202 – Discrimination in the Workplace
Policy
No employee of the Harris County Sheriff’s Office (HCSO) shall discriminate against any employee or applicant for employment because of that person’s race, color, religion, sex, sexual or gender orientation, national origin, age, disability, or veteran status with respect to compensation, hiring, promotion, or other terms, conditions, or privileges of employment.
Retaliation Prohibited
No employee of the HCSO shall take any action against any employee or applicant because he or she has opposed any unlawful employment practice, filed a charge of employment discrimination, testified, assisted, or participated in any manner in an investigation, proceeding, or hearing related to charges filed with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) or the Texas Commission on Human Rights.
Discrimination Prohibited
Discrimination against employees and applicants on the basis of race, sex, sexual or gender orientation, color, national origin, age, disability, or veteran status is prohibited. The HCSO provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants without regard to race, religion, color, national origin, age, sexual or gender orientation, disability, or veteran status in accordance with applicable state and federal laws. This provision applies to all terms and conditions of employment and all personnel actions, including, but not limited to: hiring, placement, promotion, termination, transfer, status, classification, compensation, and training.
More specifically, in accordance with federal and state laws, the HCSO will treat employees over forty (40) years of age on a parity with younger employees with respect to hiring, working conditions, transfers, promotions, benefits, and pensions.
Older Applicants and Employees
The HCSO shall comply with all state and federal employment legislation regarding age. The HCSO is aware of the vast reserve of skill, experience, dedication, and creativity to be found in the older citizens of Harris County. The HCSO desires to optimize its professionalism and efficiency by using all available resources, including the talents of people over 40 years of age.
Fairness
The HCSO shall assess and evaluate all employees fairly and without prejudice or stereotype based on age. Employees of all ages will be considered for lateral transfers and promotions, and there will be no assumption that a worker over sixty (60) years of age is just “marking time” until retirement. Retired persons who have decided to return to the active labor force will be fairly considered for employment without regard to age.
Exception
There are some positions and units within the HCSO that require exceptional or special physical skills to perform the demands required of that division’s specific mission. The HCSO must be ready to respond to all of the demands of the community we serve. Therefore, special requirements of some jobs or positions within the agency must remain, and this policy should not be interpreted as a change in those requirements.
Harassment Prohibited
The HCSO prohibits any form of unlawful employee harassment based on race, color, religion, sex, sexual or gender orientation, national origin, age, disability, or veteran status. Inappropriate interference with the ability of any employee to perform his or her expected job duties is not tolerated. No employee of the HCSO shall harass or create an intimidating or hostile working environment for any other employee.
Compliance with Laws
The HCSO provides support to, and all employees shall comply with, state and federal laws relating to equal employment practices.
Statement of Equal Opportunity
The HCSO intends to hire and employ qualified personnel without regard to race, national origin, color, religion, sex, sexual or gender orientation, age, or disability. The goal of HCSO is to have a workforce reflective of the ethnic makeup of the community we serve.
Complaints
Employees are encouraged to bring to the attention of the Human Resources director any situation they are aware of, directly or indirectly, which they feel may constitute discrimination or harassment they feel may violate any law regulating fair employment practices. Employees may also bring such a situation to the attention of any supervisor, but that supervisor must also make the Human Resources director aware of the situation as soon as possible. Such action on the part of an employee, supervisor, or the Human Resources director shall not be considered a violation of chain of command. Such situation should be recorded in writing in a signed statement. The form shall be made available from the Human Resources director’s office.
EEOC / Texas Commission on Human Rights
All employees of the HCSO are encouraged to cooperate with representatives of the EEOC and the Texas Commission on Human Rights in matters pertaining to employment practices. Nevertheless, employees who are contacted by representatives of EEOC or the Texas Commission on Human Rights in connection with an investigation of a charge of discrimination shall notify the Human Resources Division of all such contacts.
Investigations
Internal inquiries or investigations relating to charges of employment discrimination, harassment, or unfair employment practices will be conducted by appropriate personnel.
Accommodation
Employees who require accommodations applicable to state and federal laws shall make request in writing and provide documentation of the necessitating condition to the Human Resources director.
Revision
This policy has been revised on the below listed dates:
April 21, 2009
November 13, 2013
October 6, 2015
February 28, 2017
July 13, 2017