Policy and Compliance Information

  • Affirmative Action Plan Update & Policy Statements

    TO:  All UConn Health Faculty, Staff, and Union Representatives

    FROM:  Elizabeth A. Conklin, Associate Vice President
                 Office of Institutional Equity

    DATE:  May 1, 2018

    SUBJECT:  Affirmative Action Plan Update and Distribution of Policy Statements

    UConn Health’s 2017 Affirmative Action Plan for Employment (Plan) was approved by the Commission on Human Rights and Opportunities on January 10, 2018. The Plan reports UConn Health’s good faith efforts relative to diversifying the workforce, attaining goals, and achieving equal employment opportunity. 

    All employees are invited to review and comment on the 2017 Plan until September 30, 2018.  A full copy of the Plan is available for review in the following locations:

    The Office of Institutional Equity (OIE)
    16 Munson Road, 4th Floor

    Farmington, CT 06030

    The Connecticut Commission on Human Rights and Opportunities (CHRO)
    450 Columbus Boulevard
    Hartford, CT 06103

    An electronic (PDF) version also is available on OIE’s website.

    All comments or questions are welcome and may be sent to:

    Elizabeth A. Conklin, Associate Vice President
    Office of Institutional Equity
    16 Munson Road
    Farmington, CT 06030-5310
    860-679-3563

    Policy Statements

    The following policies have been included in the Plan, distributed to all employees through UConn Health’s Office of Institutional Equity’s (OIE) webpage and posted on bulletin boards throughout UConn Health.

    Policy Posting Obligation

    As in previous years, the Office of Institutional Equity (OIE) will satisfy the statutory requirement of policy distribution to employees via this notification and mail distribution as necessary.  Additionally, policies are posted in visible locations throughout UConn Health.  Vice Presidents, Deans, Directors, and other supervisory employees are asked to ensure that the policies above are posted in their respective units in locations highly visible to employees, students, and the public. 

    Employee Demographic Data

    As a federal contractor, UConn Health is required to report demographic data about the workforce including disability and veteran data annually. To ensure that UConn Health has the most accurate demographic profile of the current employee population, all employees are requested to update their demographic information including race/ethnicity, gender, disability and veteran status.  Providing this information is voluntary.  Demographic information is kept confidential and used for federal and state aggregate reporting purposes only.  This information does not affect current employment status.

    To provide easily accessible and efficient data collection, The Department of Human Resources Information Management integrated the fields into the employee self-service module of Banner, the Human Resources personnel system.  To update your information voluntarily:

    1. Log onto the Central Administrative Portal, https://cap.uchc.edu/cp/home/displaylogin

    2. Login with your username and password

    3. Click the link for Self Service Banner

    4. Click the tab marked Personal Information

    5. Locate and complete the voluntary surveys at the bottom of the list.

    The updated demographic data will allow for a more accurate calculation of availability and setting of Affirmative Action goals that are reflective of truly underrepresented race/gender groups.

    More information regarding the requirements of federal contractors as determined by the United States Department of Labor‘s Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP) can be found on the OFCCP website, https://www.dol.gov/ofccp/.

    Questions about the collection and use of the data should be directed to the Office of Institutional Equity at 860-679-3563 or via email.

    For technical assistance in updating the data or with Banner, please contact HR Information Systems and Operation at 860-679-4579.

    Affirmative Action Plan Program Goals

    The following program goals were established in the 2017 UConn Health State Affirmative Action Plan:

    •  The Office of Institutional Equity (OIE) will design and launch a new, streamlined website highlighting OIE’s areas of focus: accessibility; AA/EEO compliance; discrimination and harassment investigations; Title IX compliance; and education and training.  The design of the website will allow users to more easily navigate to information, resources and policies.  The website will include links to comprehensive materials related to OIE’s areas of focus.

    • The Office of Institutional Equity (OIE) will collaborate with the Department of Human   Resources and the Office for Diversity and Inclusion to develop a training focused on faculty recruitment and hiring for the Schools of Medicine and Dental Medicine.  The training will include strategies and best practices for recruiting diverse applicants, building networks and pipelines with other medical schools, developing applicable qualifications for the evaluation of faculty candidates, and navigating the search process.  Additionally, the three offices will assess existing practices to determine the areas needing additional focus
    • The Office of Institutional Equity (OIE) will initiate a review of the existing Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) program.  The goal of the review will be to determine how best to ensure access at UConn Health, with a focus on enhancing employee training and education on issues related to accessibility.  OIE will develop both a new accessibility website to provide information and resources for employees, students and visitors, as well as an ADA-related brochure to be used in employee education and training programs.

