of yesterday, and our present thoughts build our life of tomorrow: our life is the creation of our mind. If a man speaks or acts with an impure mind, suffering follows him as the wheel of the cart follows the beast that draws the cart (Dominique Side, Buddhism, Oxfordshire: Phillip Allan, 2005, p130). This quote is an excellent example for evidence in supporting the question being asked in this essay, as it addresses the idea that not only our actions, but also our thoughts build our future and that impurities of the mind cause future suffering. A Common misinterpretation of karma is that it is a law of fate; however the idea of fate implies determinism, which would allow for no change or freedom, thus an idea seen in many theistic religions such as the notion that God determines life. This idea of determinism could be firstly viewed as a completely contrasting idea to that in Buddhism. Determinism is the philosophical proposition that everything is determined causally by an unbroken chain of prior events. However determinism has been expressed as the doctrine of Dependent origination in Buddhism and is an important factor in the evidence regarding my question. The doctrine of dependent origination is fundamental in connecting moral responsibility and causation, especially the ontological status of all matter. The doctrine teaches that all phenomena occur from dependence on causes and circumstances and lack intrinsic nature. The doctrine is expressed in its simplest form in phrase idam sati ayam bhavati, which means when this exists, that arises, which logically can be expressed as, when condition A arises, condition B arises, thus its reversal would be that when A doesnt exist, B wont. It is indicated in early sources that the Buddha became fully enlightened under the Bodhi tree when he fully realised the profound truth of Dependent Origination, thus that all matter is conditioned and arise and cease in a determinate chain of events. Therefore in relation to moral responsibility, it could be said that nothing happens out of its own volition, so there are no forces or metaphysical realties, such as a god or soul to act as a determiner, so it could be argued that moral responsibility is ones own, yet with a chain of causation, and no self, it could also be said one cannot be responsible if one doesnt exist. A way of classifying Buddhist ethics in Western terms is by relating it to soft determinism. Soft determinism is a midpoint between the hard determinism of philosophers such as Hobbes, Hume and John Stuart Mill, where the assertion of cause and effect is universal, therefore moral freedom is not possible; and libertarians who believe that uncaused, unconditional choices can be made and that free will exists, as Immanuel Kant stated free will was essential for morality, In morals, the proper and inestimable worth of an absolutely good will consists precisely in the freedom of the principle of action (Robert A Bowie, Ethical Studies, Nelson Thornes, 2001, p59). There is an important relationship between freedom and moral responsibility; it has been commonly held that we should be morally responsible for actions that we freely perform. If we can only blame or praise people for actions they freely and knowingly undertake, then it is vital that we have the freedom to act, morality depends on freedom. Immanuel Kant wrote ought implies can, therefore we cant blame someone for something they cannot do; If people are not free, the prospect of making moral decisions in denied, thus if an external influence causes human actions, people cannot be morally responsible. Hard determinists believe that we are not free and cannot be held morally responsible for our actions (Omar Khayyam R A Bowie, Ethical Studies, p91). This idea has some ethical similarity to the traditional Judeo-Christian idea of Predestination, it can be summarised as all our choices, decisions, intentions, other mental events, and all our actions are no more than effects of other equally necessitated events (Honedrich, ibid, p91). Hard determinism insists that all actions have a prior cause. However, this idea has a number of profound consequences; it puts doubt in our hopes for the future and how we consider the morality of others. If we praise a person for their good action, we are mistaken as it is not their action, it has been pre-determined. Additionally, if our actions are determined humans cannot deliberate rationally, we are, to an extent, illusive to the fact we cant decide for ourselves what we wish to do. Buddhism accepts the idea of determinism but rejects the idea of an agent and thus the idea that freedom is free will belonging to an agent. The Buddha said There is free action, there is retribution, but I see no agent that passes out from one set of momentary elements into another one, except the connection of those elements. Buddhism believes in neither absolute free will nor determinism, it preaches a middle doctrine, called pratitya-samutpada in Sanskrit, which is often translated as inter-dependent arising: When this exists, that exists; From the arising of this, that arises; When this does not exist, that does not exist; From the cessation of this, that ceases (Majjhima Nikaya, 1.262-64, D. Side, Buddhism, 2005, p97). It is part of the theory of karma. In Buddhism it is taught that the