Affirmative Action

Ensure your Affirmative Action Plan
is fully compliant with federal law

You have Government contracts. All too often, creating and maintaining a compliant Affirmative Action Plan (AAP) is just too much to manage alone. We’re here to help.

It takes dedicated time, energy, and thought to engage in effective outreach to improve your applicant pool and keep detailed records of your hiring process and other employment decisions. That’s in addition to keeping up with the regulations and enforcement tactics of the U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP).

We’re here to take the workload (and uncertainty) of a compliant AAP off your to-do list. When you work with Vigilant for your AAP needs, you have a team who has seen it all, and deals with AAP obligations daily. We compile written plans covering each of your U.S. facilities, help you stay abreast of shifting developments in affirmative action enforcement, provide ongoing counsel, monitor your personnel actions for adverse impact, and more. We primarily work with employers headquartered in Washington, Oregon, California, or Idaho, although we create AAPs for our clients’ locations throughout the U.S.

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What's Included

If you have a covered federal “supply or service” contract, here’s how we can help you. With the exception of on-site assistance during an audit, all of the services below are included in a flat annual fee:
Written AAP

We prepare your written affirmative action plan, including all required analyses and reports, based on your electronic data.

Affirmative Action counsel

We are available throughout the year for unlimited affirmative action questions, such as how to track applicants under the OFCCP’s Internet applicant rules. You have access to an attorney to assist with legal questions related to your AAP when needed.

Action-oriented programs

We’ll help you develop custom strategies to achieve your annual percentage placement goals or correct adverse impact.

Action-oriented programs

In the event of an OFCCP audit, we’ll guide you through the process and negotiate with the agency. We also provide on-site assistance if desired for a reasonable fee.

Model EEO language

We'll help you tailor EEO forms and policies, such as for self-ID invitations, outreach letters, subcontracts, purchase orders, and job ads.

Frequently asked questions.

  • Who needs an Affirmative Action Plan?

    Companies and organizations that have at least 50 employees and hold a federal government contract/subcontract of $50,000 or more must prepare written AAPs covering all of their workers located in the U.S. From the time you accept a government supply or service contract, you have 120 days to put your written Affirmative Action Plans in place and you must continue to update them annually. Most of our affirmative action clients are based in Washington, Oregon, California, or Idaho, although some have locations in additional states across the country.

  • What is an Affirmative Action Plan?

    The plans analyze and address recruitment and personnel decisions, taking into account gender, race/ethnicity, veteran status, and disability status. Each plan looks back at personnel decisions (hires, promotions/transfers, and terminations) made in the past 12 months and assesses the makeup of the current workforce at the end of those 12 months.

  • Who enforces AAP compliance?

    The Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP) conducts random audits and can order employers to change their practices and pay lost wages to applicants and employees or risk being debarred from all federal contracts.

  • I just received an audit letter from the OFCCP. Can you help?

    Yes! From the moment a notice of a random audit arrives on your CEO’s desk, you have only 30 days to submit a fully compliant AAP along with an abundance of supporting information. You can count on us for support throughout this entire process. Learn more about why you should be prepared.