Which statement about direct discrimination in promotion decisions is least accurate?

Which statement about direct discrimination in promotion decisions is least accurate?

• A. It involves unfavorably treating someone because of a protected characteristic in promotions.
• B. It can be a result of applying a neutral policy that harms a group.
• C. It is illegal in many jurisdictions.
• D. It is never justified by business considerations.

Answer: (D)

Direct discrimination in promotion decisions means treating someone unfavorably specifically because of a protected characteristic when deciding who gets promoted. That focus on intent to treat a person differently due to a characteristic is what makes it direct discrimination. While many places make direct discrimination illegal, saying it is never justified by business considerations isn’t accurate. In some legal systems there are narrow exceptions where a direct discrimination claim can be permitted if there is a genuine occupational requirement or a proportionate business necessity that makes the distinction essential for the role. By contrast, using a neutral policy that ends up harming a group is typically described as indirect discrimination, because the policy itself isn’t aimed at a specific protected characteristic, even if the impact falls on that group. So the statement claiming direct discrimination can never be justified by business considerations is the least accurate, due to these limited, legitimate exceptions.

Direct discrimination in promotion decisions means treating someone unfavorably specifically because of a protected characteristic when deciding who gets promoted. That focus on intent to treat a person differently due to a characteristic is what makes it direct discrimination. While many places make direct discrimination illegal, saying it is never justified by business considerations isn’t accurate. In some legal systems there are narrow exceptions where a direct discrimination claim can be permitted if there is a genuine occupational requirement or a proportionate business necessity that makes the distinction essential for the role. By contrast, using a neutral policy that ends up harming a group is typically described as indirect discrimination, because the policy itself isn’t aimed at a specific protected characteristic, even if the impact falls on that group. So the statement claiming direct discrimination can never be justified by business considerations is the least accurate, due to these limited, legitimate exceptions.