Commitment to Diversity
The Center is striving for equality in all its operations and services. The Center has policies and procedures providing support services without regard to an individual’s sexual orientation, gender identity/expression, HIV/AIDS status, race, color, national origin, ancestry, creed, religion, sex, gender, physical or mental disability, age, marital status, military status, veteran status, citizenship or any other protected classification in accordance with state, federal and municipal laws.
The Center is especially committed to equal opportunity employment as provided by the law. Employment and volunteer placement will be offered on the basis of job qualifications and merits without regard to sexual orientation, gender identity/expression, HIV/AIDS status, race, color, national origin, ancestry, creed, religion, sex, gender, physical or mental disability, age, marital status, military status, veteran status, citizenship or any other protected classification in accordance with state, federal and municipal laws. This commitment specifically provides that the recruitment, hiring, retention, opportunities for advancement, compensation and termination of employees be done without regard to these above factors.
Safe Space Statement
The Center staff, Board of Directors and volunteers regard The Center as a safe space. Through our services we work to promote the tolerance, acceptance and appreciation of oneself and of others. In our efforts to promote diversity and fight ignorance, we have worked to make The Center a safe place for all people. As an employee, you are expected to respect staff, clients, and volunteers. This means that clients, staff, directors and volunteers should be treated with respect and should be afforded the privacy they desire.
As part of our commitment to making The Center a safe space for all people, we oppose intimidation, harassment and bigotry. Harassment, be it sexual, verbal or physical, and bigotry are not acceptable. . Being a safe environment, we ask people to refrain from actions and language that may offend others. Actively respecting each person’s preferred pronoun is mandatory. While diversity includes diverse opinions, it is important to have respect and to show courtesy toward others.
Harassment
The Center strives to maintain a positive working environment free of harassment and sensitive to the diversity of its employees. In doing so, The Center prohibits harassment because of sexual orientation, gender identity/expression, HIV/AIDS status, race, color, national origin, ancestry, creed, religion, se, gender, physical or mental disability, age, marital status, military status, veteran status, citizenship or any other protected classification in accordance with state, federal and municipal laws.
Harassment includes verbal or physical conduct that has the purpose of effect of substantially interfering with an individual’s work performance or creating an intimidating, hostile, or offensive work environment. Actions based on an individual’s sexual orientation, gender identity/expression, HIV/AIDS status, race, color, national origin, ancestry, creed, religion, sex, gender, physical or mental disability, age, marital status, military status, veteran status, citizenship or any other protected classification in accordance with state, federal and municipal laws will not be tolerated. Whether a particular behavior constitutes harassment may depend on the circumstances. Therefore, it is impossible to provide a complete list of all prohibited activities. However, behaviors that may be illegal and that do violate this guideline include the telling of “dirty” or “off color” jokes in the workplace or during working hours, reference to coworkers by derogatory sexual terms, or other conduct which reasonably could be construed by another employee as creating or contributing to the creation of an intimidating, hostile or offensive working environment. Similarly, insulting, degrading, threatening or otherwise offensive or hostile remarks, graffiti, jokes, poster, writings, gestures, actions or other communications are strictly prohibited, as are jokes or slurs, or any other communications or conduct disparaging or downgrading any of the protected groups listed above. This policy applies to all employees including manager, supervisors, co-workers, volunteers and non-employees such as customers, clients, vendors, consultants, etc.
Sexual Harassment
Because sexual harassment raises issues that are to some extent unique in comparison to other harassment, The Center believes it warrants separate emphasis. The Center does not tolerate sexual harassment and inappropriate sexual conduct. Sexual harassment is defined as unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, and other verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature, when submission to such conduct is made explicitly or implicitly a term or condition of employment or volunteer placement, or rejection of such conduct is used as a basis for decisions affecting an individual’s employment or volunteer placement.
Violence-Free Workplace
The goal of The Center is to maintain a workplace free from intimidation, threats or violent acts. This includes, but is not limited to: intimidating, threatening or hostile behaviors, physical abuse, vandalism, arson sabotage, use of weapons, carrying weapons onto Center property, or any other act, which, in management’s discretion, is inappropriate to the workplace. In addition, bizarre or offensive comments regarding violent events and/or behavior are not tolerated. Volunteers should directly contact proper law enforcement authorities if they believe here is a serious threat to the safety and health of themselves or others.
Confidential Information
It is the policy of The Center that all staff, paid and unpaid, including Board Members, Committee Members, advisory council members, and volunteers will observe the following rules of conduct with regard to the privacy and confidentiality rights of consumers who utilize any Center service. Clinically and professionally qualified staff members are expected to observe the more specific and stringent rules of conduct specified by their professional Ethics Guidelines and State law. Employees/volunteers are responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of all proprietary or privileged information to which they are exposed while working /volunteering at The Center. This is true whether this information involves a single staff member, volunteer, client or donor.
Drug and Alcohol Guidelines
The Center has a vital interest in maintaining safe, healthful and efficient working conditions for all employees. The use of drugs, including alcohol, in the workplace can pose serious health and safety threats to the employee(s), volunteers, community members and the public. The Drug & Alcohol policy is designed for maintaining a drug and alcohol-free workplace, and applies agency-wide.
The Center prohibits the unlawful sale, distribution, dispensing, possession, or use of any nonprescription drugs or alcohol in the workplace. Employees and volunteers are prohibited from reporting to work under the influence or apparent influence of drugs or alcohol. Employees are also prohibited from consuming alcohol during working/volunteering hours. All employees of The Center must acknowledge their consent to the following:
The Center reserves the right to take whatever action is deemed necessary to prevent injury and/or property damage to the employee, volunteers and/or others.
Any employee or volunteer convicted of selling or distributing drugs or alcohol on the job will be terminated immediately. Any volunteer found to be under the influence of illegal drugs, alcohol and/or unauthorized prescription drugs on the job will be terminated immediately.
Discipline
From time to time, it may be necessary to take disciplinary action with an employee or volunteer of The Center based on performance issues or other behavior falling short of The Center’s standards and/or expectations.