Equity vs. Equality at Work: Equality and Equity Examples

To obtain equity in the workplace, you must strive to achieve equal outcomes for all your employees. The word itself derives from the Latin “aequitas,” meaning justice.

To achieve workplace equity, take each person’s different circumstances into consideration as you ensure they receive the same treatment as everyone else. For example, in hiring, seek to achieve parity between people of all different races, ethnicities, sexual orientations, and gender identities. You could also strive to bring the salaries of low-income employees to the same value as those of executives.

Workplace equity differs from other forms of business or finance related-equity. When someone talks about business equity, they’re likely referring to the retained earnings people have bound up in the company itself. You might hear this referred to as owners’ equity or stockholders’ equity. Real estate equity also differs from workplace equity. When homeowners take out a home equity loan, they’re borrowing money against the value of a property rather than seeking out any form of social justice.

In the workplace, equality most often refers to ensuring everyone has equality of opportunity. This definition of equality can expand to include equity, but it doesn’t constitute equity in and of itself.

Take hiring as an example. Equality means everyone has a right to apply for a position regardless of their race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender identity, or social status. The law protects these characteristics. Equity means an employer explicitly attempts to achieve racial justice, gender equality, and so on by hiring an equal number of people from different groups.

To better understand the difference, suppose you have a set amount of money and want to divide it between two people. Equality is splitting the money right down the middle and giving each person half regardless of any other factors. Equity is considering each person’s economic circumstances and background to ensure the more marginalized one receives more money.

Equity most often refers to attempting to achieve a just and equal distribution of resources to all people. Consider these examples of equity to help you better understand the concept:

1. 1. Affirmative action: Certain universities and employers have made a conscious effort to recruit certain types of people in an effort to promote racial equity. In doing so, they sometimes will allow for exceptions in the interest of bringing people on board who might not otherwise have a chance.
2. 2. Redistribution of wealth: Governments might enact redistributive wealth programs in an effort to ensure all groups of people get an equal slice of the economic pie. As an example, to achieve equality, every citizen would have access to a common stock market. To achieve equity, every citizen would have the same number of stocks.
3. 3. Universal health care: Different countries strive to achieve public health equity in different ways. For instance, in the United States, every person has equal access to health-care providers but might not have the sort of job or funds necessary to pay for good insurance. This is more indicative of inequality. In other countries, they aim for a more equitable approach by providing universal health care services to everyone at no cost.

Ensuring everyone has equal opportunities to succeed is a bedrock principle of Western culture. These examples of equality might help you grasp the concept:

1. 1. Anti-discrimination laws: In the 1960s, the Civil Rights Movement fought for racial equality under the common law of the United States. Similar movements in the following decades fought to achieve an end to sex discrimination and political equality for people of different sexual orientations. These movements helped achieve more social equality of opportunity for people of all groups.
2. 2. Public education: The law requires equal access to public education programs in most countries throughout the developed world. Still, critics argue these public schools are of varying degrees of quality, meaning governments have yet to achieve equitable outcomes for all their citizens.
3. 3. Sports: Think about a baseball game. At the end of the day, no matter how good or bad any of the players are, they all must play the game according to the same set of rules. In other words, the teams playing each other might not be equal or equitable, but they do play under a fair set of rules for both sides.

In the workplace, everyone stands to gain from achieving equality of outcome. Equity matters both because it’s derivative of human rights concerns as a whole and can prove very lucrative for a company’s balance sheet. If everyone knows they’ll receive the same treatment and work on a team that prizes diversity, equity, and inclusion, they’ll boost their productivity and raise the market value of a company.

Everyone deserves to know their employers will treat them with impartiality and ensure each coworker has equal rights. The United States government also mandates employers provide equal opportunities to all people as a matter of public policy. While equality of opportunity might not always lead to equality of outcome, the quest for both leads to a better workforce for everyone.

Pursuing equity and equality can help you improve workplace morale. These tips can help you achieve both in the workplace:

• Identify disparities. Keep an eye out for inequities in your current staff. Strive for equitable outcomes for all your employees. For example, ensure a hiring process based on equitable access to all racial and ethnic groups, as well as people of all different gender identities and sexual orientations. Aim to achieve the same outcomes for all your employees.
• Pay attention to individual needs. Consider the specific needs of individual employees and provide them with the level of support they need. Start initiatives to ensure everyone feels welcome and treats others fairly. Listen to your coworkers about areas in which you can improve.
• Seek out partnerships. Sometimes you need an outside party to help you understand how equity works in the workplace. Team up with a DEI nonprofit to help guide the way to greater equality and equity within your organization. Reach out to current team members about ways you can support them.

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