notion of complete freedom of choice is unwise, because it denies the reality of physical needs and circumstances. Similarly incorrect is the idea that we have no choice in life or that our lives are pre-determined. To deny freedom would be to undermine the efforts of Buddhists to make moral progress through our capacity to freely choose compassionate action. Pubbekatahetuvada, the belief that all happiness and suffering arise from previous actions, is considered an incorrect view according to Buddhist doctrines. Libertarianism however, rejects the idea of determinism. If we wish to retain the idea of moral responsibility and accept that a person can, when confronted with the choice between right and wrong, act as a free agent, one must accept the idea of libertarianism. Libertarians do not reject the idea of determinism completely, in general they agree that the inanimate world is mechanistic that all events are mechanically caused and therefore predictable and that all the mechanical chains of cause and effect may extend to the animate world. They deny the principle of universal causation applying to human action and that accordingly human behaviour is predictable. Libertarians distinguish between a persons formed character or personality and his or her moral self. David Hume described liberty in his An Enquiry Concerning Human Understanding: By liberty, then, we can only mean a power of acting or not acting, according to the determinations of the will; that is, if we choose to remain at rest, we may; if we choose to move, we also may (R A Bowie, Ethical Studies, 2001, p93). They believe we are not compelled to act morally by forces outside our moral consciousness. Moral actions are not chance or random events, but result from the values and character of the moral agent. An important argument for libertarianism is the human sense of decision making. While we have a sense of freedom, a sense of deliberating over our options, determinists maintain this is an illusion of freedom. Libertarianism does not explain human action, yet many would argue surely action needs a cause? Libertarianism attributes our moral judgement to an objective source, unmoved by environmental or upbringing, but this is questionable. Buddhists therefore do not agree with hard determinism in that Buddhists do not believe in an external cause, like libertarians, however they do not completely agree with the libertarian notion of complete free will. To resolve the debate on relating Buddhism to either Determinism or Libertarianism and thus create a type of determinism to which Buddhist causality can relate to, A.J. Ayer advocates a type of soft determinism which accepts that everything has a cause but which defines particular actions as free volitions. An action can be a free volition provided that 1) If you had had the volition not to do the action you would not have done it and 2) Nobody compelled you to do it. for Ayer we have responsibility for our volitional actions. In order to explain the difference between phenomena that are caused and free volitions, some soft determinists distinguish between the internal and external causes of an action, for example between its contingent and mental causes. It can be argued that while the external causes are determined, the psychological causes may not be; the Buddhist view is similar in that it states that physical objects and circumstances are always determined through causes and conditions. Physiological, physical and psychological causes are determined by mental decisions. Therefore a midway between the two contrasting theories is soft determinism and can most satisfactorily relate to Buddhist ethical principles. It would seem that we must choose between the belief in universal causation and, on the other hand, the belief in the existence of free will, it being accepted by both determinists and libertarians that these two beliefs are incompatible. The incongruity of the two however is rejected by soft determinists who say that human freedom and moral responsibility, is incomprehensible without determinism. Soft determinists state the assumption that determinism is inconsistent with free will is the result of considerable confusion about what is meant by free. It is true that freedom as incompatible with fatalism, the view that human beings are powerless to change the cause of events, but it is not conflicting with determinism. Therefore soft determinists have labelled the two ideas; when the cause of action is internal, therefore out of your own volition, you acted voluntarily and of your own free will; but when the cause is external, for example contrary to your wishes or desires, you acted involuntarily and under compulsion. According to the soft determinist, this distinction between internal and external causes explains why freedom and moral responsibility is not only compatible with determinism but actually requires it. Determinism is correct here in that for these actions to be uncaused would mean they would be completely unpredictable, impulsive and therefore irresponsible. Therefore when it is said a person acted freely it is not meant as his or her action was uncaused but rather they were not compelled to do it, that they were under no kind of external pressure, they themselves chose to act this way. We can relate the soft determinist