The Bedford County Chamber of Commerce

Is an Equal Opportunity Organization

Objective

The Bedford County Chamber of Commerce is an equal opportunity employer. In accordance with applicable anti-discrimination laws, this policy establishes and implements the Chamber’s commitment to equal employment opportunity.

The Chamber prohibits discrimination and harassment of any kind and provides equal employment opportunities to employees and applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, pregnancy, age, national origin, disability, genetic information, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law.

The Chamber complies with both the spirit and the letter of all applicable laws and regulations.

Scope

The Chamber’s equal employment opportunity and anti-discrimination policy applies to all aspects of its relationships with employees, including:

Recruitment
Hiring and employment
Promotion
Transfer
Training
Working conditions
Wage and salary administration
Employee benefits
Application of organizational policies

The principles of equal employment opportunity also apply to the selection and treatment of independent contractors, individuals working on the Chamber’s premises through temporary employment agencies, and any other individuals or organizations conducting business with or on behalf of the Chamber.

Dissemination and Implementation of Policy

The officers of the Bedford County Chamber of Commerce are responsible for disseminating this policy. Directors, managers, and supervisors are responsible for implementing equal employment practices within their respective areas of responsibility.

The individual or department responsible for human resources and personnel administration will oversee compliance and maintain personnel records in accordance with applicable laws and regulations.

Procedures

The Bedford County Chamber of Commerce administers this equal employment opportunity policy fairly and consistently by:

Posting all required notices regarding employee rights under equal employment opportunity laws in locations that are highly visible to employees.
Including the following statement in job-opening advertisements: “The Bedford County Chamber of Commerce is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, pregnancy, age, national origin, disability, genetic information, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law.”
Posting required job openings with the appropriate state agencies.
Prohibiting retaliation against any individual who files a discrimination complaint; opposes a practice believed to constitute unlawful discrimination; reports harassment; or assists, testifies, or participates in an equal employment opportunity proceeding.
Requiring employees to promptly report apparent discrimination or harassment to a supervisor, member of management, or the individual responsible for human resources. Reports should be made within 48 hours of the incident whenever reasonably possible.
Promptly notifying the appropriate organizational leadership of all incidents or reports of discrimination or harassment and taking appropriate measures to investigate and resolve the situation.

Harassment

Harassment is a form of unlawful discrimination and violates Bedford County Chamber of Commerce policy.

Prohibited sexual harassment includes unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, and other verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature when:

Submission to the conduct is made, either explicitly or implicitly, a term or condition of an individual’s employment.
Submission to or rejection of the conduct is used as the basis for employment decisions affecting the individual.
The conduct has the purpose or effect of substantially interfering with an individual’s work performance or creating an intimidating, hostile, or offensive working environment.

Harassment also includes unwelcome conduct based on race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, pregnancy, age, national origin, disability, genetic information, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law.

Harassment may become unlawful when:

Enduring the offensive conduct becomes a condition of continued employment; or
The conduct is sufficiently severe or pervasive to create a working environment that a reasonable person would consider intimidating, hostile, or abusive.

The Bedford County Chamber of Commerce encourages employees to report all incidents of harassment to a supervisor, member of management, or the individual responsible for human resources.

The Chamber provides harassment-prevention training when appropriate and maintains and enforces policies addressing harassment prevention, complaint procedures, and penalties for violations. The Chamber investigates complaints of harassment promptly and fairly and, when appropriate, takes immediate corrective action to stop the harassment and prevent it from recurring.

Remedies

Violations of this policy will not be tolerated, regardless of whether the conduct is ultimately determined to violate applicable law.

The Bedford County Chamber of Commerce will promptly, thoroughly, and fairly investigate every reported concern. When appropriate, the Chamber will take corrective or disciplinary action, up to and including termination of employment.