Article Analysis Essay on Equity Culture and Decent Work: The Case of Amazon

Introduction

The article Equity Culture and Decent Work: The Case of Amazon (2017) by Marcy Murninghan, is an evaluation of the resolution agreed upon by the Amazon stakeholders about the application of criminal history checks for employees. The criminal background examination has a significant effect upon the African Americans, especially today when jobs of entry-level nature are increasingly disappearing. The article presents the pros and cons of equity culture in employment after the analysis of the U.S economy and the push for reforming criminal justice regarding prison policies and sentencing.

Is your time best spent reading someone else’s essay? Get a 100% original essay FROM A CERTIFIED WRITER!

Save 25%

There are various issues presented by the article regarding EEO laws. The first concern is with regards to economic inequality in the working environment leading to increased erosion of the middle class. In particular, the emphasis on economic inequality is based on the pay gap between genders. There have been resolutions passed successfully regarding gender and pay. However, those resolutions which consider whether the pay levels between genders are sufficient are still under contention. The next issue presented in the article is the use of criminal background checks during employment and among other crucial hiring decisions in the company. That prompted Amazon stakeholders to request the Board of Directors to prepare a report into the issue with regards to the person hired. The purpose of the report is to facilitate the evaluation of the threats of racial discrimination which is as a result of using criminal history checks when employing and hiring Amazon's personnel.

I believe the overreliance of conviction and arrest history of an individual is not worthy when undertaking hiring and employment decisions. Instead, this use of criminal history approach violates Equal Employment Opportunity guidelines and the Civil Rights Act of 1964. That is because people from diverse race are discriminated as their criminal records are more considered over natives. For example, black American has been highly associated with criminal activities. When considering criminal history checks, equity culture is with regards to racial discrimination that works to grant people positions unethically when they do not deserve it. Hence, Amazon's management board should desist practising criminal record checks when offering employment opportunities.

Moreover, there should be gender pay equity in the working environment as it facilitates the promotion of equity culture. The culture of equity in the working environment is not only centred on justice and fairness but access to equal opportunities regardless of a person's gender. Amazon should uphold gender pay equity among its employees as this works to bring forth a working environment which is more inclusive while shunning discrimination. Every personnel will then feel valued, and that works to improve the various departments in the company.

The student's article does well to address the problem of disparity in wages among men and women in the working environment. The student brings to the fore a particular environment, that is, the healthcare system where inequitable wage between men and women is evident. I agree the gender pay gap has been a problem around the world despite the presence of policies such as the Equal Pay Act being in operation. To explain the severity of unequal pay between men and women, the student has presented a useful statistic that 20% of women are being discriminated against their male counterparts. Moreover, the student does wee to base her facts from the first-hand experience when growing up in Hawaii, where gender pay inequality was most evident.

Reference

Murninghan, M. (2017). Equity Culture and Decent Work: The Case of Amazon (2017). New England Journal Of Public Policy, 30(11). :https://scholarworks.umb.edu/nejpp/vol30/iss1/11