We all are programmed to accept the old adage that it is easier to get a job when you have a job. … But, should that hold as a proverb/truism in today’s tough economic market? Is it logical or resolute that an employed person will prove to be a better worker to an organization … or, is it discrimination?
… Well, Representatives Rosa DeLauro of Connecticut and Hank Johnson of Georgia introduced the Fair Employment Opportunity Act of 2011 in the U.S. House of Representatives yesterday. They outlined in their bill that, not only is this thought seemingly outdated, it discriminates against the unemployed, those who are affected not because of any fault of their own, but, because of the tough economic environment effecting the U.S. job market.
The Fair Employment Opportunity Act sets forth that it should be unlawful for employers and employment agencies to “refuse to consider for employment or refuse to offer employment to an individual because of the individual’s status as unemployed.” Read here the latest briefing paper from the National Employment Law Project (NELP).
Specifically, NELP states the following in support of the bill:
“This perverse catch-22 is deepening our unemployment crisis by arbitrarily foreclosing job opportunities to many who are otherwise qualified for them. It dilutes the storehouse of talent in
America, by casting aside an untold number of skilled and dedicated workers who have the
misfortune of being unemployed in the worst downturn since the Great Depression. And it adds to the crisis that unemployed workers, their families and their communities face, as we try to crawl out of this deep recessionary hole”.
... We have always said here that you are unemployed and not stupid. ... So, follow the bill, ... get out there and Go Get Your Job!