notion of labelling the distinction between action and cause to Buddhist morality; in actual situations a Buddhists conduct is decided by the state of their body/mind in the moment of acting, not by the Precepts alone. They try honestly to follow the Precepts, but if they break one of the Precepts, Buddhism urges them to recover and regain the balanced state and act right in the present, rather than to forfeit for past bad conduct, which has passed and can never be changed as it does not exist anymore. Buddhism says that whether or not one can act morally or right in this moment does not depend on the concept or belief of what it right and what is wrong, but on the state of our body and mind at this present moment. The enlightenment (Bodhi) of the Buddha was both his liberation from suffering (dukka) and his insight into the nature of the universe; the Buddha was thus awakened to the truth of dependent origination. This is the idea that any phenomena only exists because of the existence of other phenomena in a complex web (Indras net) of cause and effect covering past, present and future. Everything is dependent on everything else: A human beings existence is dependent on the condition of everything else in the world (and universe) at that moment in time but equally the condition of everything in the world in that moment is dependent in an equally significant way on the character and condition of that human being. Indras Net is used in Buddhism as a metaphor for illustrating the concepts of emptiness of interconnectedness of all things. Everything in the universe is interconnected through this web of cause and effect thus all are interdependent. Therefore because all these things are transient (annicca) and conditioned it can be held that they do not exist, thus if they do not exist, can they be held morally responsible for their actions? The Heart Sutra disagrees with the idea of dependent origination and says that there is no such law as karma or cause and effect. This still however relates to the idea of emptiness (sunyata) as noted by Nagarjuna that dependent origination and emptiness are two sides of the same coin. For Nagarjuna, emptiness should not be interpreted ontologically, but rather in the way of the parable of the raft: The Buddhist teaching (especially shunyata), is like the raft one constructs for the crossing of a river. Once the river is crossed, the purpose of the raft has been served. Therefore the raft is not needed anymore. The same is true of emptiness: it should not be held on to; one who does hold on to it will have trouble functioning in life. Nagarjuna wrote extensively, and his teachings resulted in the formation of an Indian school called Madhyamika or the Middle Way School. Sunyata refers to the fact that no thing, including human existence, has ultimate substantiality, which in turn means that no thing is permanent and no thing is totally independent of everything else. In other words, everything in this world is interconnected and in constant flux. An appreciation of this idea of emptiness thus saves us from the suffering caused by our egos, our attachments, and our resistance to change and loss. Therefore all phenomena are dependent originations, which means that they dont exist, thus if they dont exist, they are empty which would thus mean that ethics itself is empty, thus it would be impossible to ever act ethically as there would not be such notion in existence. If everything is dependent causally, then it would seem impossible to act ethically: however a Buddhist would argue that the whole universe isnt dependent causally, there is only one determining factor, Karma. Thus one of the possible arguments against karmic determinism is that karma is only one influencing factor and the universe has a random aspect to it, which could account for a degree of freedom. Buddhist teachings explain how misleading states of mind keep you trapped in a recurring pattern of dissatisfaction by teaching about interdependent origination, the idea that things happen for a reason. Dependent Origination suggests that every event has a cause. For a Buddhist, life experiences, both good and bad, arent random, meaningless events, however, nor are they rewards, or punishments, as rewards and punishments require a controlling outside force sat in judgment such as a god, as there is no god in Buddhism blaming God or fate doesnt work, experiences come from a result of a series of causes and effects that begin in a buddhists mind. In teachings known as the Twelve links of dependent arising, Buddha described the mechanism that drives you from realm to realm within a cyclic existence and keeps you trapped in suffering and dissatisfaction in these links; Buddhas purpose for teaching these links, beginning with ignorance and ending with a corpse, was to make us aware of th e way our ignorantly motivated actions unavoidably lead to recurring suffering, this suffering motivates a Buddhist to seek a way out, thus nirvana. The Buddha taught that the way to achieve this freedom is by engaging in what he called the Three Trainings which form the foundations to which the entire structure of Buddhist practice rests. These three trainings were: Moral Discipline, the strength; Concentration, the sharp aim; And Wisdom, the tool. If a Buddhist practices the three trainings