[Electronic copy. Signed original on file in Office of Policy]
Director's Order #16D: Equal
Employment Opportunity and Zero Tolerance of Discrimination
Approved: /s/ Jonathan B. Jarvis
Director
Effective Date: 12/28/2011
Duration: This Order will remain in effect until amended or rescinded by the Director
This Policy Statement
on Equal Employment Opportunity supersedes the statement issued through the March 2, 2010, edition
of Director's Order #16D.
Contents
[1.] Purpose and Background
[2.] Authority for Issuing this Director's
Order
[3.] Equal Employment Opportunity
Policy
[4.] Responsibilities
[5.] Related Guidance
Documents
[1]. Purpose and Background
The purpose of this Director's Order is to articulate our policies for seeking and achieving equal employment opportunity in the National
Park Service workplace. It makes clear that we have a
policy of zero tolerance of discrimination in the workplace.
The Service employs a diverse workforce composed of individuals with a variety
of technical and program skills that are utilized for preserving, protecting, and maintaining our national park areas and providing vital community assistance and visitor services. The Service must maintain an
environment that is free of discrimination and hostility.
This is necessary for accomplishing our goal of attracting, hiring, developing, and retaining a quality diverse
workforce that achieves our mission. It is necessary also in order to meet the expectations of our citizens
and the international visitors we serve.
The support
and cooperation of every employee
is essential as we work toward making the National Park Service the model Federal
agency.
The Service
will make full use of its workforce
by promoting workplace practices, procedures and policies that provide
opportunities for the best talent available.
All workers must be provided the opportunities to compete on fair and level playing fields and to achieve
their fullest potential as employees.
[2]. Authority for Issuing this Director's Order
Authority for issuing
this Director's Order is contained in the NPS Organic Act (16 U.S.C. 1 through 4) and delegations of authority found in Part 245 of the Department
of the Interior Manual. This Order is intended
only to improve the internal
management of the Service and it is not intended
to, and does not, create any right or benefit, substantive or procedural, enforceable
at law or equity by a party against the United States,
its departments, agencies,
instrumentalities, or entities, its officers or employees or any other person.
It
will be implemented consistent with applicable law and subject
to the availability of appropriations.
[3]. Equal Employment
Opportunity Policy
Discrimination in employment is unlawful and will not be tolerated by the National
Park Service. The Service is totally committed
to maintaining a workplace where
equal access to employment opportunity is assured for all employees
and applicants for employment without
regard to race, color, religion,
age, national origin,
gender, sexual orientation, genetic information, or disability (physical or mental). No person shall be subjected to retaliation/ reprisal
for opposing any discriminatory practice
or for participating in any stage of the administrative or judicial proceedings.
We will ensure that all of the Equal Employment
Opportunity (EEO) and civil rights laws are strictly enforced
in our Federal and federally
assisted programs. Our policy on equal employment opportunity is based on and consistent with relevant laws; regulations issued
by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) at 29 CFR 1614; related
EEOC Management Directives; and Department of the Interior
policies.
The Service is committed to maintaining a workplace where equal access to employment
opportunities is assured
for all employees
and applicants for employment.
In that context, the Service will:
• Prohibit discrimination in all phases of employment by identifying and eliminating all policies, procedures, and practices
that are barriers to equal access to employment opportunities;
• Ensure the prompt and fair processing and disposition of discrimination complaints;
• Promote the full realization that all employees
will be treated equally in all
terms, privileges, and conditions of their employment;
• Ensure that all employees
are treated fairly;
• Ensure that all employees
arc recognized and rewarded based upon ability
and merit for their contributions;
• Provide equal access to opportunities for growth, development and advancement to all
employees;
• Increase, through
effective outreach to all segments
of our society, the representation of women, minorities, and individuals with disabilities in all occupational series, grade levels and locations where they are underrepresented and/or
nonexistent;
· Ensure that the work environment is conducive to
productivity and success for all employees and free of threatening, harassing,
hostile or demeaning behavior; and
· Ensure that employees found to have engaged in illegal
actions are subjected to the appropriate penalties found in the Departmental
Guidance on Disciplinary Actions.
[4]. Responsibilities
A. To achieve equal access to equal opportunity, all managers and supervisors in the National
Park Service must exhibit an active and supportive commitment to perpetuating an organizational climate where every employee has the opportunity to perform at his
or her fullest potential. This commitment to equal employment
opportunity will extend to Federal civil rights laws related
to programs conducted
by, or receiving financial assistance from, the National Park Service.
B. It
is essential
that all managers
and supervisors understand that they are personally responsible and accountable for their performance and accomplishments in the areas of equal access to equal opportunity and improving the overall diversity
of the National Park Service.
C. It
is also essential
that employees understand that they are personally responsible for ensuring that the work environment is conducive to productivity and the achievement of our mission
and free from threatening, harassing, hostile or demeaning
behavior.
D. The National Park Service
Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Program Plan as prescribed by the EEOC's Management Directive 715 was approved on December 20, 2004, and updated annually. The Servicewide Equal Employment Opportunity Program Manager has been charged to ensure that:
• The EEO Program Plan is communicated Servicewide;
• Any action
items identified in the EEO Program Plan are communicated to those who are
responsible for implementing the actions; and
• Annual EEO Policy Statements are developed for my signature
and dissemination to all employees.
E. All managers
and supervisors tasked with taking actions prescribed in the EEO Program Plan will provide timely
information to the EEO Program
Manager regarding the status of action items and any other EEO related issues for which the Service
is required to generate
and analyze data.
[5]. Related Guidance
Documents
This Order may be supplemented by an annual statement affirming
the Director's commitment to Diversity. The Order is one in a series
that also includes,
or will include:
#16A: Reasonable Accommodations for Applicants and Employees
with Disabilities. (Now being revised since it was last issued,
May 4, 1999.)
#16B: Diversity in the National
Park Service
#16C: Discrimination Complaints Process
#16E: Sexual Harassment
# 16F: National Park Service Anti-Harassment Policy
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