Question

A dress factory is being built in an area. It will employ mostly women. The owner of a real estate office told his employees to do the following:

[1] direct their advertising to appeal to women who are married and have no children;
[2] charge more rent to certain ethnic and religious groups than to others.
Which of these instructions is in violation of the Fair Housing Laws:

Answer 1

Businesses often have financial incentives to act in a non-discriminatory manner to increase profits by expanding their customer base and ensuring access to a diverse workforce.

Step-by-step explanation:

Market forces often provide incentives for businesses to act in less discriminatory ways, due to the profit incentive to cater to all potential customers and to ensure a sufficiently diverse and qualified workforce. For example:

• A local flower delivery business that had previously served only White customers might realize that embracing diversity and serving all residents, regardless of race, could expand its customer base and increase sales.
• An assembly line that traditionally hired only men might find it necessary to hire women and minorities when it is struggling to find enough qualified workers from its usual pool, thereby tapping into a broader talent pool.
• A home health care provider wanting to pay lower wages to Hispanic workers may find that doing so compromises their ability to attract and retain competent staff, especially in competitive labor markets.

These scenarios illustrate how market dynamics can steer businesses towards more inclusive practices in both hiring and service provision.