in combination with one another, the Buddha stated that cyclic existence would end and one would feel the inexpressible peace of liberation. With moral self-discipline as a base, concentration allowing for inherent focus, wisdom can break through ignorance and help you free yourself from the cycle of recurring misery. In relation to the asking if today is a result of yesterday, it would suggest it is, however a Buddhist can change tomorrows outcome by having moral self discipline, concentration and wisdom. If a Buddhist wants protection from suffering and from the danger of lower rebirth, they must try and not commit any more negative karma, however, this is also a problem in Buddhism as karma is generally negative, thus how can one create any more negativity if all karma is negative, thus everything really is Dukkha, therefore, in conclusion, it is apt to say that today is the result of yesterdays actions. However, a Buddhist can purify negative karma that has already been committed. There are ten principle non-virtuous actions that should be avoided; Three actions of the body, four of speech, and three of the mind. The three non virtuous bodily actions are killing, stealing and sexual misconduct; the four non virtuous verbal actions are lying, divisive speech, hurtful speech and idle chatter and the three non virtuous mental actions are covetousness, malice and holding wrong views. The best way for a buddhist to avoid negative actions is to practice consideration for others. All kind of non virtuous actions have three kinds of effects, the ripened effect, the effect similar to the cause and the environmental effect. The ripened effect of a negative effect is a rebirth in one of the three lower realms. A Buddhists previous actions will always have a definite outcome on tomorrow, however there are issues such as causality and free will which when taken into consideration make it hard to substantiate whether a Buddhist can be praised or blamed for such actions. The idea of Sunyata means that if everything in existence is empty, morality itself is empty which would mean acting ethically would be impossible, therefore actions are empty so the law of Karma is flawed, this is a contradiction in Buddhist philosophy as it would mean that there can be no actions of yesterday impacting upon the present, therefore I could reach a conclusion disagreeing with the statement Today is a result of yesterday, tomorrow is a result of today as it is impossible to be a result if there are no actions in existence allowing for a future; However, with many ideas in Buddhist philosophy contradicting each other it is hard to conclude on this question as there are too many conflictions between Karma being the universal law of cause and effect and dependent origination, as well as the idea that it is too simplistic a notion for today to be a result of yesterday as there are complicated ideas related to Buddhist ethics. Bibliography Damien Keown, Oxford Dictionary of Buddhism: Oxford University Press, 2003. Dominique Side, Buddhism, Oxfordshire: Phillip Allan, 2005. Geshe Kelshang Gyato, Introduction to Buddhism: Cumbria; Thorpe Publications, 1992. Michael Palmer, Moral Problems: The Lutterworth Press, 1991. Robert A Bowie, Ethical Studies: Nelson Thornes, 2001. Walpola Rahula, What the Buddha Taught: London: Gordon Fraser, 1926. www.buddhanet.co.uk www.wikipedia.org www.nibbana.com

Rights To Equal Pay Sociology Essay

Rights To Equal Pay Sociology Essay It used to be very common for employers to pay men more than women even when they do exactly the same job. Before the 1950s, most Canadians accepted that men should be paid more than women for doing the same work because men were supposed to be responsible for supporting their families and women were not. Men were the breadwinners and women were responsible for running the home. But times changed. After the Second World War, many countries agreed that it was very important to create an international agreement that people, regardless of what country they live in, should be protected from discrimination and should have the same basic human rights. The United Nations created the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in 1948, and Canada was one of the many countries that signed it. One of the rights in the Declaration was: Everyone, without any discrimination, has the right to equal pay for equal work. During the 1950s, the federal government and the provinces passed equal pay laws to create this right in Canada. The federal government passed An Act to Promote Equal Pay for Female Employees in 1956. This law also applied in the Northwest Territories. Most of these laws prohibited employers from paying women less than men for doing the same work, and most were part of employment or labour standards legislation. Because of the large number of AmRameshn women taking jobs in the war industries during World War II, the National War Labor Board urged employers in 1942 to voluntarily make adjustments which equalize wage or salary rates paid to females with the rates paid to males for comparable quality and quantity of work on the same or similar operations. Until the early 1960s, newspapers published separate job listings for men and women. Jobs were categorized according to sex, with the higher level jobs listed almost exclusively under