"RTE is equal opportunity employer", why bother saying it

rubadub

On the radio you hear RTE advertising jobs and at the end they nearly always say, "RTE is equal opportunity employer". I thought it was the law that they must be, so why do they bother saying it. It is as though they are inferring other companies are breaking the law. Why don't they start bragging about all the other laws they happen to obey? "we pay at least minimum wage, aren't we great"

http://www.equality.ie/index.asp?locID=60&docID=205

Thomas_S_Hunterson

Looks good, why not?

FunkZ

I wwouldn't mind some minimum wage right about now.

rubadub

Sean_K wrote: »

Looks good, why not?

A (small) waste of airtime that licence payers are paying for, and sort of infers other companies do not, when I think they must.

CreepingDeath

I think that equal opportunities is prejudice against normal people.
If disabled people have equal chance at getting a job, and there's less disabled people than able people, then abled people are being discriminated against.

It's a national disgrace.
I say that disabled people should not be given equal opportunities, but should be given opportunities in the ratio of abled to disabled populations.

It's time to rip up some of those wheelchair ramps, and say no guide dogs allowed.

Thomas_S_Hunterson

CreepingDeath wrote: »

It's a national disgrace.
I say that disabled people should not be given equal opportunities, but should be given opportunities in the ratio of abled to disabled populations.

I think that is what's meant by the statement...

CreepingDeath

Sorry, I left out the sarcasm tags...

Eoin

Equal Opportunities sounds like it should mean that absolutely everyone has an equal chance, regardless of disability, gender, race and all that - but in practise it often means "affirmative action", which is obviously the complete opposite.

ejmaztec

"RTE - boring the tits off you, and robbing you blind since 1926"

jimmycrackcorm

This was explained to me in an HR seminar. If you advertise something like "Young-thinking dynamic sales professional" then you have to balance it out with an equal opportunities notice otherwise you can be sued for discriminatory recruitment activities.

Random

It's a load of bollocks.

The last word, with random.

johnnyskeleton

Like many things, just because people have rights, it does not mean that they know about them. It is to encourage applicants who might feel that they can't get into what they perceive as a male / white / old boy net dominated industry or company.

Hogmeister B

Also, why must they say 'Bank of X is regulated by the Irish Financial Services Regulatory Authority' at the end of ads for banks? If they weren't, they'd be illegal and have to close down.

Hogmeister B

Hogmeister B wrote: »

Also, why must they say 'Bank of X is regulated by the Irish Financial Services Regulatory Authority' at the end of ads for banks? If they weren't, they'd be illegal and have to close down.

I think in both cases it's a legal requirement for them to say it. Though with the Financial Regulator thing, Blue Cube Loans don't specify it in any of their ads. All that "small print" at the end of radio ads for financial institutions drives me spare.

constitutionus

eoin_s wrote: »

Equal Opportunities sounds like it should mean that absolutely everyone has an equal chance, regardless of disability, gender, race and all that - but in practise it often means "affirmative action", which is obviously the complete opposite.

actually seeing as this is RTE we're talking about i reckon it means "honest, we're not just hiring the kids of our existing staff !"

Thomas_S_Hunterson

Karsini wrote: »

Blue Cube Loans don't specify it in any of their ads. All that "small print" at the end of radio ads for financial institutions drives me spare.

I don't think they're technically a bank though, looks to me like purely a sub-prime lending vehicle

Wishbone Ash

It's quite common in other formats also where it could be deemed to be unnecessary.

For example:

"Licenced Haulier" written on trucks (they can't legally operate without being licenced).

"Licenced to sell beer wines, spirits etc. " (as above).

"Registered Nurse" (they have to be registered to legally work as a nurse).

Agamemnon

I hate those pointless announcements on trains telling us it's a no smoking service every ten minutes. We know, we know, WE KNOW!!! It's been that way for a good few years now, we get the message.

Robbo

http://youtube.com/watch?v=2wDjR_dL3pw

How to mess with the BBC's equal opportunities policy.

rubadub

jimmycrackcorm wrote: »

This was explained to me in an HR seminar. If you advertise something like "Young-thinking dynamic sales professional" then you have to balance it out with an equal opportunities notice otherwise you can be sued for discriminatory recruitment activities.

AHA!, and in RTE's case they employ undynamic boring old pricks and pay them outrageous wages from our licence fees, so they have to say it so normal people think they have a chance. Why they don't just lash on an automated playlist instead of arsehole DJs is unforgiveable. Have to sit through the crap in work, at least at home I can watch other stations, while still forking out money for the other pricks.

Overheal

Equal Opportunities Employment is a bunch of Politcally Correct bull****. On the one hand you have places that only hire men or women (say, men will take up 99-100% of the construction industry, and women will occupy 90-100% of shopkeeping). Theres nothing wrong with this - Men make better builders, women make better shopkeepers (depending where you are - sometimes a lad with a baseball bat does a lot for keeping the till safe).

But E.O. can really screw someone's day. For example: a white doctor and a black doctor. Both equally qualified, the black will get hired if the hospital has not reached its 'quota'.

I'm not saying discrimination is ok but the concept of Equal Employment is really flawed.

Xavi6

constitutionus wrote: »

actually seeing as this is RTE we're talking about i reckon it means "honest, we're not just hiring the kids of our existing staff !"

