The Employment Equity Act, requires all positions in a company to be analysed in terms of a scientifically validated process. Accordingly, every promotion and/or appointment must be defendable in terms of the aforementioned process. In line with this Act, every company would be required to implement and manage an Employment Equity Policy and to report back to the Department of Labour on progress and action plans.

The process of developing employment equity plans can be divided and described in three distinct phases namely 1) the preparation phase, 2) the implementation phase and 3) the monitoring phase.

The preparation phase

Step 1: It is important that one or more senior managerial employees are appointed to take responsibility for the development, implementation and monitoring of the plan.

Step 2: The top management structure must formulate the company's Employment Equity Policy and consider the practical implications thereof in relation to other strategic objectives.

Step 3: All employees should be made aware of the content and application of the Act to prepare them for proper consultation.

Step 4: Facilitate a process for the nomination and election of a task team who will be representative of designated and non-designated employees and with whom management will consult in future.

Step 5: Familiarize the task team with the process to be followed and with their duties and responsibilities as the official representatives of those they represent.

Step 6: Conduct an analysis by assessing all employment policies, practices, procedures and the working environment.

Step 7: Compile a work force profile indicating which employees are from designated groups per occupational category and level of the organization.

Step 8: Develop the EE plans in association with the task team.

Step 9: Compile the EE report and submit a summary thereof to the Director General of Labor.

The implementation phase

The implementation phase simply consists of the implementation of the plans drawn up by the task team and management and the communication thereof to all other employees.

The monitoring and evaluation phase

It is important to keep proper records of every step mentioned above to ensure the effective monitoring and evaluation of the plan.