Help Wanted-Male. In some cases the ads ran identical jobs under male and female listings-but with separate pay scales. Separate, of course, meant unequal: between 1950 and 1960, women with full time jobs earned on average between 59-64 cents for every dollar their male counterparts earned in the same job. It wasnt until the passage of the Equal Pay Act on June 10, 1963 (effective June 11, 1964) that it became illegal to pay women lower rates for the same job strictly on the basis of their sex. Demonstrable differences in seniority, merit, the quality or quantity of work, or other considerations might merit different pay, but gender could no longer be viewed as a drawback on ones resumà ©. Unfortunately, this right was not very helpful. It was very hard for women to use this right to make sure that they actually got paid as much as men for doing essentially the same work. Sometimes, the difference in pay was not in wages, but in benefits or bonuses, and employers could hide a difference in pay by calling it a benefit or a bonus. Sometimes, the work performed by a female employee was not completely the same as the work performed by a male employee. For example, often male jobs had different job titles than female jobs. Employers could argue that the difference in job title meant that the work was not the same. Or the male job might have slightly different duties. Any small difference in the work could allow an employer to pay men and women very differently. By the 1970s, people were talking about a different idea of equal pay. Women were still earning a lot less than men. More and more single mothers were trying to support their children on their own, and more and more women and mothers were living in poverty. In response to these problems, some people said that the problem was not so much that women and men were being paid differently for doing similar work, but that men and women do not do similar work at all. They work in entirely different occupations. For example, more women than men work in nursing, more men than women work as mechanics. They said that problem is that womens work is just not considered as valuable as mens work simply because it is done by women and that leads to low pay. Cases: Two landmark court cases served to strengthen and further define the Equal Pay Act: Schultz v. Wheaton Glass Co. (1970), U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit Ruled that jobs need to be substantially equal but not identical to fall under the protection of the Equal Pay Act. An employer cannot, for example, change the job titles of women workers in order to pay them less than men. Corning Glass Works v. Brennan (1974), U.S. Supreme Court Ruled that employers cannot justify paying women lower wages because that is what they traditionally received under the going market rate. A wage differential occurring simply because men would not work at the low rates paid women was unacceptable. The blatant discrimination apparent in these court cases seems archaic today, as does the practice of sex-segregated job listings. The workplace has changed radically in the decades since the passage of the Equal Pay Act. The right to equal pay for work of equal value is a response to this concern. It prevents employers from paying work done by men differently than work done by women, even when the work is dissimilar, if the work is of equal value to the employer. This right is much more complicated than the right to equal pay for the same or substantially similar work because it requires a way of figuring out when dissimilar jobs have the same value to the employer. Others, like Ontario and Quebec, have enacted special laws, called pay equity laws that require all employers to take positive steps to make sure that they pay male and female employees equally for work of equal value, even if no one makes a complaint. Still other jurisdictions, like Saskatchewan and Manitoba, have pay equity or equal laws or policies that apply only to public sector employers and employees. This reflects a belief that public sector employers are better able than private sector employers (especially small private sector employers) to take on the complicated task of figuring out what work in the organization is equal in value. But what has not changed radically, however, is womens pay. The wage gap has narrowed, but it is still significant. Women earned 59% of the wages men earned in 1963; in 2012 they earned 80.9% of mens wages-an improvement of about half a penny per dollar earned every year. Why is there still such a disparity? Articles supporting this clause: Article 39(d) in the Constitution of India 1949: 39.Certain principles of policy to be followed by the State: The State shall, in particular, direct its policy towards securing (a) that the citizens, men and women equally, have the right to an adequate means to livelihood; (b) that the ownership and control of the material resources of the community are so distributed as best to subserve the common good; (c) that the operation of the economic system does not result in the concentration of wealth and means of production to the common detriment; (d) that there is equal pay for equal work for both men and women; (e) that the health and strength of workers, men and women, and the tender age of children are not abused and that citizens