EG News Organizational Policies

Equal Employment Opportunity

We are an Equal Opportunity Employer. We are committed to a workplace environment that encourages growth and respect for all current and prospective employees based upon job-related factors such as educational background, work experience, and ability to perform the essential functions of a job. It is our policy and practice to prohibit any form of discrimination or harassment based on race, color, age, national origin, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, marital status, pregnancy, childbirth or related medical conditions, veteran status or uniformed member status, disability, genetic information, or any other status protected under applicable federal, state or local law. We are guided by ethical standards that comply with legal requirements. These standards will be implemented on an affirmative basis to ensure that equality of opportunity is afforded to all applicants and employees.

An important objective of our hiring and placement activities is to create a workforce which embraces diversity and allows individual differences to successfully contribute to our objectives and purpose. We believe that our continued success depends upon our ability to maintain a leadership role in the attraction, development, and retention of a highly competent work force and to create a climate where everyone can perform at their highest level.

You may discuss equal employment opportunity related questions with the Editor.

Accommodation of Individuals with Disabilities

EG News complies with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), the Americans with Disabilities Act Amendments Act (ADAAA) and applicable state and local laws providing for nondiscrimination in employment against qualified individuals with disabilities. We are committed to providing equal employment opportunities to all individuals, including those with disabilities and we are committed to engaging in an interactive process to determine the availability of a reasonable accommodation to any qualified individual where appropriate, for an otherwise qualified individual to perform the essential functions of the job, as long as the accommodation does not cause undue hardship. This includes:

  • requests for an accommodation during the application process;
  • requests for an accommodation to enable an individual to perform essential job functions or gain access to Office facilities; or
  • requests for an accommodation to enjoy equal benefits and privileges of employment.

It is your responsibility to notify your supervisor of the need for accommodation and provide supporting information as requested. Upon doing so, the Managing Doctor or his designee may ask you for your input or the type of accommodation you believe may be necessary or the functional limitations caused by your disability. Also, when appropriate, we may need your permission to obtain additional information from your physician or other medical or rehabilitation professionals.

EG News will not seek genetic information regarding requests for accommodation. All medical information received relating to a request for accommodation will be treated as confidential.

POLICY AGAINST DISCRIMINATION AND HARASSMENT

Discrimination Prohibited

EG News was built upon teamwork and equal opportunity.  We will continue to be successful when people are treated fairly and allowed to advance and achieve their full potential.  We are proud of the fact that we extend equal employment opportunities to all qualified employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, age, national origin, ancestry, physical or mental disability, medical condition, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, genetic information, veteran or disabled veteran status, pregnancy, membership in the uniformed services, or any other category protected by law.  It is our intent and desire that equal employment opportunity will be provided in recruitment, employment, promotion, demotion, discipline, wages, benefits, training, transfers, layoffs, recalls, use of facilities, participation in Company-sponsored activities and all other privileges, terms and conditions of employment.  Unlawful discrimination by anyone affiliated with EG News will not be tolerated.  If you believe that you have been discriminated against on the basis of your membership in a legally protected class, you should contact Human Resources.  The laws prohibiting discrimination, including harassment, are enforced by the Rhode Island Commission for Human Rights, 180 Westminster Street, Providence Rhode Island, 02903 (401-222-2662) and the federal Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, John F. Kennedy Federal Building, Government Center, 4th Floor, Room 475, Boston, Massachusetts 02203 (617-565-3200).

We work hard to promote the fulfillment of human potential and equal employment.  We will provide reasonable accommodations for the known physical or mental limitations of qualified applicants and employees with disabilities, as defined by the Americans with Disability Act (ADA) to enable them to perform the essential function of the position held or applied for and to enjoy equal benefits of employment, unless such accommodation would impose and undue hardship on EG News.

Harassment Prohibited

We strive to provide an environment free from discrimination or harassment based on race, color, religion, sex, age, national origin, ancestry, physical or mental disability, medical condition, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, genetic information, veteran or disabled veteran status, pregnancy, membership in the uniformed services, or any other legally protected category.  We will not tolerate verbal or physical conduct by anyone that harasses, disrupts or interferes with another’s work performance or that creates an intimidating, offensive or hostile environment.  We prohibit such harassment in any setting we sponsor.  We will take all steps within our power to prevent harassment not only by Office personnel, but also by patients and other persons who are not employees and who are on our property or have a relationship with EG News.

Each person affiliated with EG News has a responsibility to attempt to maintain an environment free of sexual harassment.  Sexual harassment includes any unwanted or unsolicited conduct or communication on account of an individual’s sex which adversely affects that individual’s conditions of employment or working environment.  Harassment may occur when: 1) submission to such conduct or advances or requests is made either explicitly or implicitly a term or condition of an individual’s employment; 2) submission to or rejection of such conduct or advances or requests by an individual is used as the basis for employment decisions affecting such individual; or 3) such conduct or advances or requests have the purpose or effect of substantially interfering with an individual’s work performance or creating a hostile, intimidating, or offensive working environment.

