Introduction
The Americans with disabilities Act was enacted in 1990 and later amended in 2009. It is a law on civil rights, which prohibits discrimination to the disabled. The US Rehabilitation Act is a federal law that emphasizes the provision of special services to individuals with severe disability. These services include research and training, federal responsibilities, health and education. The main aim of this law was to protect the disabled from federal agencies programs’ discrimination. These two Acts have similar standards for the determination of employment related discrimination (Jasper, 2008).
Effectiveness and effect on human resource management of the ADA and the US RA
These two laws received great approval from social groups dealing with disabled. However the individuals from the commerce sector at some point opposed these two Acts with a claim that they led to an increase in the cost of labor. Precisely, with the enactment of ADA, there was a 7.8% drop in the rate of employment between 1991 and 1995. However those whose clinched employment had a serene work environment and had better terms of employment (Jasper, 2008).
Effects on HR management
- There was a decrease in the number of disabled employees due to the increase in the related cost of hiring the disabled
- An increase in the cost of labor due to the associated costs as stipulated in these two Acts. These costs include; the cost of equipments such as hearing aids, medical costs and accommodations costs where applicable
In the next 10 years, due to the projected industrial growth industrial, these laws will be more effective due to the growth in the demand for labor associated with growth in industrialization as well as the increase in sensitivity to human rights (Moody, 2007).
Differences between the US labor unions and labor unions in other countries
- There are many differences in the unions in the United States and the onions in other countries. These differences are in terms of the level of per capita income, level of employment, labor mobility, management of labor unions and labor homogeneity (Horne, 2011).
US labor union Vs labor unions in Europe
- The labor unions from Europe have more political power as compared to the US labor unions
- There are more unionized employees in Europe than in the US (Horne, 2011).
US labor unions Vs Japan’s labor unions
- In both countries, the unions are involved wage negotiations as well as other workplace issues
- Unions in Japan are very important in the determination of industrial affairs while those in the US are of less significance (Horne, 2011).
US labor unions Vs Swedish unions
The US labor unions are into business unionism while Swedish labor unions are into political unionism which includes the entire work environment (Moody, 2007).
References
Horne, G. (2011). Fighting in paradise: Labor unions, racism, and communists in the making of modern Hawaiʻi. Honolulu: University of Hawaiʻi Press.
Jasper, M. C. (2008). Americans with Disabilities Act. New York: Oceana.
Moody, K. (2007). US labor in trouble and transition: The failure of reform from above, the promise of revival from below. London: Verso.