are not forced by economic necessity to enter avocations unsuited to their age or strength; (f) that children are given opportunities and facilities to develop in a healthy manner and in conditions of freedom and dignity and that childhood and youth are protected against exploitation and against moral and material abandonment Article 15 in The Constitution Of India 1949: 15. Prohibition of discrimination on grounds of religion, race, caste, sex or place of birth (1) The State shall not discriminate against any citizen on grounds only of religion, race, caste, sex, place of birth or any of them (2) No citizen shall, on grounds only of religion, race, caste, sex, place of birth or any of them, be subject to any disability, liability, restriction or condition with regard to (a) access to shops, public restaurants, hotels and palaces of public entertainment; or (b) the use of wells, tanks, bathing ghats, roads and places of public resort maintained wholly or partly out of State funds or dedicated to the use of the general public (3) Nothing in this article shall prevent the State from making any special provision for women and children (4) Nothing in this article or in clause ( 2 ) of Article 29 shall prevent the State from making any special provision for the advancement of any socially and educationally backward classes of citizens or for the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes Issues: The issues regarding not equally paying men and women for equal work are- It is a human rights issue- If the work of a woman is valued less simply because she is a woman, her individual dignity is injured. It is an economic development issue- To promote equal treatment is equivalent to promote the nations productive potential. It is a human resources issue- Increasing salaries of undervalued workers can be more profitable as it increases morale and productivity, as well as reduces turnover and attracts talent. Concept of Equal Pay: 1. Equal pay for equal work This implies that men and women receive equal pay for the same or similar work. 2.Equal pay for work of equal value This implies that men and women receive equal pay for different jobs Discrimination based on sex: 1. Stereotypes and prejudices with regard to womens work; 2. Occupational segregation by gender; 3. Traditional undervaluing of womens job; 4. Traditional job evaluation methods designed on the basis of requirements of male-dominated jobs; 5.Weaker bargaining power on the part of female workers. When is unequal pay justified: Suppose there are two employees working for the same organization-Ramesh and Suresh. 1-If Ramesh had more experience or a higher educational degree than Suresh, their employer would not have to give them equal wages. Their jobs would not be considered substantially equal because they have different levels of education or experience. 2-Their employer could pay Suresh a higher wage if Ramesh works in Gomti Nagar, North Carolina and Suresh works in New York City. Employee must generally work in the same establishment for them to be considered to have substantially equal jobs. 3-If Ramesh supervises other employees but Suresh does not, their employer could pay Ramesh at a higher rate of pay. Ramesh has significantly more responsibility than Suresh does and therefore their jobs can not be considered substantially equal. 4-If Suresh must travel from job site to job site everyday, while Rameshs job allows her to work in the home office everyday, their jobs differ substantially and Suresh may receive a higher salary. Gender Pay Gap in Numbers: In most countries, womens wages for work of equal value represent on average between 70-90% of mens. In 2010, the OECD reported a gender wage gap in the medium full-time earnings of 17.6% across its members. In the EU, women earn on average 17.5% less than men during their lifetimes. In 2009 in the US, the womens to mens earnings ratio for 25-34 yr olds was 89% and for 45-54 yr olds was 74%. In case you thought the gender gap is restricted to the lower levels of workers, a survey done by the World Economic Forum (WEF) last year showed that there is a yawning gender gap in the corporate sector too. The average annual income of a woman is $1,185, less than a third of a mans $3,698 in corporate India. Articles Published Regarding Such Discrimination: Traditionally, women have not enjoyed equal access to basic human rights, protections, resources, and services. Unfortunately, gender inequality is still present in every society and remains as a huge barrier for the world. There are also two terms which explain different types of discrimination and give us courage to further push for womens rights. First, sexism is a form of discrimination and stereotyping that oppresses women. Second, patriarchy is a system where males are dominant. It is so common in many societies and also within families. Consequently, some violence against women is seen mostly in these types of communities and families. Recent acts of violence pertaining to womens rights are: violence within family, rape, sexual abuse, torture, etc. Some of the other issues commonly asked to be recognized as part of womens rights are: bodily integrity and autonomy, the right to vote (universal suffrage), hold public office, work, fair salary or equal pay, own property and to enter into legal