Lynn Kappelman Quoted in Human Resource Executive Online
“The Fairness Factor”

Lynn Kappelman was quoted in the December 17, 2009 Human Resource Executive Online article, “The Fairness Factor.” The article discussed how a recent survey indicates that African Americans are less likely than other groups to perceive their workplaces as fair. Meanwhile, race-based discrimination charges filed with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) are at a 10-year high.

According to the article, a recent analysis of employee survey data showed a gap in perceptions of workplace fairness, development opportunities and advancement opportunities between African-American employees and their colleagues of other racial and ethnic backgrounds. Government data also indicate that discrimination in the workplace, whether it's real or perceived, is not going away. Charges of race-based discrimination filed with the EEOC have actually risen during the past 10 years, from 1997, when 29,199 such charges were filed, to 2008, when 33,937 charges were filed.

Lynn commented that the growing number of charges may reflect a more aggressive stance by the EEOC rather than an actual rise in workplace discrimination. She noted that “the EEOC's eRACE (Eradicating Racism And Colorism from Employment) initiative is aggressively seeking out systemic discrimination arising from things like background checks and credit checks made during the hiring process.” She added that because such screening may have a disparate impact on minorities, the EEOC and its state counterparts have been putting them under greater scrutiny and have been encouraging jobseekers who feel they were adversely impacted to come forward.