Equal Employment Opportunity Policy Statement
Summary
The UNC Health Care System ("UNC Health") is an equal employment opportunity (EEO) employer. Discrimination, harassment, intimidation and other inappropriate conduct is strictly prohibited and will not be tolerated by or against teammates, patients, suppliers, contractors or anyone else who conducts business with or interacts with UNC Health. All teammates, including managers, supervisors and teammates in non supervisory positions, are required to support UNC Health's Equal Employment Opportunity Policy Statement (the "Policy Statement") and to prevent harassment, intimidation, threats, coercion or discrimination.
This Policy Statement applies to conduct at all UNC Health owned entity locations and workplaces and while engaging in work-related activities outside of the workplace, such as social events and communications.
Equal Employment Opportunity: Discrimination Prohibitions
Employment decisions at UNC Health are based on legitimate job-related criteria and the qualifications, skills and experience of individuals. UNC Health is an equal opportunity employer and it is the policy of UNC Health to comply with all applicable federal, state and local laws governing equal employment and nondiscrimination with
regard to any employment practices, including but not limited to: recruitment, advertising, job application procedures, hiring, upgrading, demoting, selection for training, including apprenticeship, promotion, transfer, termination, layoff, rate of pay or other forms of compensation, job assignments, benefits, and/or other terms, conditions, or privileges of employment.
UNC Health does not discriminate in employment nor allow the discrimination or harassment, intimidation, threats or coercion of teammates or applicants on the basis of an individual's own protected characteristics (or association, affiliation or perceived affiliation with a member of any of the characteristics protected by law), and offers equal employment opportunities to applicants and teammates without regard to any protected characteristics, including race, color, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, pregnancy, age, disability, genetic information, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law.
UNC Health provides reasonable accommodations to the known physical or mental limitations of an otherwise qualified applicant or teammate, unless the accommodation would impose an undue hardship on the operations of UNC Health's business. Teammates can make reasonable accommodation requests in the myHR portal or by informing their Human Resources Business Partner or Employee Relations. Applicants can make reasonable accommodation requests with respect to the application process by emailing applicant.accommodations@unchealth.unc.edu or by informing their recruiter.
Additionally, reasonable accommodations are also made for applicants' and teammates' religious practices and beliefs and for known limitations related to pregnancy (including childbirth, lactation and related medical conditions), unless the accommodation will cause an undue hardship, in accordance with applicable laws.
Equal Employment Opportunity: Harassment Prohibitions
Harassment of any kind in the workplace including (but not limited to) by supervisory personnel, teammates or contractors on the basis of any characteristic protected by law is a form of discrimination that violates UNC Health's Harassment-Free Workplace policy. It is prohibited and will not be tolerated.
Harassment includes verbal, nonverbal, written or physical unwelcome conduct that is demeaning or that shows aversion or hostility because of an individual's aforementioned protected characteristics. This type of conduct may create an intimidating, hostile or offensive working environment, unreasonably interfere with an individual's work and adversely affect an individual's employment opportunities. Sexual harassment includes unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors and other verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature. Harassment can occur between members of the same or opposite sex. Harassment is often defined by the impact to the recipient rather than the intent.
UNC Health strives to maintain a workplace that is free from discrimination, harassment and intimidation. All UNC Health teammates who believe they have been the subject of discrimination, or have been harassed or witnessed discrimination or harassment, must immediately report the incident to their supervisor or Human Resources or through the Compliance Hotline: 800-362-2921 or http://hotline.unchealthcare.org as soon as possible. Incidents may be raised anonymously, but co-workers are encouraged to provide sufficient information to permit an investigation and some contact information to allow for follow-up. Supervisors who are notified of a complaint must immediately contact Human Resources.
UNC Health will conduct an impartial investigation of any allegations and if applicable, will take appropriate corrective action.
Retaliation
Retaliation against any teammate who reports perceived discrimination or harassment, or other behavior prohibited by this Policy Statement or who participates in an investigation as a witness or in any other capacity, is prohibited and will not be tolerated.
Teammates and applicants will not be subjected to harassment, intimidation, threats, coercion or discrimination because they have engaged in, or may have engaged in, filing a complaint, assisting or participating in an investigation, compliance review or hearing, opposing any act or practice made unlawful by, or other activity related to, the administration of Section 503 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, the Vietnam Era Veterans' Readjustment Assistance Act of 1974, and/or any other federal. state or local law or regulation regarding equal employment opportunity, opposing any act or practice made unlawful, or exercising any other right protected by such laws or regulations.
UNC Health will not discharge or in any other manner discriminate against teammates or applicants because they have inquired about, discussed or disclosed their own pay or the pay of another teammate or applicant. However, teammates who have access to the compensation information of other teammates or applicants as a part of their essential job functions cannot disclose the pay of other teammates or applicants to individuals who do not otherwise have access to compensation information, unless the disclosure is (a) in response to a formal complaint or charge, (b) in furtherance of an investigation, proceeding, hearing or action, including an investigation conducted by the employer, or (c) consistent with the legal duty to furnish information.
Oversight / Accountability
UNC Health and our executive leadership are fully committed to principles of equal employment opportunity. All managers and supervisors will ensure all qualified teammates are considered and treated in a nondiscriminatory manner with respect to all employment decisions. UNC Health solicits the cooperation and support of all teammates for the Policy Statement.
UNC Health is required to develop annual written plans to provide equal employment opportunity and foster employment opportunities for qualified individuals with disabilities and protected veterans. In accordance with applicable law, UNC Health's compliance programs and plans for qualified individuals with disabilities and protected veterans are available to teammates for inspection upon request to Employee Relations by submitting a request through the myHR Portal.
Training
A variety of training tools and workshops designed to promote a workplace free of discrimination and harassment are available for teammates and supervisors in Learning Made Simple (LMS).
A. Wesley Burks, MD
Dean, UNC School of Medicine
Vice Chancellor for Medical Affairs, UNC-CH
CEO, UNC Health
Download a PDF of the Equal Employment Opportunity Policy Statement
