Should Company EEO Policy Statements be Signed?

Federal contractors are required to develop a written EEO policy statement as part of their written affirmative action plan. This policy statement outlines the equal employment opportunity expectations of the company, to both employees and applicants for employment. A good policy statement will set the expectation that all employment activities, including recruiting and hiring, training, promotions, pay practices, and termination of employment will be done without taking into consideration a person’s race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, or protected veteran status into consideration.

The EEO policy statement must be shared internally with employees and managers, including by posting the statement on company bulletin boards. The statement must include the hours that the AAPs are available for inspection by employees and applicants. Many contractors ask the top executive of the company or another individual from the executive team to sign off on employment policies. But must the EEO policy statement be signed?

The policy statement must clearly indicate the support for the AAP by the company’s top U.S. executive. While stating that the company’s executives fully support the AAP is essential, the signature of a top official puts another stamp of approval on the communication, so it is best practice to include a signature. Once signed, the affirmative action officer of the company should ensure that policy statement is reviewed and updated each year, including having the top executive sign a new version of the policy statement. The most current version should then be posted anew on company bulletin boards, updated in employee handbooks, and updated in the written AAP narrative.