The ideas underlying affirmative action and equal employment opportunity are similar with respect to selection, employment, and promotion, but affirmative action and equal employment opportunity embody different concepts. Equal employment opportunity means that all individuals must be treated equally in the hiring process, in training, and in promotion. Each person has the right to be evaluated as an individual on his or her qualifications without discrimination based on stereotypic conceptions of what members of minority groups or any other protected class are like. State and local governments have identified additional EEO protected classifications as well.
Affirmative action goes further than equal employment opportunity.
It means affirming that organizations and individuals in organizations will proactively and aggressively seek to overcome the effects of past discrimination against groups such as women, minorities, disabled persons and veterans by making a positive and continuous effort in their recruitment, employment, retention and promotion. Affirmative action also means that organizations must actively seek to remove any barriers that artificially limit the professional and personal development of individuals who are members of protected classes. Affirmative action applies to all job categories and levels.