Affirmative Actition

Affirmative Action

Affirmative action is both a legal and emotional issue affecting employees and employers. Equal employment opportunity legislation requires managers to provide the same opportunities to all job applicants and employees regardless of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, or age. While EEO law is largely a policy of nondiscrimination, affirmative action requires employers to analyze their workforce and develop a plan of action to correct areas of pat discrimination. Affirmation action is achieved by having organizations follow specific guidelines and goals to ensure that they have a balanced and representative workforce. To achieve these goals, employers must make a concerted effort to recruit, select, train, and promote members of protected class. Employers must locate not only minority candidates who are qualified, but also those who, with a reasonable amount of training or physical accommodation, can be made to qualify for job openings.

Establishing Affirmative Action Programs

Employers establish affirmative action programs for several reasons. Affirmative action programs are required by the OFCCP for employers with federal contracts greater than $50,000. The OFCCP, provided regulations and suggestions for establishing affirmative action plans. Specifically, employers must (1) perform a workforce utilization analysis, (2) establish goals and timetables for employment of underutilized protected classes, (3) develop actions and plan to reduce underutilization, including initiating proactive recruitment and selection methods, and (4) monitor progress of the entire affirmative action program.

Affirmative action programs may also be required by court order where an employer had been found quality of past discrimination. Court-ordered programs will require the setting of hiring and promotion quotas along with stated timetables for compliance. Finally, many employers voluntarily develop their own affirmative action...