Equal Employment Opportunity Policy Overview

Purpose of the Policy

• To ensure equitable employment opportunities and conditions for all members and applicants.
• Compliance with federal and state equal employment opportunity laws and regulations is required.

Policy Details

• The Osceola County Sheriff's Office prohibits discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, national origin, age, veteran status, political affiliation, marital status, disability, or other protected characteristics.
• The discrimination prohibition does not include Bona Fide Occupational Qualifications (BFOQ) identified by job analysis.
• The policy covers all employment areas, including recruitment, selection, placement, training, promotion, transfer, discipline, layoff, termination, wages, benefits, performance appraisal, and work conditions.
• Women and minorities are highly encouraged to apply.
• Active recruitment efforts will be used and the selection processes use job-related components to measure behaviors, knowledge, skills, and abilities.
• Reports of Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) violations will be investigated.
• Individuals filing or serving as witnesses will not be subject to adverse action.
• The right to a prompt and equitable complaint resolution is protected, and a person's pursuit of other remedies will not be impaired.
• The Sheriff's Office will investigate complaints regardless of whether the complainant seeks further action beyond initial reporting or chooses to pursue the matter outside the agency.
• Procedures are designed to protect the substantive rights of interested persons, meet due process standards, and ensure compliance with EEO laws and regulations.

Definitions

• Bona Fide Occupational Qualification (BFOQ): A trait employers are allowed to consider when making employment decisions.
• These are qualities that would be discriminatory if considered in other contexts, such as sex, religion, national origin, and age.
• Example: Only deputies of the same sex may conduct a strip search.
• Complaint(s): A statement of member dissatisfaction with a specific, job-related action, condition, or event in the work environment that has caused harm.
• Actions involve the interpretation, application, or enforcement of policies, procedures, and orders.
• Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO): Provision of equitable opportunities for employment and conditions of employment to all employees and applicants.
• This is regardless of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, national origin, veteran status, political affiliation, marital status, age, or disability status.
• Equal Employment Opportunity Officer: Responsible for ensuring agency compliance with state and federal laws regarding employment conditions.
• Job Related Behaviors: Work conduct required based on a job task analysis.
• Job Task Analysis: A systematic examination and definition of a job's component duties, tasks, elements, knowledge, skills, and abilities.
• Sex: Member or applicant's Gender.

Procedures

• The Human Resources Manager serves as the EEO Officer and the ADA Coordinator, in accordance with Policy 313.0: Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
• The Human Resources Manager or designee addresses complaints or questions regarding suspected violations, except for those involving sexual harassment.
• Sexual harassment complaints are handled by Internal Affairs, with the EEO Officer, in conjunction with Policy 310.0 Harassment.
• Current Official Equal Employment Opportunity information notices must be posted in conspicuous places.
• All agency advertisements and applications must state that the agency is an Equal Employment Opportunity employer.
• Only Bona Fide Occupational Qualifications and job-related behaviors should be included in position advertisements and other materials describing the position; including job titles and descriptions.
• All Bona Fide Occupational Qualifications must be approved by the Sheriff or designee, supported by Job Task Analysis data that demonstrates the job-relatedness of the qualification.
• Race, color, marital status, or veteran status cannot be considered as a Bona Fide Occupational Qualification.
• The Human Resources Manager is responsible for monitoring the agency's practices, employment policies and procedures, and ensuring compliance with federal, state, and local laws, ADA, and EEO regulations.

EEO and ADA Complaints

• All written Complaints will be vigorously investigated to conclusion and the final decisions will be submitted in writing to the grievant via chain of command.
• Complainants who orally raise Complaints will be requested to submit Complaint in writing.
• The Human Resources Manager must be made aware of all ADA, EEO, and sexual harassment Complaints.
• Any applicant or member who feels unfairly treated based on protected characteristics can submit a Complaint through the chain of command to the Sheriff.
• Members are encouraged to forward Complaints to their supervisor for review or may submit directly to the Human Resource Section Manager if the Complaint involves the member's supervisor or manager.
• Written complaints should be addressed to: Osceola County Sheriff's Office, Human Resources Manager, 2601 E. Irlo Bronson Hwy, Kissimmee, Florida 34744, (407) 348-1130.
• Complaints should include the name and address of the person filing the Complaint and briefly describe the alleged misconduct.
• Complaints should be filed within 30 days after the complainant becomes aware of the alleged violation, if possible.
• The reporting process and member obligations for making complaints/reporting discrimination or harassment are set forth in Policy 314.0, Harassment.
• A description of the agency's ADA and EEO policies related to filing agency Complaints must be included in the application materials.
• The Human Resources Manager must maintain the Sheriff's Office files and records relating to filed Complaints.
• No member shall suffer retaliation for making a Complaint
• Members may be disciplined for failing to timely report conduct
• Investigations into employment discrimination complaints will be assigned to the Internal Affairs Unit, unless circumstances indicate assignment to an outside agency is necessary.