The United States Federal Government is the largest employer in the country. Federal employees not only provide services to the citizens of the United States, but also interact and engage with personnel from across the world. The federal government has found itself in a unique position; diversity is essential to its success across the globe and also in serving its citizens.
The federal government should set the standard of diversity for U.S. companies and businesses to follow; its successes and failures in the diversity arena are extremely visible giving it the opportunity to lead by example and its citizens reaping the benefits. A diverse workforce in the federal government has not always been considered a priority for leadership in regards to hiring and retention of federal employees however, in over the years the federal government has made gains in diversifying its workforce, even surpassing the private sector in most minority groups (Lynch, 2000).
The benefits of a diverse workforce are not always recognized. Our government enforces laws in order to allow more citizens an opportunity to work and succeed. For example, Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, prohibiting employment discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex and national origin, was a federal law put in place for all U.S. businesses to adhere to. A quick online search on the definition of diversity will result in an abundance of results. The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) defines diversity as that which “Encompasses all that makes us unique, including the diversity of thought and perspective that accompanies our identity.” (OPM, 2011). Similarly, Thomas (1990) says diversity management “does not mean controlling or containing diversity, it means enabling every member of your work force to perform to his or her potential. It means getting from employees, first, everything we have a right to expect, and, second – if we do it well – everything they have to give.” The key here for diversity management programs to be enveloped by all federal employees from top to bottom. Most recently, in June of 2015, the U.S. …show more content…
federal government ruled on the legality of same-sex marriage – and mandated that states must issue marriage certificates to same-sex couples wishing to be married. The passing of this law now allows equal rights to all married couples. Married, same-sex couples will receive the same spousal and family benefits of married, heterosexual couples (medical insurance, Family Medical Leave Act, death benefits, etc.).
Leaning forward, however, the federal government had already made these benefits available to federal employees, regardless of their current state of residence, as long as they were legally married in a state recognizing same-sex marriage. This is one example of how the federal government led the way for promoting diversity - through equal treatment of all its employees. Although the size of the federal workforce was decreasing during his time in office, President Clinton and his administration made efforts to diversify the federal workforce. President Clinton and his administration knew that significant changes in the diversity of the federal workforce will take years to happen, especially in the senior, leadership positions. This is due, in part, to the fact that most federal employees maintain employment within the same federal agency for most of their career and most federal agencies tend to hire from within their ranks. This gives opportunities for employees to gain experience and education to rise through the ranks – and places extremely knowledgeable leaders in the right places. However, that also means that the changes in diversity in these organizations will take place as senior members retire and other new employees take their place (Lynch, 2000). Through this process it could, potentially take decades before a minority were to make it into a senior position. In annual reports by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) from 1993 and 1998 show a change in the diversity climate in federal agencies. The number of women and minorities employed by federal agencies increased by more than a percent. The EEOC noted that the federal government agencies also employed a higher percentage of women and minorities than the private sector. Of the 27 federal agencies that responded, all but two made gains in the percentage of
The federal government should set the standard of diversity for U.S. companies and businesses to follow; its successes and failures in the diversity arena are extremely visible giving it the opportunity to lead by example and its citizens reaping the benefits. A diverse workforce in the federal government has not always been considered a priority for leadership in regards to hiring and retention of federal employees however, in over the years the federal government has made gains in diversifying its workforce, even surpassing the private sector in most minority groups (Lynch, 2000).
The benefits of a diverse workforce are not always recognized. Our government enforces laws in order to allow more citizens an opportunity to work and succeed. For example, Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, prohibiting employment discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex and national origin, was a federal law put in place for all U.S. businesses to adhere to. A quick online search on the definition of diversity will result in an abundance of results. The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) defines diversity as that which “Encompasses all that makes us unique, including the diversity of thought and perspective that accompanies our identity.” (OPM, 2011). Similarly, Thomas (1990) says diversity management “does not mean controlling or containing diversity, it means enabling every member of your work force to perform to his or her potential. It means getting from employees, first, everything we have a right to expect, and, second – if we do it well – everything they have to give.” The key here for diversity management programs to be enveloped by all federal employees from top to bottom. Most recently, in June of 2015, the U.S. …show more content…
federal government ruled on the legality of same-sex marriage – and mandated that states must issue marriage certificates to same-sex couples wishing to be married. The passing of this law now allows equal rights to all married couples. Married, same-sex couples will receive the same spousal and family benefits of married, heterosexual couples (medical insurance, Family Medical Leave Act, death benefits, etc.).
Leaning forward, however, the federal government had already made these benefits available to federal employees, regardless of their current state of residence, as long as they were legally married in a state recognizing same-sex marriage. This is one example of how the federal government led the way for promoting diversity - through equal treatment of all its employees. Although the size of the federal workforce was decreasing during his time in office, President Clinton and his administration made efforts to diversify the federal workforce. President Clinton and his administration knew that significant changes in the diversity of the federal workforce will take years to happen, especially in the senior, leadership positions. This is due, in part, to the fact that most federal employees maintain employment within the same federal agency for most of their career and most federal agencies tend to hire from within their ranks. This gives opportunities for employees to gain experience and education to rise through the ranks – and places extremely knowledgeable leaders in the right places. However, that also means that the changes in diversity in these organizations will take place as senior members retire and other new employees take their place (Lynch, 2000). Through this process it could, potentially take decades before a minority were to make it into a senior position. In annual reports by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) from 1993 and 1998 show a change in the diversity climate in federal agencies. The number of women and minorities employed by federal agencies increased by more than a percent. The EEOC noted that the federal government agencies also employed a higher percentage of women and minorities than the private sector. Of the 27 federal agencies that responded, all but two made gains in the percentage of