Equal Employment Opportunity
Ponce Health Sciences University provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, creed, ancestry, national origin, citizenship, sex or gender (including pregnancy, childbirth, and pregnancy-related conditions), gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, marital status, religion, age, disability, genetic information, service in the military, or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state, or local laws and ordinances. Equal employment opportunity applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leave of absence, compensation, and training.
PHSU expressly prohibits any form of unlawful employee harassment or discrimination based on any of the characteristics mentioned above. Improper interference with the ability of other employees to perform their expected job duties is absolutely not tolerated.
Americans with Disabilities Act Amendments Act (ADAAA)
PHSU is committed to the fair and equal employment of individuals with disabilities under the ADAAA. It is PHSU’s policy to provide reasonable accommodation to qualified individuals with disabilities unless the accommodation would impose an undue hardship on the Company. PHSU prohibits any harassment of, or discriminatory treatment of, employees based on a disability or because an employee has requested reasonable accommodation.
In accordance with the ADAAA, reasonable accommodations will be provided to qualified individuals with disabilities to enable them to perform the essential functions of their jobs or to enjoy the equal benefits and privileges of employment. An employee with a disability may request accommodation from the HR department and engage in the interactive process to clarify what the employee needs and to identify possible accommodations.
If requested, the employee is responsible for providing medical documentation regarding the disability and possible accommodation. All information obtained concerning the medical condition or history of an applicant or employee will be treated as confidential information, maintained in separate medical files, and disclosed only as permitted by law.
It is the policy of PHSU to prohibit harassment or discrimination based on disability or because an employee has requested reasonable accommodation. PHSU prohibits retaliation against employees for exercising their rights under the ADAAA or other applicable civil rights laws. Employees should use the procedures described in the Harassment and Complaint Procedure to report any harassment, discrimination, or retaliation they have experienced or witnessed.
Pregnant Worker Fairness Act & Pregnancy Discrimination Act
It is the policy of PHSU to abide by the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act (PWFA) and the Pregnancy Discrimination Act (PDA) which prohibits discrimination of individuals who are pregnant as well as provides pregnancy specific accommodations to pregnant individuals through interactive process.
Reasonable Accommodation
PHSU will endeavor to make a reasonable accommodation of an otherwise qualified applicant or employee related to an individual’s physical or mental disability, sincerely held religious beliefs and practices, and/or any other reason required by applicable law, unless doing so would impose an undue hardship upon PHSU’s business operations.
Retaliation
Any employees with questions or concerns about equal employment opportunities in the workplace are encouraged to bring these issues to the attention of HR. The Company will not allow any form of retaliation against individuals who raise issues of equal employment opportunity. Employees who feel they have been subjected to any such retaliation should bring it to the attention of HR immediately. Retaliation means adverse conduct taken because an individual reported an actual or a perceived violation of this policy, opposed practices prohibited by this policy, or participated in the reporting and investigation process described below. “Adverse conduct” includes but is not limited to: (1) Shunning and avoiding an individual who reports harassment, discrimination, or retaliation; (2) Express or implied threats or intimidation intended to prevent an individual from reporting harassment, discrimination, or retaliation; or (3) Denying employment benefits because an applicant or employee reported harassment, discrimination, or retaliation or participated in the reporting and investigation process.
Other examples of retaliation include firing, demotion, denial of promotion, unjustified negative evaluations, increased surveillance, harassment, and assault. Complaints of discrimination should be filed according to the procedures described in the Harassment and Complaint Procedure.