Do when in a good mood.

I'm pleased. Despite the fact that Final Fantasy Tactics A2: DS doesn't come out until tomorrow. I'm also amused by recent news articles.

Firstly, can't women wear ties? Enough said.

Secondly, the whole positive discrimination part of the Equalities Act being put through it's paces today. Highly amusing. Don't get me wrong, a lot of the Act is a good idea. Equal pay, for example, or lack of, is a fucking joke. The law shouldn't really mess with the policies of private companies, but the fact that some government jobs don't pay men and women equally is just a bit stupid. If the government kicks it's gender-pay-issues into touch, private enterprise might follow. The whole issue should be sorted out, if not for red tape. This much I agree with.

The idea of using positive discrimination to try and sort of these issues is unworkable false economy at best. The whole concept seems to revolve around: 'If two identically qualified candidates were up for the job, and performed identically at interview the employer could pick a woman/person from a ethnic minority if it'd make things more equal'. What the latter bit refers to, I hazard to think. I suppose they mean that if an area was populated by 60% Asians of Pakistani descent then someone who was of similar origin would get the nod to be police chief, or whatever.

The whole first part of this fictional scenario will never happen. Two candidates will never be identical, so surely the point of the legislation is to use ethnic background and sex to 'smooth out' any 'inequality'. But surely, this idea that someone got a job because of their biological background instead of their talent doesn't help anyone. In fact, does it not undermine the whole fight for equality?

Two wrongs don't make a right, as the saying goes.

Now, given around half the people in hospitals at any time are male, does it mean men will be fast tracked into nursing posts? I'm massively talented and don't really need a cheating opportunity from the government, but even so in two years, I certainly hope so.

Edit: It seems that this positive discrimination will operate before interview. So if there's a pile of similar CVs of people with identical experience then employers could pick the female and ethnic ones over white and/or male ones to fill any sort of quota supposedly towards equality. So what happens if you pick people on evidence of their CV and biological background and find they all interview terribly? Do another round of admission to interview without the filters on? Interesting idea.