No employee should face discrimination in the United States. Whether discrimination occurs in the hiring process by not interviewing applicants of all backgrounds, or whether harassment occurs in the workplace by not promoting those in protected classes, Missouri laws work diligently to protect individuals.
The Affirmative Action Program in Missouri stands as a guide for all government employers to review and hire people of diverse classes. Doing so, the state recognizes that many viewpoints and opportunities may arise, and thus, the entire country benefits. Rather than hiring individuals based on their protected classes but instead for their background experiences, the program ensures that the state government in Missouri will see extensive advantages in solving local and state issues. If you feel that a government agency did not hire you based on any of the protected identifiers outlined in the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) guidelines, you may have a case against a workplace.
The Affirmative Action Program helps the protected classes
According to Missouri law, the Affirmative Action Program works to rid government entities of any type of discrimination. This includes discrimination during the application process, the interview process and during the course of employment. Under the EEOC, no individual should face discrimination for:
- Age
- Disability
- Genetic information
- National origin
- Pregnancy
- Race or color
- Religion
- Sex
The plan highlights the actions that the state government should take to avoid these discrimination occurrences, and updates to an individual organization’s program should occur every year.
The goal of the Affirmative Action Program
Missouri is included in the 42 states that have enacted an Affirmative Action Program – meaning that 8 states have banned the plan. Missouri shows commitment to ensuring that a diverse crowd of individuals hold office, make decisions and work to better government agencies.
The following depict the four goals of the program.
- Ensure that those engaging in the hiring process understand all elements of the program
- Avoid all discrimination practices in the executive branch of Missouri government
- Ban all quotas of “types” of individuals hired unless enacted by Federal authorities
- Emphasize the application process as well as the retention of all valuable employees, no matter their identified protected classes
Should you face discrimination in a government-run organization, you may have the authority to bring a serious claim against the entity. Know that the state of Missouri has enacted a program that encourages all individuals to apply to open roles and protects them from any discrimination or harassment during their employment.