Section 3 - VHCC Faculty Manual

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Section 1 - Introduction

Section 2 - Organization & Responsibility

Section 3 - Personnel

Section 4 - Administrative Rules and Regulations

Section 5 - Educational Programs

Section 6 - Student Development Services

Section 7 - Miscellaneous Information

3.21 EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY (EEO)

DHRM Policy 2.05, Equal Employment Opportunity, DHRM Policy 2.10, Hiring, and DHRM Policy 2.30, Workplace Harassment

The Commonwealth is committed to providing equal employment opportunity for all employees and job applicants regardless of their race, color, religion, sex, age, national origin, disability, and political affiliation. Employment discrimination based upon these traits is unlawful under both state and federal law. Equal opportunity extends to all aspects of employment including hiring, transfers, promotions, training, termination, working conditions, compensation, benefits, and other terms and conditions of employment. The Commonwealth complies with federal and state equal employment opportunity laws and strives to keep the workplace free from all forms of unlawful discrimination, including harassment and retaliation.
Harassment is any unwelcome verbal, written, or physical conduct that either denigrates or shows hostility or aversion towards a person on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, religion, disability, marital status, or pregnancy that (1) has the purpose or effect of creating an intimidating, hostile, or offensive working environment; (2) has the purpose or effect of unreasonably interfering with an employee's work performance; or (3) affects an employee's employment opportunities or compensation.

Retaliation is any overt or covert act of reprisal, interference, restraint, penalty, discrimination, intimidation, or harassment against one or more individuals for exercising their rights (or supporting others for exercising their rights) under the Commonwealth's EEO policies.
Violations and Enforcement:

Unlawful discrimination in any form is a serious offense that will not be tolerated in state employment. The Department of Human Resource Management's Policies and Procedures Manual sets forth the relevant policies of the Commonwealth. If an employee believes that he or she is a victim of unlawful discrimination, several avenues of redress are available, including processes within the college, the grievance procedure, and the state and federal discrimination complaint processes.

Supervisors or employees found to have engaged in unlawful discriminatory conduct are subject to disciplinary action, including termination.
DHRM's Office of Equal Employment Services (OEES) is responsible for enforcing policies concerning equal employment opportunity. This office investigates and resolves complaints of unlawful employment discrimination. If you wish to submit a complaint or allegation, you may obtain the needed forms from VHCC’s Human Resource office, by contacting the OEES, or from the DHRM web site (http://www.dhrm.virginia.gov). Employees may also file complaints under the Grievance Procedure or directly with the federal Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.