What do Human Resources Managers Need to Know About Affirmative Action?
When you hold the title of Human Resource Manager, you will need to know the ins and outs of affirmative action laws so that you are able to ensure that the organization complies.
There is a huge debate as to whether or not affirmative action is a practice that employers still need implement in their hiring program in an effort to balance the workforce and to create a more diverse environment. While there are major proponents and major opponents to this practice that was mandatory 30 years ago, the practice is still part of the initiatives with many large corporations.
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As a Human Resources Manager, it is not your job to take a stance on whether you think affirmative action is something that should be dismantled or continued. Instead, it is your responsibility to focus on the objectives of your organization and not on attacking or defending the program that was designed to create diversity. If you want to foster an atmosphere where people are free to discuss their ideas and possible solutions to creating a fair environment where everyone has opportunity, you will need to know about the history of affirmative action and how it continues today. Read this guide so that you have a basic understanding of why this is important.
Join a Professional Society to Stay Up-to-Date
There are currently 160 different affirmative action plans that are still in place today. As the laws surrounding the practice are being changed and reviewed, it is very possible that many of these programs will be dismantled. Since the world of HR is an ever-changing one, it is your job as a manager to stay up-to-date on the laws that can affect the workforce and how you comply. This is why you should be a member of the Society for Human Resource Management so that you can read up on new state and federal rulings that can have an affect on the way that you operate.
Know Recent Rulings Regarding Affirmative Action
Recent court rulings show just how much the local and federal laws can change over a period of a few months. In June, the Supreme Court ruled on a basis of 5-4 that preferential treatment based on race is unconstitutional. In another court ruling coming out of California, a new law has been proposed that will make race an ineligible criterion for granting preferential treatment to employees or applicants. These are the types of rulings you must know about.
Know Your Company’s History with Affirmative Action
Affirmative action is not required in all settings today, but it still must be practiced by federal contractors and subcontractors. While you may not be required plan or implement this type of program to achieve equal opportunities in hiring, training, appointment and promotion, it can be very helpful for managers within the Human Resources Department to know their company’s history with the practice when it was absolute law. It can help to see what progress has been made by measuring how diverse the workplace really is.
To spark a healthy debate, you can provide your employees with reading material and conduct useful workshops where there is a platform to discuss the issues. By taking the time to address both side of the debate, you can show that the company is dedicated to diversity in the workplace and equality even if no legal mandate applies.
There will never be a perfectly balanced workforce, but the goal is to make sure that diversity is a focus. You may face challenges when leading discussions on affirmative action laws, but as long as you know what you must comply with, you can take a very unbiased approach to leading a discussion.
