What Is Affirmative Action In Employment?
Affirmative action in employment is race and sex conscious efforts to increase the employment of minorities and women in both the public and private sectors and is based on merit. Affirmative action is the method by which an employer achieves fair employment of all race/sex groups in the workforce. Affirmative action has been upheld by the U.S. Supreme Court as a permissible method to reach the goal of fair employment. Affirmative action is not a quota system! Affirmative action ensures equal opportunity in employment and is a voluntary process. In South Carolina what is required by law is that each state agency, college, or university submit for approval a written affirmative action plan to the South Carolina Human Affairs Commission. The Human Affairs Commission is charged with the responsibility of evaluating affirmative action plans and reporting the results of their evaluation to the General Assembly. In the private sector employers that have federal contracts are required to deve
