PAIRE - HUMAN RESOURCES PRINCIPLES

II. POLICY: It is the philosophy of the organization that all individuals are valued, that employment at PAIRE should be free from discrimination or harassment and that the workplace should provide a safe environment.

III. EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY AND AFFIRMATIVE ACTION

A.        PAIRE is committed to equal employment principles. We do not discriminate against any person in any matter of employment on the basis of race, color, creed, religion, national origin, sex, age, disability, marital status, sexual orientation, veteran status or on any basis prohibited by federal, state or local law. This policy applies to all personnel within the organization regarding:

1.                  recruiting and soliciting for employment;
2.                  hiring, placement, promotion, transfer and demotion;
3.                  employment training or selection for training;
4.                  rate of pay, compensation, and benefits;
5.                  termination.

B.         Every employee has the right to work in surroundings that are free from all forms of unlawful discrimination. We will not engage in unlawful discrimination on any basis prohibited by local, state or federal law.
C.        To promote equal employment opportunity, prevent discrimination and ensure diversity, we support the principles of affirmative action. In that regard we will be vigilant in our identification of potential problems in the recruitment and employment of women, minorities and persons with disabilities. Should such be discovered we will analyze the status of these groups throughout the organization to determine the cause of the problem. We would then eliminate any policies, procedures or practices that are discriminatory and take proactive measures, including targeted recruitment, training, outreach and the expansion of mentoring programs to reach the qualified groups.

IV. SEXUAL AND OTHER HARASSMENT

A.        PAIRE expects all employees to accomplish their work in a professional and businesslike manner. Harassment of employees by fellow employees or supervisors is a form of unlawful discriminatory behavior and is not permitted regardless of working relationship. Specifically forbidden is harassment of a sexual, religious, racial or ethnic nature.

B.         Harassment includes unsolicited remarks, gestures, or physical contact; display or circulation of written materials, e-mail or pictures derogatory to either gender or to racial, ethnic, or religious groups; or basing personnel decisions on an employee’s response to sexually-oriented requests.

C.                 Sexual harassment is improper and illegal and may be grounds for immediate dismissal.

V. WORKPLACE SAFETY

Safety is every employee’s concern. Contributions to ensuring a safe working environment are the responsibility of each employee. PAIRE employees are required to participate in the VA Research and Development Safety Training and to complete the annual safety training modules. Safety program requirements can be found in VAPAHCS policies, which serve as the guidance for PAIRE employees and define the requirements to which PAIRE employees must adhere.

VI. DRUG-FREE WORKPLACE

A.                 Abuse of alcohol or any drug or illegal substance is a serious threat to personal health and job performance. As a condition of employment all PAIRE employees must comply with the following requirements:

1.                  The unlawful manufacture, distribution, dispensing, possession or use of a controlled substance or alcohol is prohibited in the workplace. Violators are subject to disciplinary action, up to and including discharge.

2.                  Employees should determine with their physician or pharmacist whether any prescription drugs being taken might impair their ability to perform their jobs safely and effectively. If performance might be so impaired, the employee should not report to work. Further, the employee should discuss the matter with his/her supervisor to determine whether some accommodation may allow performance of the essential job functions safely and effectively.

3.                  Any PAIRE employee convicted of a violation of a criminal drug statute occurring in the workplace must notify the supervisor and Executive Director of PAIRE in writing within five days of the conviction. PAIRE is then required by law to notify all agencies providing funds to PAIRE of the infraction within ten days of receipt of notice.

B.                 TriNet (PAIRE’s co-employer) offers, free of charge, the services of its Work/Life Solutions Program to employees and family members for information about coping with drug and alcohol as well as financial and other problems.

VII. PROCEDURES: If any employee believes there are violations of these principles or inappropriate conduct in any of these areas they should report them. Corrective action cannot be taken without awareness of the problem.

A.        Employees, at their option, should make complaints, orally or in writing, to a supervisor or someone else if the supervisor is the alleged offender.

B.         An employee who prefers to make a complaint of sexual harassment to a member of the staff who is the same gender will be accommodated.

C.        Supervisors or others receiving complaints must promptly report these to the Executive Director.

D.        Complaints should be as specific as possible with respect to date, time, place, nature of incidents, and any witnesses to the misconduct.

E.         The Executive Director or designated representative is responsible for promptly conducting a thorough confidential investigation of the alleged misconduct. This may be done in conjunction with investigations conducted by VAPAHCS and/or Stanford.

F.         If, upon completion of the investigation, it is determined that prohibited conduct occurred, prompt corrective and disciplinary action shall be implemented. This includes the possibility of discharge of offending persons.

Last Modified: August 30, 2004
Top of page