Equal Employment Opportunity: Employment practices under which no individuals are excluded from consideration, participation, promotion or benefits because of a protected class. EEO is achieved through Affirmative Action.
Affirmative Action: Results-oriented practices/programs that eliminate the effects of discrimination and ensure equal employment in hiring or recruitment, transfer, promotion, or training.
Protected Classes in Employment list
Affirmative Action regulations specify that the University engage in proactive, aggressive, and non-traditional recruitment strategies to identify a diverse and qualified applicant pool. Further information on recruitment and Applicant Evaluation can be found on the Search and Recruitment page.
As a federal contractor, the University must maintain compliance with Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP) regulations. The OFCCP has a stated mission to protect workers, promote diversity and enforce the law. OFCCP holds those who do business with the federal government—contractors and subcontractors—responsible for complying with the legal requirement to take affirmative action and not discriminate on the basis of race, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, national origin, disability, or status as a protected veteran. In addition, contractors and subcontractors are prohibited from discharging or otherwise discriminating against applicants or employees who inquire about, discuss or disclose their compensation or that of others, subject to certain limitations. In order to demonstrate compliance with OFCCP regulations, the University annually prepares a Federal Affirmative Action Plan for Employment and provides this plan to regulators upon request.
Additionally, as a Connecticut state agency, the University must comply with Connecticut Commission on Human Rights and Opportunities (CHRO) regulations. The mission of the Connecticut Commission on Human Rights and Opportunities is to eliminate discrimination through civil and human rights law enforcement and to establish equal opportunity and justice for all persons within the state through advocacy and education. The University prepares the Affirmative Action Plan for Employment for Storrs and the Regional Campuses and the Affirmative Action Plan for Employment for UConn Health that are submitted annually to CHRO. The University has maintained approval status with the Commission for the past five years.
In addition to the state and federally mandated reports, OIE also produces several annual workforce reports to assist University departments on tracking and assessing workforce demographics and diversity hiring.