RMC Handbook - Sexual Harassment

EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY RMC is committed to providing equal employment opportunities to all qualified individuals, without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, sex, age, or disability. The hospital prohibits harassment based on race, color, religion, national origin, sex, age, veteran status, or disability.

Discriminatory conduct or harassment by any employee or supervisor may result in disciplinary action, up to and possibly including termination. Other parties doing business with RMC are also prohibited from such conduct directed toward RMC employees.

NO-HARASSMENT POLICY Northeast Alabama Regional Medical Center is committed to maintaining a work environment that is free from discrimination and in which employees at all levels can devote their full attention and best efforts to the job. Harassment has no place in the work environment.

Northeast Alabama Regional Medical Center does not authorize and will not tolerate any form of harassment based on the following factors: Race, sex, national origin, age, disability, religion, or any other characteristic that is protected by law.

This policy applies to management and non-management employees alike, and even to nonemployees who harass our employees.

Examples of “harassment” that are covered by this policy include offensive language, jokes, or other physical, verbal, written, or pictorial conduct relating to the employee’s sex, race, religion, national origin, age, disability, or other factor protected by law that would make a reasonable person experiencing such behavior feel uncomfortable or would interfere with the person’s work performance. The examples below are just that -- examples. It is impossible to list every type of behavior that can be considered harassment in violation of this policy. In general, any conduct based on these traits that could interfere with an individual’s work performance or could create an offensive environment will be considered harassment in violation of this policy. This is the case even if the offending employee did not mean to be offensive. It is essential that employees be sensitive to the feelings of others.

SEXUAL HARASSMENT Sexual harassment (whether opposite-sex or same-sex) is strictly prohibited. Examples of the types of behavior that are considered sexual harassment in violation of this policy include: 

Sexually offensive jokes or comments

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Physical assaults or other touching that is sexual in nature 5 Employee Handbook Revised 2/01/2012

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Promising favorable treatment or threatening unfavorable treatment based on the employee’s response to sexual demands

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Displays of sexually oriented reading materials or pictures, including electronic materials

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Punishing an employee for complaining of sexual harassment

HARASSMENT BASED ON RACE, NATIONAL ORIGIN, AGE, DISABILITY OR RELIGION Harassment based on these other traits deserves special mention and is also strictly prohibited.

Examples of the types of behavior that will be considered harassment based on these characteristics include: 

Jokes or negative comments about these characteristics

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Displays of reading materials or pictures containing negative material about these characteristics, including electronic materials

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Vandalism or “pranks” based on these characteristics

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Name-calling based on these characteristics

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Punishing an employee for complaining of these types of harassment

REPORTING HARASSMENT Northeast Alabama Regional Medical Center cannot resolve matters that it does not know about.

Every employee has a duty to immediately report harassment so that the company can try to resolve the situation. You should report harassment when: 

You feel that you have been harassed

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You have seen someone else be harassed

This is true whether the alleged harasser is an employee, a supervisor or manager, or even a nonemployee, such as a customer or vendor with whom the Company does business.

To report harassment, you must contact Mike Simms, Vice President of Human Resources at 256-235-5218. These individuals have been trained to respond appropriately to reports of harassment.

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Once your report has been received, the company will: 

Conduct a prompt and thorough investigation

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Discuss the results with the complaining employee and, where appropriate, the action to be taken

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Keep the investigation and results as confidential as possible

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If the complaint is verified, take appropriate corrective action, up through and including termination

No employee will be punished for bringing a report of harassment to the company’s attention or for cooperating in an investigation.

OUR COMMITMENT TO AN EFFECTIVE NO-HARASSMENT POLICY Finally, if you feel that the company has not met its obligations under this policy, or if you are not satisfied with the way in which your report of harassment was handled, you should contact David McCormack, President/CEO, at 256-235-5251 and/or Mike Simms, Vice President of Human Resources at 256-235-5218. An effective no-harassment policy depends on all of us, working together, to address this very important subject.

EMPLOYMENT OF RELATIVES RMC will consider for employment any persons who are able to qualify for job vacancies.

However, relatives will not be allowed to work in the same department if there is a supervisory relationship between the individuals. In cases where there are no supervisory relationships, prior approval from the appropriate Vice President and the Vice President of Human Resources may be required. RMC also reserves the right to refuse the employment of relatives in any situation where RMC believes there is a conflict or potential conflict of interest.

EMPLOYMENT PROCESS While RMC prefers to fill job openings from within, whenever possible, we reserve the right to hire the person whose qualifications best meet operational needs. An offer of employment is contingent upon the successful completion of the following: an employment application; reference and background checks; employment tests; interviews; post-offer health and drug screening.

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JOB DESCRIPTIONS You will be provided with a job description, which will outline the major duties and responsibilities expected by your department director and RMC. This description will also serve as a guideline for determining your job performance, and may be revised by RMC, as necessary.

During the first few weeks of your employment, you should discuss with your immediate supervisor the specifics of your job description.

ORIENTATION General Orientation In order to help you become acquainted with RMC and its policies, we have developed a newemployee orientation program. Each new employee is required to attend a general orientation program that will give you information about RMC’s history, policies, operations, safety programs, and employment practices.

Departmental Orientation Your supervisor will orient you to your specific job and department. The supervisor will provide you with information necessary for you to perform your job. This department orientation will focus on department policies, functions, and operations. Your supervisor will also be available to you for questions or follow-up concerning your general orientation.

EMPLOYEE CLASSIFICATIONS Regular Full Time: A regular full time employee is one who is regularly scheduled to work seventy-two (72) hours or more per pay period and whose employment is for no definite term.

Regular full time employees are entitled to all employee benefits. Overtime, for hourly paid employees, will be calculated on a forty (40) hour workweek.

Regular Part Time: A regular part time employee is one who is regularly scheduled to work less than seventy-two (72) hours per pay period and whose employment is for no definite term.

Part time employees who are authorized to work forty-eight (48) hours or more per pay period are entitled to some employee benefits, while employees authorized to work less than 48 hours per pay period are ineligible for benefits. Overtime will be calculated based on a forty (40) hour workweek.

PRN: A PRN employee is one who works on an as-needed basis for an assigned department.

Normally, this employee works on a part-time basis and is not regularly scheduled to work a specified number of hours per pay period. PRN employees are paid a premium in lieu of accruing benefits. Overtime will be calculated on a forty (40) hour workweek.

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