HR Legal Compliance
You are the assistant to the Human Resource (HR) Director of Raging Raves, a large company that has recently acquired Events R Us, a small business. Events R Us does not have a human resource management (HRM) policy manual, and to avoid legal actions and formal complaints, it is crucial that all managers understand at a minimum: workplace fairness, termination protocols, compliance with Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) regulations.
A mandatory training session has been scheduled for all managers.
The HR manager has asked you to prepare an 8–10-slide presentation for the meeting. They want to make sure that the following 8 topics are covered during the meeting:
- What are the 12 categories of discrimination recognized by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC)?
- What role might disparate treatment and disparate impact play in an EEOC complaint?
- What are some legitimate and defensible reasons for employee termination?
- What evidence might be needed in an HR investigation?
- What actions constitute good faith efforts to comply with applicable laws and regulations?
Your slide notes should include 200–250 words per slide.
You may use this presentation template to complete this assignment: U4 IP Template.
xact Questions (5 Required)
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What are the 12 categories of discrimination recognized by the EEOC?,
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What role might disparate treatment play in an EEOC complaint?,
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What role might disparate impact play in an EEOC complaint?,
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What are some legitimate and defensible reasons for employee termination?,
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What evidence might be needed in an HR investigation?
✅ Comprehensive General Response
To ensure strong HR governance during the integration of Events R Us into Raging Raves, it is essential that all managers understand foundational employment laws and protections that prevent legal disputes and uphold organizational fairness. The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) defines 12 protected categories where discrimination is strictly prohibited: race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity), national origin, age (40+), disability, genetic information, marital status, veteran status, retaliation for protected activity, and citizenship/immigration status (when legally eligible to work). Educating managers on these protections helps prevent unintentional discrimination in hiring, promotion, and termination practices.
Disparate treatment refers to intentional discrimination toward an individual or group based on a protected category. For example, disciplining one employee more harshly than another because of race would trigger an EEOC violation. In contrast, disparate impact occurs when a seemingly neutral policy unintentionally disadvantages a protected group—such as a physical strength test that excludes qualified female applicants unless job-related and validated. Both forms of discrimination can result in EEOC complaints, financial penalties, and reputational harm.
When termination becomes necessary, HR must rely on legitimate and defensible reasons, such as consistent poor job performance, violation of documented policies, workplace misconduct, job elimination due to restructuring, and failure to meet essential job requirements. These decisions must follow fair procedures and be aligned with established policies to reduce legal vulnerability.
A proper HR investigation requires thorough documentation: employee files, policy copies, written complaints, interview notes, email correspondence, security footage, witness statements, and performance evaluations. Evidence must be objective, confidential, and uniformly collected to demonstrate fairness and compliance.
Finally, good faith efforts to comply with employment laws include providing anti-discrimination and harassment training, enforcing policies consistently, keeping accurate records, making reasonable accommodations under disability laws, and taking immediate action when complaints arise. These efforts not only help defend against claims of wrongdoing but also foster a positive culture built on trust, equity, and legal compliance.