Affirmative Action

Affirmative Action

Lynn Johnson

University of Phoenix

MGT/434
John Vassar
April 7, 2008

This paper will discuss the elements of Affirmative Action as it applies to public and the private sector employers. I will discuss how Affirmative Action correlates with Title VII requirements of the Equal Employment Opportunity Act. I will give a brief description of the Affirmative Action plans, and I will explain why employers must abide by these plans. This paper will also discuss what the plan requires employers to do and lastly, I will explain what happens when an employer does not follow these plans.
Affirmative Action
  Affirmative Action is a law that was passed in 1964 which forbade discrimination based on race, sex, color, religion, gender, and national origin. This bill made it impossible for an employer to fail or refuse to hire, terminate, or discriminate against any individual under the listed categories. Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, prohibits employment discrimination on the same basis as affirmative action, however, affirmative action takes this one step closer. The Affirmative Action Act means an employer has to take affirm action to ensure applicants are employed and that employees are treated during their employment fairly without regard to race, sex, color, religion, gender, or national origin (EEOC, 2008). In 1969, President Nixon issued an executive order that required all Federal Agencies to create Federal Affirmative Action programs to instill equal employment opportunities for all minorities and women. The concept behind Affirmative Action is every individual will have the equal right to self-development. In other words, persons with equal abilities should have equal opportunities. Affirmative Action programs differ widely in which they attempt to overturn discrimination. Some programs might instill policies that involve hiring minorities and women, and other programs may prefer specific groups of minorities. This is...