Ethics Of Wal-Mart
When Sam Walton opened the first Wal-Mart in 1962, he was driven to have a successful business based on respect for the customers, as well as for employees. He wanted his business to be both admirable and ethical. Since his death in 1992, the company has dipped further and further from Sam's original dreams. Now it seems that the company will do anything to beat out any competition. Many of Wal-Mart's recent actions and lawsuits have left them looking both unethical and socially irresponsible.
Wal-Mart has been under some scrutiny from the Equal Opportunity Employment Commission (EEOC) for violating the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA.) The ADA prohibits employers for discriminating against persons with disabilities. In particular, an employer may not discriminate against any current or perspective employee who is otherwise qualified to perform a job if given the reasonable accommodations (RBP Associates, Inc, 2005). Wal-Mart has faced a stream of lawsuits alleging that they have violated this act. In 2001, the EEOC brought 13 such lawsuits on behalf of disabled persons whom Wal-Mart failed to hire. Wal-Mart paid over $6 million to settle these suits. The settlement also required that Wal-Mart change its procedures on dealing with disabled job applicants and provide more training for its employees on anti-discrimination laws. Yet, in January of 2004, the EEOC filed another lawsuit against Wal-Mart on behalf of a job-applicant who claims he was not hired because he needed a wheelchair. The lawsuit was filed after the EEOC and Wal-Mart failed to reach a settlement ("Disabled Man Sues", 2004).
Title VII of the Civil Rights Act (1964) prohibits discrimination in employment based on employees' race, color, religion, sex or national origin. In addition, the Equal Pay Act (1963) prohibits unequal pay for equal work on the basis of sex. However, in 2001, six women sued Wal-Mart claiming that the company discriminated against women by denying them...
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