Get Affirmative Action Compliance

The purpose of affirmative action programs is to compensate for past discrimination, which was widespread when legislation was introduced in the 1960s to prevent ongoing discrimination and to provide equal opportunities to all regardless of race, color, religion, sex or national origin.

Historically and internationally, support for affirmative action has sought to achieve goals such as bridging inequalities in employment and pay, increasing access to education, promoting diversity, and redressing apparent past wrongs, harms, or hindrances.

Affirmative action in the United States is the active effort to improve employment, educational, and other opportunities for members of groups that have been subjected to discrimination. Criteria for affirmative action include race, disability, gender identity, sexual orientation, ethnic origin, and age.

What is an Affirmative Action Plan (AAP)? Two types of affirmative action plans are required — the AAP for Minorities and Females, which consists of statistical and narrative sections, and the AAP for Veterans and Individuals with Disabilities, which consists of a narrative section only.

Q: What is affirmative action, or race conscious admissions policies? A: Race conscious policies, such as affirmative action, aim to address racial discrimination by recognizing and responding to the structural barriers that have denied underrepresented students access to higher education.

Outreach campaigns, targeted recruitment, employee and management development, and employee support programs are examples of affirmative action in employment.

The purpose of affirmative action is to ensure equal employment opportunities for applicants and employees. It is based on the premise that, absent discrimination, over time a contractor's workforce generally will reflect the demographics of the qualified available workforce in the relevant job market.

Affirmative actions include training programs, outreach efforts, and other positive steps. These procedures should be incorporated into the company's written personnel policies.