The following
text was supplied to GayOKC.com by Oklahoma County
District One Commissioner Jim Roth
(Posted 12-30-04)
OKLAHOMA COUNTY
Policy on Equal Employment Opportunity
The County of Oklahoma County takes this opportunity
to express its philosophy that an essential component
of excellence in County government is the diversity
of its community.
We recognize, welcome, and appreciate our
increasingly diverse workforce. This diversity not
only allows us to respond to the needs of our
customers in a more effective and culturally
sensitive manner, it also provides a reflection of
the community we serve.
As we continue to be committed to the acceptance of a
diverse workplace, community, country and world, let
us enjoy our differences and value the people who
exhibit them.
Through adoption of this policy, the County of
Oklahoma County commits the County and all employees
to a diverse, results-oriented, equal employment
opportunity environment aimed at a balanced workforce
free of discrimination.
Policy on Discrimination
The County of Oklahoma County is committed to
ensuring that no employee, applicant, or independent
contractor, shall be discriminated against based on
gender, pregnancy, childbirth or related medical
conditions, race, veteran status, religion, color,
national origin or ancestry, physical or mental
disability, medical condition, marital status, age,
sexual orientation, use of family medical leave,
political affiliation, or any other basis protected
by federal or state law. This policy shall apply to
all employment practices.
It is the policy of
the County of Oklahoma County that equal employment
opportunity is consistent with the basic principle
that all persons be afforded equal access to
positions in public service based on their ability to
do the job. Hiring will be made on the basis of job-related
criteria, and all employment decisions will be made
on the basis of merit, in conformity with these
principles of equal opportunity.
The County considers
violation of this policy on the basis of any of these
categories to constitute misconduct that undermines
the integrity of the employment relationship.
Corrective action up to, and including termination of
employment shall be taken against individuals who
violate any provision of this policy.
Policy on Harassment
It is the policy of
Oklahoma County to maintain an environment free from
harassment or bullying in the workplace. The County
will not tolerate any action by any employee which
illegally harasses, disrupts, or interferes with
another's work performance; or which creates an
intimidating, offensive, or hostile work environment.
Oklahoma County
encourages its employees to respect the differences
of others. Employees are expected to act in a
responsible, professional manner and to contribute to
a productive work environment that is free from
harassing or disruptive activity. All employees can
expect to work in an environment free from harassing
behaviors.
Oklahoma County
states its commitment to ensuring that no employee,
applicant, or independent contractor, shall be
discriminated against based on gender, pregnancy,
childbirth or related medical conditions, race,
veteran status, religion, color, national origin or
ancestry, physical or mental disability, medical
condition, marital status, age, sexual orientation,
use of family medical leave, political affiliation,
or any other basis protected by federal or state law.
Oklahoma County
considers harassment or bullying on the basis of any
of these categories to constitute misconduct that
undermines the integrity of the employment
relationship. Corrective action up to, and including,
termination of employment shall be taken against
individuals who violate this policy.
Harassment is a
systematic persecution through persistent and
conscious behavior that intimidates, threatens,
degrades, torments, or places demands upon another,
to the extent that it creates a pervasively hostile
work environment.
Harassing behavior
includes, but is not limited to:
- Verbal conduct,
such as epithets, derogatory or insulting
comments, taunting, heckling, slurs, jokes,
stories, disparaging terms, or unwanted
sexual advances or comments;
- Physical
conduct, such as impeding or blocking
movement, gestures, physical interference
with normal work movement, unwelcome
touching, or assault;
- Visual conduct,
such as derogatory or sexually oriented
posters, photographs, letters or other
writings, e-mail, cartoons, graffiti,
drawings, or gestures;
- Hazing by
exacting unnecessary work, banter or
ridicule;
- Treating in a
disparate manner; or
- Retaliating for
reporting harassment.
Bullying is defined
as the repeated, deliberate mistreatment of one
person by another, whose intent is to intimidate,
control, or have power over the other person.
Examples of bullying
include, but are not limited to:
- Verbally
belittling someone;
- Spreading
malicious rumors, gossip, or innuendo that is
not true;
- Excluding or
isolating someone socially;
- Undermining or
deliberately impeding a person’s work;
or,
- Yelling, using
profanity, or intimidating a person.
In addition
to the above, sexual harassment shall
include unwelcome, unwanted, sexual advances or
overtures, requests for sexual favors, and other
verbal, physical or body language of a sexual nature.
The actions above
will be considered sexual harassment when:
a)
Submission to such conduct is made, either explicitly
or implicitly, a term or condition of an individual's
employment; or
b) Submission to, or rejection of,
such conduct by an individual is used as the basis
for employment decisions affecting that individual;
or
c) Such conduct has the purpose or
effect of unreasonably interfering with an
individual's work performance or creating an
intimidating, hostile, or offensive working
environment.
Policy on Retaliation
Retaliation is defined as unlawful punishment of an
employee because that employee reported unlawful
discriminatory conduct, or participated in an
investigation of discrimination. The most obvious
types of retaliation are denial of promotion, refusal
to hire, denial of job benefits, demotion, suspension
and discharge. Other types of adverse action include,
but are not limited to, threats, reprimands,
reprimand or negative evaluations without cause, or
harassment. The source of retaliation may be from a
manager or supervisor toward an employee or it may be
from on employee or group of employees toward another
employee.
The County recognizes that the ability to
communicate, report, and oppose illegal activity is
the singular most effective tool employees and
applicants retain to prevent and stop such activity.
If retaliation for reporting or opposing illegal
activity were permitted to go unremedied, it would
have a chilling effect upon the willingness of
employees and applicants to speak out against, or
oppose, such illegal activity.
As such, the County maintains a zero tolerance policy
against acts of retaliation. County employees are
forbidden to retaliate against the good faith efforts
of any employee or applicant in reporting any
violation of this Equal Opportunity Policy.
Corrective action up to, and including termination
shall be taken against individuals in violation of
any provision of this policy.
Approved By Budget Board: Wednesday, December 15,
2004
Approved by Board of County Commissioners: Thursday,
December 16, 2004
Effective Immediately.
