Which term refers to intentional differential treatment of an applicant or employee based on group membership?

• A. Disparate treatment
• B. Diversity climate
• C. Consumer racial profiling
• D. Employment discrimination

Answer: (A)

Intentional differential treatment of an applicant or employee based on group membership is disparate treatment. This term highlights that the decision was knowingly biased against someone because of protected characteristics such as race, gender, age, or religion, which runs afoul of anti-discrimination laws and ethical HR practice. For instance, refusing to hire someone solely because of their race is disparate treatment. This differs from disparate impact, which involves neutral policies that unintentionally harm a protected group through their outcomes, even without any deliberate bias. Employment discrimination is the broader umbrella term that includes disparate treatment and other forms of unfair treatment, while diversity climate refers to the organization’s overall environment and attitudes toward diversity, not specific intentional decisions.