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affirmative action
Affirmative Action in the Workplace When you think of affirmative action in the workplace do you think of equal rights for all, or just equal rights for minorities. Affirmative action is the extent to which employers make an effort through their personal practices to attract retain, and upgrade members of the protected classes of the 1964 Civil Rights Act, (Bernardin & Russell 2013). In easier terms affirmative action is known to be the equal opportunity measures that Federal contractors and subcontractors are legally required to adopt to prevent discrimination against employees or applicants on the basis of color, religion, sex or national origin (Wikipedia 2013). Below I’ll introduce some ideas of how affirmative action is used in the workplace, through affirmative action plans, promotion within the workplace, and affirmative action with private companies. Affirmative action began in the United States as a tool to address the persistent discrimination against African Americans in 1960 (Wikipedia 2013). During that time most Americans who were not considered in the highest social class, males, and from European decent, where passed over for employment opportunities and advancements in the work place. When President John F. Kennedy mandated affirmative action into the workplace for the Federal Government and sub-contractors he ensured that all applicants are employed, and that employees are treated fairly during employment without regard to their race, creed, color or national origin (Wikipedia 2013). Affirmative action attempts to compensate for past discriminatory practices by requiring federal contractors to engage in "good faith efforts" to expand outreach and recruitment of women, minorities, and persons with disabilities (University of Virginia 2013).
Many companies today have Affirmative Action Plans that they use to recruit future employees. Federal affirmative action regulations require that government contractors develop a written affirmative


References: Bernardin, J &Russell, J (2013) Human Resource Management: An Experiential Approach (6th ed.) New York, NY Huebsch, R Houston Chronicle (2013) Affirmative Action Ethnic Diversity in the Work Place. Retrieved October 30, 2013 Scott, S Houston Chronicle (2013) What are the advantages and disadvantages of Affirmative Action in the Work Place http://smallbusiness.chron.com/disadvantages-affirmative-action-workplace-10728.html Wikipedia, (2013) Affirmative Action in the United States
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