What is an Affirmative Action Plan (AAP)?

An affirmative action plan (AAP) outlines a federal contractor or subcontractor’s initiatives toward equal employment opportunities for employees, irrespective of gender, race, disability, or veteran status. It also serves to promote employee advancement within the organization. It is necessary to review and update AAPs at least once a year, as recommended by federal guidelines.

The Office of Federal Contracts Compliance Programs (OFCCP) regulates AAPs, and it has recommended conditions that non-construction federal contractors or subcontractors must meet its guidelines. Formal affirmative action plans are required only for federal contractors and subcontractors.

How to Prepare an AAP

To prepare an AAP, the OFCCP recommends that contractors employ internal audits, relevant employee demographic tracking, monitor anti-discrimination drives, and analyze the effectiveness of the affirmative action plan. The AAP relies on the audit or reporting systems that a company uses to collect data.

The written document of the plan and policies that will guide the company forward over the next year is the AAP. It includes information on:

  • Measures the organization will implement to eradicate any perceived or actual discrimination.
  • Targets and dates for achieving these measures.

To sum up, AAPs are necessary to ensure equal employment opportunities and employee advancement within a company. Companies that meet the OFCCP’s guidelines must prepare and update them annually. The process must involve data collection through audit and reporting systems and record employees’ demographic information while monitoring anti-discrimination initiatives. The goal is to eradicate all forms of perceived or actual discrimination, and AAPs play a vital role in this regard.