Roundup: AI and employment decisions; Bias and discrimination; Pay equity laws; Employee handbooks; Disability accommodation
Salary.com Compensation and Pay Equity Law Review
Our editor, Heather Bussing, was at the SHRM national conference in Chicago last week talking about pay equity and launching her book with her co-author, with Kent Plunkett, CEO of Salary.com. If you want to know more about the book, it's called Get Pay Right: How to Achieve Pay Equity that Works !
This week we went back through the archives to pull out some of our favorite articles on topics that matter every day. We're answering the questions:
- Why do people think computers are smarter than they are?
- What's the difference between bias and discrimination?
- Why don't state and federal pay equity laws work the same?
- Why are employee handbooks boring, useless, and sometimes backfire?
- Could you have a disability you don't even know about?
- What are some considerations and resources for disability accommodations?
From the Vault: AI Can Help with the Work, But Don't Let It Make Decisions
Since computers don't get scared and can process a lot more information more quickly than people, it's tempting to think that they can make better decisions.
The problem is that they don't get scared. They don't care about consequences of their predictions and analysis.
From the Vault: Yes, You're Biased. No, You're Not a Bad Person
The reason why protected classes are protected is because we don't have a lot of choice about our gender, skin color, the circumstances we grew up in, or where we came from. There have been a lot of times that I would have liked a Y chromosome so I would be taken more seriously by a client, other attorneys, or a judge. Instead, I'm a short, blonde named Heather. (I'm also older, wiser, and out of ducks to give. Go ahead, underestimate me.)
From the Vault: Not all Pay Equity Laws Work the Same
It's not unusual for state laws to provide more protections than federal laws. And even the best laid plans and structured compensation policies can cause pay equity issues.
From the Vault: Why I Hate Employee Handbooks
Employee handbooks are there to cover employers' butts. This is apparent the minute you look at one. This is also why nobody looks at them.
From the Vault: You Probably Have a Disability
Disabilities give people a unique perspective on navigating the world and how to creatively approach problems. These are the kinds of people you want working for you. You might even be one of them.
