Bona Fide Occupational Qualification (BFOQ)
Bona Fide Occupational Qualification refers to a set of qualification that employers are permitted to put into consideration when making employee hiring and retention decision (Dreher & Dougherty, 2007). BFOQ is an important element in human resources management and therefore this concept is very relevant to this course. BFQF gives employers an opportunity to define employment qualifications that are suitable and necessary in order to meet the goals and objectives of the organization. BFOQ also enable employee to identify qualifications that will suit the organization’s essential activities and job duties. It is therefore important for organizations to appropriately incorporate well defined BFOQ in order to avoid problem associated with an ineffective work force.
BFOQ may be linked to disparate treatment within an organization. Since this concept allow organizations to set qualifications that suit the organizations duties, goal and objectives, it may become a source of gender, racial, nationality and age discrimination in an organizations (Shorter, Mclaughlin & O’Day, 2007). As a result of provision allowed by BFOQ, an organization may set qualifications that discriminate against one or more of these groups.
For example, in a health care setting a hospital administration may recognize that female patients prefer women gynecologist and this may lead to job discrimination when it comes to employment gynecologist in that institution. BFOQ contradicts and go against the goal of ADA (1990). ADA (1990) is an acronym for American with Disability Act of 1990 which focused on eliminating discrimination against persons with disabilities (Dreher & Dougherty, 2007). While ADA (1990) tries to eliminate discrimination against people with disabilities, BFOQ provides a basis that could see organizations discriminate against the disabled when it comes to offering employment opportunities.
References
Dreher G. F. and Dougherty T. W. (2007). Human Resource Strategy: A behavioral perspective for the general manager. USA. Mcgraw Hill Higher Education
Shorter T. Mclaughlin C. & O’Day T. (2007). Can Employers Use Gender in Hiring Decisions: The Discrimination Bona Fide Occupational Qualification Applied to Health Care. Employee Relations Law Journal. 33 (2)
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