Affirmative Action Plan (AAP)
Meaning & Definition
An Affirmative Action Plan (AAP) is a formalised plan that describes how an organisation intends to achieve equal employment opportunities for those who are not suitably represented in all levels of the organisation. The AAP will be directed at promoting fairness in recruitment, promotion and training, as well as other factors that may lead to discrimination, so that an applicant who has experienced discrimination will no longer be disadvantaged due to past experiences of historical or systematic discrimination. Affirmative Action Plans are typically used in regulated or international business contexts.
Business & HR Significance:
- Encouraging a various hiring process.
- Identifying underrepresentation in the workforce.
- Improving the development of diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI).
- Reducing the number of discrimination-related complaints and the potential for reputational damage to an organization.
- Improve employee planning through a consistent and formalized approach.
Compliance Requirements:
Certain countries (like the United States) require some employers to have approved action plans (AAPs) as mandated by law. Compliance with the regulations for AAPs will vary based on the jurisdiction, size of the organisation and whether or not the organisation is a government contractor.
Where there are no such legal requirements to have AAPs, an organisation may develop AAPs voluntarily to assist in meeting diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) objectives.
An organisation’s AAP(s) must compliant to applicable local labour laws, anti-discrimination requirements and the organisation’s own internal policies.
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