Policy of Equity Flashcards
…Your battalion chief asks you to give a five minute briefing to the new recruit firefighters and the new division nurse educator about the County Policy of Equity. The BC gives you a complete policy handout for each new employee; the briefing will take place at 1400hrs.
Scenario
What does the County Policy of Equity require from individual County employees?
To conduct themselves in accordance with County Policy of Equity (Policy), and all applicable local, county, state, and federal laws.
What is the purpose of the Policy?
To preserve the dignity and professionalism of the workplace and to protect the right of employees to be free from:
Sexual Harassment
Harassment
Discrimination
Retaliation, and
Inappropriate conduct based on a protected status
What are the penalties for engaging in prohibited conduct?
Counseling Training Notice of Instruction Letter of Reprimand Suspension Demotion Discharge
What are some of the areas where a person is protected from discrimination?
Sex Race Color Ancestry Religion National Origin Ethnicity Age (40 and over) Disability Sexual Orientation Marital status Medical Condition
What is the County Policy on Unlawful Harassment?
Unlawful harassment is conduct which has the purpose or effect of unreasonably interfering with one’s work performance or creates an intimidating, hostile, offensive, or abusive environment.
What is the County Policy of Equity retaliation?
No person may take employment action against another for reporting an incident or filing a complaint of conduct, or for participating in an investigation, administrative proceeding, or otherwise exercising their rights or performing their duties under this Policy or the law.
Give some examples of conduct which may violate the County Policy of Equity?
Posting, sending, forwarding, soliciting or displaying in the workplace any materials, documents or images that are, including but not limited to, sexually suggestive, racist, “hate-site” related, letters, notes, invitations, cartoons, posters, facsimiles, electronic mail or web links;
Verbal conduct: whistling, cat calls, making lewd or derogatory noises, making graphic comments about another’s body, participating in explicit discussions about sexual experiences and/or desires.
Verbal conduct: sexually, racially, or ethnically degrading words or names, using or making racial or ethnic epithets, slurs, or jokes;
Verbal conduct: comments or gestures about a person’s physical appearance which have a racial, sexual, disability-related, religious, age or ethnic connotation or derogatory comments about religious differences and practices;
Physical conduct such as touching, pinching, massaging, hugging, kissing, rubbing the body, or making gestures;
Visual conduct such as staring, leering, displaying or circulating sexually suggestive objects, pictures, posters, photographs, cartoons, calendars, drawings, magazines, computer images or graphics;
Sexual advances or propositions, including repeated requests for a date;
Adverse employment actions like discharge and/or demotion, this list is not exhaustive.
Who is required to report violations?
Supervisors and managers have an affirmative duty to report potential violations of this Policy to the County Intake Specialist Unit, and to take all reasonable steps to prevent and stop discrimination, unlawful harassment, retaliation, and inappropriate conduct toward others based on a protected status from occurring in the workplace.
How is a possible violation reported?
Complete a County Policy of Equity Report Form (County POE Report Form)and file the original with the County Intake specialist Unit with copies to:
The reporting party’s Department Head, and
The Executive Director of the County’s equity Oversight Panel
What are Supervisors responsible for?
Abiding by and understanding the Policy
Actively monitoring the work environment
Informing employees under their supervision of prohibited behavior
Stopping conduct that potentially violates the Policy
Purpose
IDENTIFY
STOP
NOTIFY
