Equal Employment Opportunity (1)
- eliminates discrimination in human resource policies and practices
- provides equal access and opportunity - no one excluded from participation
- legally mandated
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Affirmative Action (2)
- targets outreach to underrepresented groups
- helps prevent discrimination
- legally mandated
+
Diversity (3)
- inclusive of all groups
- focuses on developing an environment that maximizes the potential of all employees by valuing diversity interpersonally and institutionally
- business necessity given workforce trends
- broader than ethnicity, race, and gender
- not legally mandated
=
Level Playing Field
- diverse productive workforce
- inclusive environment where all employees are valued
- work environment free from discrimination
(1) Equal Employment Opportunity. A term used by the federal government to refer to employment practices that ensure nondiscrimination based on race, color, national origin, sex, physical or mental ability, religion, medical condition, ancestry, marital status, or age. The principle behind EEO is that everyone should have the same access to opportunities
(2) Affirmative Action. Affirmative action is one aspect of the federal government's efforts to ensure equal employment opportunity. Executive Order 11246 prohibits federal contractors from discriminating against employees on the basis of race, sex, religion, color or national origin, and requires contractors to implement affirmative action plans to increase the participation of minorities and women in the workplace.
(3) Diversity. A comprehensive organizational and managerial process for developing an environment that maximizes the potential of all employees by valuing diversity. One definition that we use at the University at Albany refers to human qualities that are different from our own and those of groups to which we belong, but are manifested in other individuals and groups. Dimensions of diversity include but are not llimited to: age, ethnicity, gender, physical abilities/qualities, race, sexual orientation, educational background, geographic location, income, marital status, parental status, religious beliefs, work experience, and job classification. (Adapted from Workforce America! Managing Diversity as a Vital Resource by Martin Loden and Judy B. Rosener).
