English for Academic Purposes

Topic: Compare and contrast ways in which both men and women can be discriminated against in the workplace.
Thesis: Although both men and women encounter discrimination in the workplace such as maternity or paternity discrimination, women, however; are constantly plagued by the never moving glass ceiling where as men get selected for harder, dirtier and more dangerous jobs than their female counterparts.
|Topic |Sentence |
|Both men and women encounter discrimination in the workplace |Both men and women encounter discrimination in the workplace such|
| |as maternity or paternity discrimination. |
|Women however are constantly plagued by the never moving glass |While both men and women face some form of discrimination women |
|ceiling |however are constantly plagued by the never moving glass ceiling |
| |unlike their male counterparts whom are swiftly selected in place|
| |of the female. |
|Men get selected for harder, dirtier and more dangerous jobs |Men in contrast to women get selected for harder, dirtier and |
| |more dangerous jobs. |

According to Dictionary .Com, “Discrimination is treatment or consideration of, or making a distinction in favour of or against, a person or thing based on the group, class, or category to which they belong rather than on individual merit.” Discrimination at the workplace is adverse work treatment of an employee or prospective employee based on a class or category of which the employee is a member. Despite protective antidiscrimination laws making gender discrimination illegal; management practices at small, medium sized and even large corporations often still encourage gender discrimination.

The Trinidad and Tobago Equal Employment Opportunity Commission prohibits gender discrimination in hiring and firing practices. An example of discrimination in hiring practices would be if an employer interviewed both a male and a female with equal qualifications, but chose to hire or promote the male because certain clients are more comfortable working with a male. For the most part gender discrimination is widespread. Although both men and women encounter discrimination in the workplace such as maternity or paternity discrimination women; however, are plagued with the unmovable glass ceiling while men are often selected for harder dirtier and more dangerous jobs.

Both men and women encounter discrimination in the workplace such as maternity or paternity discrimination. In most cases women pay a gender penalty as actual or potential mothers. Many employers wrongly fear the cost and hassle motherhood may entail. Qualified women may be passed over for promotions because they can become pregnant. Jobs are offered to less qualified male applicants because paternity leave is shorter than maternity leave. For all that men are discriminated against when it comes to paternity leave since they are sometimes given three days in contrast to women who receive three months leave according to the Maternity Act. The limited days that are given to men are a form of discrimination. For example in some cases men that are on paternity leave wives’ give birth through caesarean section and they have to assist at home during this period of confinement.

While both men and women face some form of discrimination women, however; are constantly plagued by the never moving glass ceiling; unlike their male counterparts whom are swiftly selected in place of the female. This situation occurs in cases where women are routinely passed over when it comes to promotion. The higher the post the less likely a woman, even one as qualified as their male colleague is to get it. Women who manage to break through this so called “glass ceiling” into decision making positions remain the exception to the rule as even in female dominated sectors where there are more women managers a disproportionate number of men rise to the more senior positions.

The main reason gender discrimination in the workplace continues is because protective anti-discriminatory laws are not adhered to by small medium sized and even large corporations. Consequently both men and women encounter discrimination in the workplace such as maternity or paternity discrimination, women however are constantly plagued by the never moving glass ceiling where as men get selected for harder, dirtier and more dangerous jobs than their female counterparts.

Resources:

Corporations-Sued-For-Gender-Discrimination-Against-Women-And-Men.htm

Retrieved from http://womeninbusiness.about.com/od/sexual-discrimination/a/

Date retrieved 15th November 2012

Corporations Sued for Gender Discrimination Against Women and Men
Retrieve from http://womeninbusiness.about.com/od/sexual-discrimination/a
Date retrieved 14th November 2012

Types of Workplace Discrimination Against Women
Retrieved from eHow.com http://www.ehow.com/list_7493923
Date retrieved 15th November 2012