Zing!

star-pants

constitutionus wrote: »

actually seeing as this is RTE we're talking about i reckon it means "honest, we're not just hiring the kids of our existing staff !"

Ha if only...

rubadub wrote: »

AHA!, and in RTE's case they employ undynamic boring old pricks and pay them outrageous wages from our licence fees...

They didn't always. The ones that get the outrageous wages are the free lance people, not their full time employed staff. They can get a few days regular staff wages in one day. I'd like to point out I know a lot of non-pricks who work there (not freelance either).

OT - As others said - you have to state the obvious these days, such as 'caution coffee may be hot' and 'caution hot pizza within' etc..

Sam Vimes

Hogmeister B wrote: »

Also, why must they say 'Bank of X is regulated by the Irish Financial Services Regulatory Authority' at the end of ads for banks? If they weren't, they'd be illegal and have to close down.

on rabo bank ads they say they're licenced by the dutch central bank. I can't remember if they also say they're regulated by the financial regulator but maybe not all financial institutions are which is why they have to mention it

Sean_K wrote: »

I don't think they're technically a bank though, looks to me like purely a sub-prime lending vehicle

the financial regulates financil institutions, not just banks

Overheal wrote: »

Equal Opportunities Employment is a bunch of Politcally Correct bull****. On the one hand you have places that only hire men or women (say, men will take up 99-100% of the construction industry, and women will occupy 90-100% of shopkeeping). Theres nothing wrong with this - Men make better builders, women make better shopkeepers (depending where you are - sometimes a lad with a baseball bat does a lot for keeping the till safe).

But E.O. can really screw someone's day. For example: a white doctor and a black doctor. Both equally qualified, the black will get hired if the hospital has not reached its 'quota'.

I'm not saying discrimination is ok but the concept of Equal Employment is really flawed.

that's not what EO is about. There are no quotas. If there are two equally qualified people and the colour of their skin becomes a deciding factor then its not equal, whether the decision is for or against the white person

the point of it is that businesses are not allowed to use things such as sex, race, religion etc as a deciding factor in any way

Snake Nose

Overheal wrote: »

For example: a white doctor and a black doctor. Both equally qualified, the black will get hired if the hospital has not reached its 'quota'.

WTF are you on about? There is no 'quota'! Try the conspiracy theories forum.

Dragan

Well they proved it by giving Pat Kenny a job.

Mutha****a ain't even human!

panda100

rubadub wrote: »

. I thought it was the law that they must be, so why do they bother saying it.

You'd think! But these superfical laws can be flexed easily to ensure that big buisnesses and buisness men who give dig outs to Bertie and pals can get away with whatever they want and make lots of profits.
Theres more dog wardens hired by the state then there is labour inspectors!
Anyone whose not familiar with the GAMA scandal back in 2005 should look it up. Hundreds of Turkish workers working for an international corportation invited over by Mary Harney were beign paid €2 an hour,living in inhumane conditions while working almost 24/7 on building our national roads. The goverment knew all about this and did nothing to stop it until it became a big issue and even then we've never had a labour report on it. Im sure these types of scandals are occuring up and down the country as we speak.
http://www.socialistparty.net/pub/pages/socialist005apr05/1.htm

Overheal wrote: »

But E.O. can really screw someone's day. For example: a white doctor and a black doctor. Both equally qualified, the black will get hired if the hospital has not reached its 'quota'.
.

You obviously have never worked in a hospital before?When was the last time you encountered a black/Indian consultant?Or even a female one? There far and few between.
I know overtly qualified doctors of colour who have missed out to jobs to rugby playing,white males with not half as much experience. Theres no "quota".

echosound

Snake Nose wrote: »

WTF are you on about? There is no 'quota'! Try the conspiracy theories forum.

Observed an ad in a local paper advertising a position within a public service body that specified the post was "open to people with disabilities only". Reckon that might be an example of filling quotas.

Eoin

Commander Vimes wrote: »

the point of it is that businesses are not allowed to use things such as sex, race, religion etc as a deciding factor in any way

Even in an affirmative action sense?

From this page

Google is an equal opportunity affirmative action employer

How they can put that in the same sentence escapes me - surely by definition, they are opposites?

Santa Claus

RTE used to be rife with nepotism, less so now but still a lot of people of get their jobs through family member connections there.
Hence they're probably a little paranoid about the reputation they have amongst people who work in the media so feel they have to say it !

Dyr

ORTY E :sopporting the orts

do they still say that and all?

Dragan

eoin_s wrote: »

Even in an affirmative action sense?

Affirmative action is merely a social acceptable form of racism.

Eoin

Dragan wrote: »

Affirmative action is merely a social acceptable form of racism.

I don't disagree, but is it allowed?

Sam Vimes

eoin_s wrote: »

Even in an affirmative action sense?

From this page



How they can put that in the same sentence escapes me - surely by definition, they are opposites?

you answered your own question there

affirmative action and equal opportunities are not the same thing. By the definition of the equal opportunities law, affirmative action should be illegal

Eoin

Commander Vimes wrote: »

you answered your own question there

affirmative action and equal opportunities are not the same thing. By the definition of the equal opportunities law, affirmative action should be illegal

That's exactly the point I was making, in reference to what Google say about themselves - it's a complete contradiction.

"Google is an equal opportunity affirmative action employer "