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How can you implement penalties for gender bias without introducing a threshold for an acceptable division of representation? And once that threshold is establi

How can you implement penalties for gender bias without introducing a threshold for an acceptable division of representation? And once that threshold is established, how exactly does it differ from a quota?

eli 8y ago
I guess the argument would be that you look at practices instead of outcomes, but that seems impossibly hard to implement
- xevb3k 8y ago
  Your profile says you cofounded Industry Dive. A company cofounded by 3 men. If you really believed that all companies should have a more balanced gender balance at the board level, you would have brought on at least one female cofounder (or just have not founded a company if you couldn’t find one).
  - eli 8y ago
    This seems unnecessarily personal. I’m not sure what point you’re trying to make here? I can’t add any more founders without a time machine but most of our managers are female and I’m proud of the work we’re doing internally to increase diversity, inclusion and belonging. We’re hardly perfect but I can tell you we’re trying in earnest to improve.
  - dang 8y ago
    Bringing in someone's personal details or history as ammunition in an argument is a particularly toxic trope and counts as personal attack, which we ban accounts for. Please don't do this on HN again. https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html
gizmo686 8y ago
The proposal is that a poor ratio results in stricter scrutiny, not a penelty. They would still need to investigate and find other evidence of illegal bias.
xevb3k 8y ago
Let’s say you expect boards in general to be 50% male/female. In case where this is not the case, and where it has not been the case for a number of years you might launch an investigation. It might be that there are reasonable reasons in this instance. For example, the company was cofounded by two women or men, it’s a small company, and the composition of the board has never changed etc. It might be that the company has a board with frequently changing members, but always selects male members. In that case, it’s easier to argue that discrimination has taken place. At which point you might launch an investigation and apply penalties etc.

eli 8y ago

I guess the argument would be that you look at practices instead of outcomes, but that seems impossibly hard to implement

xevb3k 8y ago
Your profile says you cofounded Industry Dive. A company cofounded by 3 men. If you really believed that all companies should have a more balanced gender balance at the board level, you would have brought on at least one female cofounder (or just have not founded a company if you couldn’t find one).
- eli 8y ago
  This seems unnecessarily personal. I’m not sure what point you’re trying to make here? I can’t add any more founders without a time machine but most of our managers are female and I’m proud of the work we’re doing internally to increase diversity, inclusion and belonging. We’re hardly perfect but I can tell you we’re trying in earnest to improve.
- dang 8y ago
  Bringing in someone's personal details or history as ammunition in an argument is a particularly toxic trope and counts as personal attack, which we ban accounts for. Please don't do this on HN again. https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html

gizmo686 8y ago

The proposal is that a poor ratio results in stricter scrutiny, not a penelty. They would still need to investigate and find other evidence of illegal bias.

xevb3k 8y ago

Let’s say you expect boards in general to be 50% male/female. In case where this is not the case, and where it has not been the case for a number of years you might launch an investigation. It might be that there are reasonable reasons in this instance. For example, the company was cofounded by two women or men, it’s a small company, and the composition of the board has never changed etc. It might be that the company has a board with frequently changing members, but always selects male members. In that case, it’s easier to argue that discrimination has taken place. At which point you might launch an investigation and apply penalties etc.