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Employment Law Handouts
EL #1: "Discrimination Is..."
Discrimination is...being treated differently
"Everyone with brown eyes, go to the back of the line."
"If you make a high score on the test, you can skip the next assignment."
Discrimination is...sometimes reasonable
"You must be 16 to get a driver's license."
"Car insurance is more expensive for young drivers."
Discrimination is...sometimes illegal
"We don't hire Blacks here."
"I told you when you took this job, if you get pregnant, you're history."
EL #2: "What Are Your Rights?"
ROLE PLAY #1
Situation: A young mother is interviewing for a job as a cashier at a fast-food restaurant.
Young Mother: "I really need this job."
Interviewer: "Tell me, what is your situation at home? Do you have any young children?"
Young Mother: "Yes. I have a three year old and a baby."
Interviewer: "I'm sorry. We won't be able to hire you for this position. We try to find people who don't have young children. Employees with children take too much time off from work."
Young Mother: (What would YOU say?)
In your opinion, is this fair? Why or why not?
EL #3: "What Are Your Rights?"
ROLE PLAY #2
Situation: A young woman applying for a job as a mechanic.
Interviewer: "What are your qualifications for this job?"
Young Woman: "I know a lot about fixing cars. My brothers always let me help them, and I took auto mechanics in school."
Interviewer: "I don't think you would like this job very much. It's a man's job."
Young Woman: (What would YOU say?)
In your opinion, is this fair? Why or why not?
EL #4: "What Are Your Rights?"
ROLE PLAY #3
Situation: A retired man is interviewing for a job as a sales person in a clothing store.
Retired Man: "I'm looking for a way to make some extra money."
Interviewer: "Have you had any experience selling men's clothing?"
Retired Man: "Yes. When I was in college I worked in a shoe store."
Interviewer: "I'm sorry. We would really like to find someone younger, someone who looks sharp and will have a better idea of what our customers want."
Retired Man: (What would YOU say?)
In your opinion, is this fair? Why or why not?
EL #5: "What Are Your Rights?"
ROLE PLAY #4
Situation: A young white woman is applying for a job as a reporter for a newspaper that serves mostly African Americans.
Interviewer: "Do you have any experience interacting with African Americans?"
Young Woman: "Yes. I've lived in the city for a number of years, and many of my neighbors are African Americans."
Interviewer: "Our newspaper is read mainly by African Americans, and most of our stories are about African Americans. I just don't think you would be able to write stories that our readers would want to read."
Young Woman: (What would YOU say?)
In your opinion, is this fair? Why or why not?
EL #6: "What Are Your Rights?"
ROLE PLAY #5
Situation: A young man with an artificial leg is applying for a job with the telephone company.
Interviewer: "What are your qualifications?"
Young Man: "I'm a hard worker, I'm never late for work, and I really enjoy working outside."
Interviewer: "Do you understand that this job will require that you climb telephone poles?"
Young Man: "Yes. But I thought maybe I could be excused from that part of the job."
Interviewer: "I'm really sorry, but I don't think we can hire you for this position."
Young Man: (What would YOU say?)
In your opinion, is this fair? Why or why not?
EL # 7: "Qustions an Employer Shouldn't Ask in a Job Interview"
QUESTIONS ABOUT YOUR AGE:
"How old are you?"
"When were you born?"
"When did you graduate from high school?"
QUESTIONS ABOUT YOUR MARITAL STATUS OR FAMILY CIRCUMSTANCES:
"Are you married?"
"Do you have any children?"
"Are you pregnant?"
"Do you plan to have more children?"
"Who takes care of your children while you work?"
QUESTIONS ABOUT YOUR NATIONAL ORIGIN:
"Where were you born?"
"Where were your parents born?"
"What language does your family speak at home?"
QUESTIONS ABOUT YOUR RACE OR COLOR:
"What is your skin color?"
"What is your hair color?"
"What is your eye color?"
"Will you give us a photograph of yourself?"
QUESTIONS ABOUT YOUR PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS:
"How tall are you?"
"How much do you weigh?"
QUESTIONS ABOUT YOUR RELIGION:
"What church/temple/synagogue do you attend?"
"What religious holidays do you celebrate?"
QUESTIONS ABOUT YOUR SEX OR SEXUAL PREFERENCE:
"Are you a male or a female?"
"Are you a homosexual?"
QUESTIONS ABOUT YOUR DISABILITIES (unless you have a disability that would affect your performance on the job you are applying for):
"Do you have any disabilities?"
You CAN be asked about whether or not your disability will affect your ability to perform the job, and what kinds of special arrangements will be needed on the job. However, you cannot be denied a job for these reasons.
QUESTIONS ABOUT YOUR ARREST RECORD:
"Have you ever been arrested?"
"Have you ever been charged with a crime?"
You CAN be asked if you have ever been convicted of a crime.
EL #8: "Losing a Job"
An employer CANNOT fire you because of your age, sex, marital status, family circumstances, race, national origin, physical characteristics, religion, disabilities, or arrest record.
You CAN be fired for the following reasons:
Insubordination
Violating company rules
Lying about your work
Being absent or late too often
Incompetence
Negligence on the job
Sleeping on the job
Violating safety rules
Harassing co-workers
Stealing company property
Damaging company property
Fighting on the job
Gambling on the job
Drinking on the job
Using or possessing drugs on the job
Being convicted of a crime
Because your job is no longer needed
Because business hasn't been as good as expected
Because you are physically or mentally unable to perform your job
Community Resource Lesson
1. Introduce yourself to the students, and explain your role as it relates to employment and/or employment rights.
2. Tell students that you will be talking with them about things they can do if they think their employment rights have been violated.
3. Close the lesson by emphasizing the importance of individual actions and responsibility in making sure one's legal rights are respected.
Family Involvement Activities
Possible activities for family involvement include the following:
1. Even very young children can understand the concept of responsibility. Children as young as two years of age can be given simple responsibilities like picking up their toys and putting them away and carrying their dishes from the eating area to the kitchen. With other family members and children participating in the process, parents can assign specific responsibilities to each member of the family, including the young children. Have each child decorate his or her own chart of responsibilities. A sample blank chart is provided.
2. Children need to learn early that work is an important part of life. Parents can pick several different jobs or careers that may be of interest to their children, such as police officer, fire fighter, and doctor, and visit the public library to check out some children's books illustrating these careers. These books can be shared with their young children.
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