As our computer software and hardware constantly improve, employers find new ways to take advantage of these advancements. Instead of being relegated to increasing productivity, new technology, like artificial intelligence, is taking on additional roles in the workplace. Applications include monitoring employees and assisting in the hiring process.
But using new technology for decisions traditionally made by humans could have a few growing pains, including inadvertent discrimination. Luckily, workplace civil rights enforcement agencies like the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) and the Civil Rights Division at the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) are anticipating this potential problem and have taken steps to tackle it.
How Employers Are Using New Technology in the Workplace
There are two major areas in which employers are using technology in ways that could lead to illegal discrimination. First, it’s with monitoring employees’ productivity levels and measuring their performance. Second, it’s when making hiring decisions.
Using software, artificial intelligence and algorithms to increase the efficiency of the hiring process might be the single biggest example of how companies are trying to make the most of new technology. But in this quest to save time, money and effort, certain job applicants could find themselves at an unfair and illegal disadvantage.
How Advanced Technology Could Lead to Inadvertent Workplace Discrimination
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