An organization with a multicultural perspective seeks to encourage equality no matter the race, gender, sexual orientation, religion, or disability of its workforce. It aims to understand the inequity of power and privilege and put policies in place to encourage a workforce representative of diverse backgrounds and to offer equal opportunity in an inclusive environment.

You are the HR director for ABC Inc, a retail-based company that specializes in sportswear. Your boss has requested your help in presenting a report to the board of directors that speaks to the regulatory and legal considerations that will address a multicultural workforce. This report is an effort to bring awareness to the need for diversity and inclusion, focusing on what the HR department can do to foster a more inclusive workplace that is compliant with the law.

Your report will include a general overview of HRM and the multicultural workplace. You will also focus on specific situations that the organization has encountered.

In your report, respond to the following:

What role does HRM play in encouraging an inclusive workplace?

What is an HRM strategy that can be implemented to manage a multicultural workforce?

Discuss the role of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) in promoting a workplace that is free of discrimination.

• As a part of the report, you will discuss the legality of specific situations that the organization has experienced. In your response, be sure to include a detailed explanation and include the laws that support your answers. You can use the following Web site as a resource:
• U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission
• The following are specific situations that the organization has encountered:

Paul is an administrative assistant who uses a wheelchair. As a result of his disability, he requires a handicap ramp to enter the office and a desk that accommodates his wheelchair. Does the company have to accommodate this request? Can the company choose to terminate him to circumvent the additional expense and resources that the accommodation would require?

The operations department has an open position for an operations manager. Linda has applied to the position but is unsure if she must reveal her genetic predisposition to cancer. The organization is requesting that medical history is disclosed as a part of the application process to keep health insurance costs down. Can the organization require her to submit her genetic information? Why or why not?

Joanna, who is 5 months pregnant, can no longer lift boxes over 25 lbs due to her pregnancy. Can the organization fire Joanna because she cannot fulfill the position she was originally hired for? Explain your response.

• Pedro and Amanda are both customer service representatives who have worked together for several months. They both have 5 years of relevant work experience and have been with the company for 3 years as full-time employees. Pedro recently found out that he is being compensated at a lower hourly rate than Amanda. He filed a complaint with the EEOC when management did not take any action to resolve his concerns. Consequently, the company has been notified of the complaint. Can the organization terminate him because he filed the complaint?

Stephanie works as a forklift operator in the shipping and receiving department and speaks English. Amanda and Jose work with Stephanie. Both Amanda and Jose speak English and Spanish. They often speak in Spanish when working together. Stephanie has voiced concerns to her manager because she feels that there are instances where she cannot safely conduct her tasks because Jose or Amanda are speaking in Spanish, and she cannot understand what they are saying. Is it legal for the organization to implement an English only rule in this instance?

Amira is a practicing Muslim and wears a hijab as a part of her religious practice. Her manager has repeatedly asked her not to wear the hijab because it makes the customers and her fellow employees uncomfortable. Can the organization take disciplinary action based on Amira’s failure to adhere to her manager’s request?

Conclusion

1. Recommend a strategy that the leadership can implement to comply with the law and encourage a more diverse and inclusive workforce.