Miles Jackson wrote:
I realize Kelley is going somewhere else with this, but I just wanted
> to emphasize that discrimination is not always based on prejudice.
> For instance, if a company promotes on the basis of seniority, when
> there has been systematic racial bias in hiring in the past,
> then promotion on the basis of seniority is a form of racial
> discrimination. The intent of the employer is irrelevant; what
> matters is the unequal treatment based on race.
Also, employers commit economic discrimination against people with disabilites who may require a reasonable accomodation, extra health care costs, etc. which the employer does not want to pay. The disabled worker, or nonstandard worker, cuts into the profit margins so employers will often discriminate in order not to have to hire or retain an employee who becomes "disabled." While prejudice may sometimes accompany the employer's decision, economics plays a big part in the high employment rate of disabled people. -- Marta Russell