In other words, no person affiliated with EG News is to threaten or insinuate, either explicitly or implicitly, that another’s refusal to submit to sexual advances will adversely affect his or her relationship with EG News.  In addition, no person affiliated with EG News is to favor in any way any applicant or employee because that person has performed or shown a willingness to perform sexual favors for the supervisor.  Other sexually harassing conduct, such as 1) any abusive or degrading verbal or physical conduct, 2) contact of an offensive and unwelcome nature, or 3) any conduct that interferes with an individual’s work performance or creates an intimidating, hostile or offensive work environment, by any personnel is also prohibited.

Each person affiliated with EG News is personally responsible for ensuring that his or her conduct does not harass, sexually or otherwise, any other person affiliated with EG News.

The following is a partial list of behavior that may be considered sexual harassment:

  • Unwelcome and unwanted sexual jokes, language, epithets, advances or propositions;
  • Written or oral abuse of a sexual nature, sexually degrading or vulgar words to describe an individual;
  • Display of sexually suggestive objects, pictures, posters or cartoons;
  • Unwelcome and unwanted comments about an individual’s body, sexual prowess or sexual deficiencies;
  • Asking questions about sexual conduct;
  • Harassment consistently targeted at only one sex, even if the content of the verbal abuse is not sexual;
  • Unwelcome touching, leering, whistling, or suggestive, insulting or obscene comments or gestures;
  • Demanding sexual favors in exchange for favorable reviews, assignments, promotions, continued employment or promises of the same;
  • Assault or coerced sexual acts.

We similarly prohibit all offensive behavior directed at a person’s race, ethnicity, religion, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or disability, as well as any other legally protected status.  Racial, ethnic or other harassment is conduct that has the effect of substantially interfering with an individual’s work performance and creating a hostile, intimidating or offensive working environment.

Actions constituting such prohibited conduct include, among other things:

  • Displaying material that is demeaning to or derogatory of a person because of his or her race, ethnicity, religion, age, disability, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other legally protected status, including material intended as humor;
  • Bringing to work for the purpose of sharing or communicating with others any material that is demeaning to or derogatory of a person because of his or her race, ethnicity, religion, age, disability, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other legally protected status, including material intended as humor; or
  • Communicating to any person affiliated with EG News any comment that is demeaning to or derogatory of any person because of his or her race, ethnicity, religion, age disability, sex, or any other legally protected status, including comments that are intended as humor.

We consider harassment of any kind to be a serious offense.  Any person affiliated with EG News found to have engaged in harassment will be subject to appropriate disciplinary procedures.

Complaint Procedures

It is the goal of this policy and its procedures to create an environment in which people who have experienced harassment or who have concerns about harassment or discrimination issues will feel free to discuss those concerns with someone in a position to do something about them.  Upon receipt of a complaint, either oral or written, a fair and impartial investigation will be undertaken immediately and prompt corrective action will be taken wherever necessary.  If your initial complaint is oral, we will ask you to write down all the details in order to assist in the investigation.  Although prompt reporting is important, as it allows EG News to investigate while the facts are fresh and to take prompt corrective action, employees should bring their concerns about possible harassment to the appropriate personnel at any time.  If you believe that you have been the victim of discrimination, harassment, or offensive communications on account of your race, ethnicity, age, disability or sex, or any other legally protected status, you should use the following complaint procedure:

Notify your Editor.  If your complaint is against the Editor, notify the Board Chair.  Do not assume that we are aware of your problems.

The person receiving the complaint should immediately notify the Board, which will conduct (or oversee) a prompt investigation of the complaint.  The investigation will be conducted in as confidential a manner as possible while protecting the rights of all involved. The investigation will be documented and tracked to ensure reasonable progress. Retaliation or reprisal against any employee for making such a complaint or for filing any discrimination charge with any federal or local agency is strictly prohibited.  Similarly, retaliation or reprisal against any employee participating in good faith in an investigation of a harassment complaint is strictly prohibited.

Any person affiliated with EG News who is found, after appropriate investigation, to have violated any EG News policies concerning discrimination or harassment will be subject to appropriate discipline.  Disciplinary action will be taken within our complete discretion, and may consist of a range of actions, including but not limited to warning, reassignment, suspension, mandatory counseling, and termination of the relationship with EG News.  The disciplinary action taken will depend on the seriousness of the violation.

Each person affiliated with EG News is responsible for cooperating in any investigation of alleged harassment if requested to do so by the person conducting the investigation.

All persons affiliated with EG News have the responsibility and duty to report any incidents of harassment or discrimination to the Editor or Board in order to allow EG News to investigate and take corrective action as soon as possible in order to ensure that such incidents will not occur again.  Any person affiliated with EG News who has knowledge of such behavior and fails to report it is subject to disciplinary action.

Retaliation is Prohibited

We will not tolerate retaliation of any kind against anyone who complains about discrimination or harassment or anyone who participates in good faith in an investigation of a discrimination or harassment complaint, notify the Editor or Board Chair.  Do not assume that we are aware of your problems.

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