529698

Date: 03/25/19 Revision: 02/16/23 Reviewed: 09/05/24 HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE CHAD CHRONISTER , SHERIFF STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURE Number: GEN 200.01 Page: 1 of 2 SUBJECT: EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY I. PURP OSE : The purpose of this standard operating procedure is to ensure an environment of mutual respect where equal employment opportunities are available to all applicants and employees without regard to ra ce, color, religion, sex, pregnancy , national origin , age, physical/ mental disability, marital status, sexual orientation, gen der identity, gender expression, genetic information, military/ veteran status, and any other characteristic protected by applicabl e law. II. SCOPE : This procedure shall apply to all Sheriff’s Office applicants and employees. * III. DISCUSSION : The Sheriff’s Office is an equal opportunity employer and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any kind. The Sheriff’s Office believes that diversity a nd inclusion among our applica nts and personnel is critical to our success as a community partner , and w e seek to recruit, develop , and retain the most talented people from a diverse candidate pool. We are committed to the principle of equal employment opportunity for all applicants a nd employees and to providing employees with a work environment free of discrimination and harassment. IV. DEFINITIONS : A. Affected Persons - Persons who are affected by workplace discrimination as defi ned by the EEOC. * B. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC ) - The entity responsible for enforcing federal laws that make it illegal to discriminate against a job applicant or an employee because of the person's race, color, religion, sex (includin g pregnancy and related conditions , gender identit y, and sexual orientation), national origin, age (40 or older), disability , or genetic information. The laws apply to all types of work situations, including hiring, firing, promotions, harassment, trainin g, wages, and benefits. C. Equal Employment Oppor tunity /Diversity Representative - The Sheriff’s Office representative responsible for monitoring and evaluating compliance with equal opportunity laws, guidelines, and policies to ensure that employment pra ctices and contracting arrangements give equal opp ortunity. V. PROCEDURE : A. Equal Employment Opportunity Policy 1. It is the po licy of the Sheriff's Office to recruit and employ persons without regard to race, color, religion, sex, pregnancy, n ational origin, age, physical/mental disability, m arital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, genetic information, military/veteran status, and any other characteristic protected by applicable law . Persons seeking employment wit h or employed by the Sheriff’s Office shall be tre ated equally with respect to all employment practices including screening, advertising, recruitment, selection, appointment, promotion, demotion, assignment, training, hiring, leave practices, rates of pay, fringe benefits, and other forms of pay . GEN 200.01 02/16/23 Page 2 of 2 2. The S heriff's Offi ce ensure s compliance with Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, as amended by the Equal Employment Opportunity Act of 1972, Executive Order 11246, Executive Order 11375, and all othe r state and federal laws and regulations, as they apply to equal employment opportunities. 3. The Human Resou rces Division Commander serves as the Equal Employment Opportunity /Diversity R epresentative for the Sheriff’s Office. 4. The Sheriff’s Office shall cr eate, submit , and disseminate the following documents e very two years: a. Equal Employment Opportunity Plan (EEOP) to the U.S. Department of Justice Office for Civil Rights . * b. The State and Local Government Report (EEO -4) to the EEOC . * B. Internal Complaint Procedure - Any em ployee with the Sheriff's Of fice who believes they are being, or have been subject ed to, discrimination by any other employee or non-employee who comes into the workplace shall provide information related to such events in the following manner. 1. Any employee making a complaint that they have been subjected to discrimination should report the behavio r to: a. A supervisor in his/her chain of command , b. The Professional Standards Bureau , or c. The Chief Deputy. 2. If the employee makes th e complaint to a supervisor or t he Chief Deputy, they shall expeditiously forward the complaint to the Professional Standards Bureau . 3. The Professional Standards Bureau shall notify the reporting employee’s District/Division Commander, Section Superviso r, or designee , as soon as possi ble to take any necessary action to protect the employee from further discrimination including , but not limited to , reassigning the subject of the complaint or the reporting employee to a different area pending the conclusion of the administrative investig ation. C. External Complaint Procedure - Affected persons , who wish to file a n external complaint , have multiple ways to initiate the process with the EEOC . There are specific time limits (180 days) within which a charge must be filed. Under certain c ircumstances, the limit may be extended to 300 days. 1.