contracts, education, serve in the military, to have marital, parental and religious rights. Efforts done and progress all over the world: In India, the Constitution recognized the principle of Equal Pay for Equal Work for both men and women, and Right to Work through Article 39(d) and 41. As far back as 1976 the Equal Remuneration Act came into effect and yet unequal pay dogs working women in India. From small businesses to large organisations to the unorganized sector, women are paid lesser wages than men for the same work. There have been major international efforts focused at eradicating these inequalities. The Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) is the main international human rights treaty for women adopted by the United Nations General Assembly in 1979. In The Convention CEDAW, it is often described as an international bill of rights for women. The detailed document defines what constitutes discrimination against women and sets up an agenda for international action to end such discrimination. In 2010, more than four decades after the US had enacted a law in 1963 to end wage discrimination on the basis of sex, President Barack Obama had to bring in yet another legislation to give women the right to seek remedy against wage discrimination since, in the US women earn only 77 cents per dollar earned by men. In 1963 women were paid 59 cents per every dollar earned by men. Obviously, the progress from 59 cents to 77 cents has been a slow crawl to say the least. Advantages of implementing such a clause: More effective use of skills. Positive impact on female workers. Better human resource management throughout the organization. Better working relationships among employees. Positive effects on the reputation and attractiveness of the business. Success Stories Due To This Clause: To prohibit discrimination on account of sex in the payment of wages by employers engaged in commerce or in the production of goods for commerce. [S. 1409] (Avalon Project, 2006) Prior to the Equal Pay Act, men and women were not treated fairly within regards to wages. It was not unheard of for a man to make twice the salary for doing the same job a woman was capable of doing. With the passing of the Equal Pay Act, women are now a driving force in some of the biggest and most successful companies in the world. Anne Mulcahy, the CEO of the Xerox Corporation, led her company to over $15 million in revenue for 2005 with a 13% profit increase since 2004. Xerox ranks number 4 in the list of Fortune 500 computer and office equipment companies, surpassing powerhouses such as Apple, Pitney Bowes, and Gateway, companies all with men at the helm. (Fortune 500, 2006) Without the enactment of the Equal Pay Act, Anne Mulcahy may never have gotten the chance to advance to her current position. Talent Tree, a staffing company based out of Houston, Texas, is run by a woman by the name of Brenda Harris. Brenda began as CEO of Talent Tree in 2004 after working for the company for 21 years, beginning as a Staffing Manager. Since Brenda has been at the helm of Talent Tree, the company has seen its first profit in several years and was able to afford a company paid trip to Mexico to reward the branches of Talent Tree who contributed to the success of the company in 2005. Brenda has brought back a sense of family and teamwork to Talent Tree with strong but fair leadership, and because of her, the company is on the road to a success it has not seen in some time. (Talent Tree Names New President, 2004) Brenda has also made Talent Tree an excellent company to work for where diversity is strong and women are treated as equal to men, with compensation decided based on skill and experience, not based on gender, race, or any other minority factor. Although the Equal Pay Act of 1963 has allowed women such as Brenda Harris and Anne Mulcahy to become successful in what has been known as a mans world, there is still discrimination against women and many other minorities when it comes to wages. The Equal Pay Act has, in recent years, been the influence for other similar laws such as The Fair Pay Act (S. 840) and the Paycheck Fairness Act (S. 841) to help combat this discrimination. The Paycheck Fairness Act holds penalties for violations of compensation laws. Unfortunately, some employers do not take these laws seriously as the penalties are not that severe. Changing the penalties to have a more detrimental affect on employers who violate compensation laws will hopefully help to decrease the violations. (Federal Legislation, n.d.). Conclusion: Laws are meant to protect society from unjust and unfair behavior, and the passing of such clauses as Equal Pay for Equal Work for Both Men and Women has done an outstanding job of protecting women and other minorities from being treated unfairly in the workplace with regard to wages and other compensation. Women are just as capable as men of making successful contributions to companies and therefore have every right to receive equal compensation. This law ensures that compensation is fair and equal to everyone. Although there have been a number of violations over the years, the violations are few and far between and will only decrease as more and more companies are realizing that it takes talent and skill, not gender, to be a success. POWER TO WOMEN, POWER TO ALL OF US!