    • The Office of Institutional Equity (OIE) will form a working group to assess current UConn Health practice as well as nationally identified best practices for preventing and responding to discriminatory harassment in the clinical setting.

    Recruitment, Compliance, and Diversification

    As a federal contractor and state agency, UConn Health’s recruiting and hiring activities are audited regularly by government enforcement units.  Directors, Department Heads, Hiring Mangers, and Search Committee Chairs are accountable for ensuring compliance with state and federal regulations and record-keeping requirements concerning recruitment and applicant evaluation activities.  Both state and federal regulatory agencies mandate policies and processes that promote equal employment opportunity and endorse aggressive recruitment programs.

    Proactive and aggressive recruitment programs not only fulfill UConn Health’s compliance obligations but also work to support the goal of increasing the diversity of the workforce.  To encourage proactive and strategic recruitment efforts, it is necessary for department faculty and staff to engage in professional networking, join professional and discipline specific associations, and participate in pipeline-building initiatives with an aggressive focus on the diversity of graduate students.

    To assist search committees and hiring departments, OIE is available for consultation about the search process, compliance obligations, best practices in building diverse pools of qualified applicants, and objective evaluation techniques

    Discrimination Complaint Investigations
     
    OIE’s Staff investigators are responsible for objectively investigating complaints of discrimination and discriminatory harassment to determine if employee conduct violates UConn Health’s non-discrimination policies.  These policies are construed to provide the same or similar protections as those contained pursuant to state and federal law and regulation.  Where investigations reveal the presence of discriminatory or harassing behavior, OIE is responsible for making recommendations that are designed to mitigate the effects of discriminatory conduct.  OIE thoroughly investigates discrimination complaints, makes determinations regarding violations of UConn Health policy, and follows statutory requirements regarding recommendations for remedial action when there is evidence of policy violations.

    OIE also assists with developing and implementing UConn Health’s non-discrimination and affirmative action policies, procedures, and programs. OIE offers information, consultation, and training to the University community on these areas of focus.

    Additional information about reporting discrimination and OIE’s complaint procedures, as well as OIE’s Discrimination and Discriminatory Harassment Complaint form, can be found online.  If you have a specific question or need further assistance, please do not hesitate to contact a member of OIE at (860) 679-3563 or by email at equity@uconn.eduor visit thewebsite: https://equity.uconn.edu/.

    Diversity Awareness Training

    OIE provides ongoing Diversity Awareness training to all UConn Health employees pursuant to General Statutes §46a-54.  OIE conducts sessions every two weeks.  Additionally, OIE provides customized trainings to individual departments or groups of employees or students seeking further guidance or training around discrimination and/or harassment issues. For further information, please visit OIE’s website.

    Legislative Update

    Two new state statutes went into effect on October 1, 2017:

    Public Act 17-127: AN ACT CONCERNING DISCRIMINATORY PRACTICES AGAINST VETERANS, LEAVES OF ABSENCE FOR NATIONAL GUARD MEMBERS, APPLICATION FOR CERTAIN MEDICAID PROGRAMS AND DISCLOSURE OF CERTAIN RECORDS TO FEDERAL MILITARY LAW ENFORCEMENT. 

    This Act prohibits discrimination based on a veteran's status in the various state statutes prohibiting discrimination, including employment and public accommodations. It authorizes any veteran aggrieved by an alleged discriminatory practice to file discrimination complaints with the Commission on Human Rights & Opportunities (CHRO). A veteran is identified as anyone honorably discharged or released under honorable conditions from active service in the armed forces. This act also extends state military leaves of absence for National Guard Members serving in another state. 

     Public Act 17-118: AN ACT CONCERNING PREGNANT WOMEN IN THE WORKPLACE

    This Act expands the non-discrimination protections and accommodations employers must make for pregnant employees. The Act expands the pregnancy discrimination/accommodations protections to include lactation.  The Act also explicitly prohibits employers from: (1) denying employment opportunities to an employee or person seeking employment due to the employee’s request for a reasonable accommodation due to her pregnancy; (2) forcing an employee or person seeking employment affected by pregnancy to accept a reasonable accommodation if the employee or person seeking employment does not have a known limitation related to her pregnancy, or does not require a reasonable accommodation to perform the essential duties related to her employment; (3) requiring an employee to take a leave of absence if a reasonable accommodation can be provided in lieu of such leave; and (4) retaliating against an employee in the terms, conditions or privileges of her employment based upon such employee’s request for a reasonable accommodation.

    For more information, contact: Office of Institutional Equity at 860-679-3563