|
Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO)
Complaint Procedures
Basing treatment of employees or applicants on their membership in a protected class is expressly prohibited by law and County policy. Accordingly, a complaint may be made for adverse treatment, such as discrimination, harassment, or hostility in the workplace, because of one’s membership in a protected class. Protected classes include age, ancestry, color, race, sex (gender), religion, national origin, marital status, physical or mental disability, medical condition, or sexual orientation. A complaint may also be made for retaliation suffered because of participation in the complaint process as a complainant or witness.
Notice of Rights
Any employee or applicant for employment may file a Complaint of Prohibited Adverse Treatment (PAT), with the County’s Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Office for resolution. However,
a complaint may also be filed with the California Department of Fair Employment and Housing (DFEH) or the U.S.
Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC). Because internal resolution through the County’s EEO Office is
much faster and more private, this is the preferred method of resolving a complaint.
The EEO Office is authorized by the Board of Supervisors to conduct a thorough and objective review of all
circumstances relating to complaints of discrimination which may require, as part of the investigation, interviewing
persons knowledgeable of any aspect of a complaint. The cooperation of witnesses is necessary in order to assist the
EEO Office in determining the facts.
The EEO Office Function
The County EEO Office serves as a neutral third party in discovering the facts and determining whether prohibited
adverse treatment occurred. Consequently, EEO staff does not advocate for a complainant, nor for the County
department involved. The EEO Office will evaluate the testimony given and other information gathered during an
investigation. If a complaint is substantiated, the EEO Office will make recommendations to the Department Head to
resolve the situation and eliminate the practices that caused the problem.
Points to Remember
There are employment practices that may seem unfair, but are not illegal. For example, a less experienced applicant
who performs better in the testing and interview process will be more likely to win a job offer or promotion than a
more experienced applicant. The County’s Civil Service system is based on merit, not seniority.
Unless there is objective information to support an allegation of prohibited adverse
treatment, the EEO Office may not be able to accept, nor to substantiate a complaint. However, a representative of the EEO Office may be contacted to examine the complaint's merit. Confidentiality
will be protected to the extent permitted by law and County policy.
|