This is the "equal opportunity in employment" declaration. Federal and state laws require nearly all employers to hire and fire without discrimination against numerous protected classes of people.

Do you need an equal opportunity policy in your handbook?

Yes. Civil rights laws and other laws and court decisions impose the obligation on you and your supervisors not to discriminate illegally in hiring, promotion and termination of employees.

The written policy in your handbook tells your employees it's your intention to obey the law. And it also reminds supervisors that you expect them to obey the law — in all hiring, supervising and termination decisions made on your behalf.

Don't Confuse Two Legal Issues Some employers stick an Affirmative Action statement in their handbook, thinking that an Equal Opportunity policy and an Affirmative Action policy are somehow connected. They assume that an Equal Opportunity employer also must be an Affirmative Action employer. Not so. Only employers who have government contracts must have Affirmative Action plans. If your business does not have a government contract that requires you to have an Affirmative Action plan, you have no legal requirement to take affirmative steps to employ applicants who are minorities or in protected classes.