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Most Common Myths about
Affirmative Action
August 2009 The term "Affirmative Action" was
first introduced by President Kennedy in 1961 as a
method of addressing discrimination that had persisted
in spite of civil rights laws and constitutional
guarantees. Directed to all government contracting
agencies, Affirmative Action was created “to ensure that
applicants are employed, and that employees are treated
fairly during employment, without regard to their race,
creed, color, or national origin."
It was later developed and enforced for the first
time by President Johnson. "This is the next and more
profound stage of the battle for civil rights," Johnson
asserted. "We seek... not just equality as a right and a
theory, but equality as a fact and as a result."
Despite its longevity in America's business world,
there are still many biases and prejudices surrounding
Affirmative Action. Below is a list of the most common
myths along with their facts to help HR Professionals
understand this program's many benefits.
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Myth #1: |
Affirmative Action
means I have to hire women or people of color at the
expense of men and whites.
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FACT: Affirmative Action
means we must actively seek and consider a diverse
pool of qualified candidates for every job
opportunity. We should always hire the most
qualified person and sometimes need to reach outside
of familiar networks to tap into new sources and
find exceptional talent.
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Myth #2: |
The public doesn't
support Affirmative Action anymore.
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FACT: Public opinion
polls suggest that the majority of Americans still
support Affirmative Action. For example, a recent
Time/CNN poll found that 80% of the public felt
"Affirmative Action programs for minorities and
women should be continued at some level."
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Myth #3: |
Affirmative Action
means I can't fire a woman or person of color, even
if they don't perform up to company standards.
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FACT: Equal Opportunity
also applies to performance management. Everyone
holding the same job should be held to the same set
of requirements and performance standards. Managers
should document performance and follow performance
management guidelines when performance problems are
identified. Sometimes we need to examine our own
biases and determine whether we are judging
performance fairly. For example, we may perceive
someone as “too quiet” or as “having poor
communication skills.” We must document performance
based on deliverables and results. If someone
performs work in a quiet manner or other style
different than our own, it can be harder to exercise
objectivity. Making an effort to foster an inclusive
work environment can pay off with greater team
motivation, better retention and stronger individual
performance.
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Myth #4: |
Affirmative Action
and EEO leads to "reverse discrimination."
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FACT: Cases claiming
“reverse discrimination” are rare. A Rutgers
University study found less than two percent of cases
before the EEO relate to these claims. In fact, the
term “reverse discrimination” in itself is a
misnomer as discrimination is discrimination.
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Myth #5: |
Under the ADA,
employers must give people with disabilities special
privileges, known as accommodations.
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FACT: Reasonable
accommodations are intended to ensure that qualified
individuals with disabilities have rights in
employment equal - not superior - to those of
individuals without disabilities. A reasonable
accommodation is a modification to a job, work
environment or the way work is performed that allows
an individual with a disability to apply for a job,
perform the essential functions of the job, and
enjoy equal access to benefits available to other
individuals in the workplace.
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Myth #6: |
Affirmative Action is
no longer needed in America.
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FACT: Despite the
enormous strides made by the civil rights and
women's rights movements, women and people of color
still face unfair obstacles in business. Women who
work full-time have median weekly earnings that are
75.7% of the median for men. Median earnings for
African Americans working at full-time jobs are
75.9% of the median for whites. In addition the median
earnings of Hispanics are 65.9% of the median for
whites and 86.8% of the median for African
Americans.
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Myth #7: |
Affirmative Action
only targets African Americans.
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FACT: Affirmative Action
benefits many people who continue to face
opportunity barriers, including women, people with
disabilities, Veterans, Native Americans, Latinos,
Asian Americans, South Asian Americans, African Americans,
Arab Americans, and others. By opening fair access
to more Americans, Affirmative Action benefits
families, businesses, coworkers, communities, and
our entire society.
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Myth #8: |
A large percentage of
Caucasian workers will lose out if Affirmative
Action is continued.
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FACT: Government
statistics do not support this myth. According to
recent U.S. Commerce Department statistics, there
are 1.3 million unemployed African American civilians and 112
million employed Caucasian civilians. Therefore, even if
every unemployed African American worker in the United States
were to displace a Caucasian worker, only 1% of
employed Caucasians would be affected. |
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This topic and more can be found within our newly
released Affirmative Action/EEO & You e-learning
product.
To request more information or for a no-obligation trial
of our products, please email
info@knowledgestart.com or call toll-free
877.650.0454.
Who We Are
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years, has specialized in online training for its U.S. and global clients.
We are a leading provider of award-winning e-learning programs and platforms
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Through this understanding and our collective skill sets and experiences with
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