Equal Employment Opportunity

MCCNO is an equal opportunity employer that is committed to ensuring that all applicants and employees have an opportunity to apply and be considered for positions at the MCCNO for which they qualify without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, physical or mental disability, veteran status, genetic information, sickle cell trait, sexual orientation, gender identity, or any other classification protected by applicable federal or state law.

This policy of equal opportunity applies to all levels of the organization and to every aspect of employment, including recruitment, hiring, training, promotion, termination, leave of absence, compensation and benefits, and any other personnel actions and conditions.
Any employee with questions or concerns about any type of discrimination in the workplace must immediately report these issues in writing to the Human Resources Director and/or the Vice President of Finance and Administration in accordance with the procedures specified in the Employee Harassment and Discrimination Policy (Section 1.4). Employees can raise good-faith concerns and make good-faith reports without fear of reprisal. Violation of this Equal Employment Opportunity Policy will result in disciplinary action, up to and including immediate termination of employment.

Employee Harassment and Discrimination Policy

MCCNO is committed to providing a work environment that provides employees with respect and dignity. In keeping with this commitment, MCCNO will not tolerate the discrimination or harassment of employees and/or applicants on the basis of race, religion, color, ethnicity, disability, sex, age, genetic information, sexual orientation, gender identity, or any other classification protected by applicable federal, state, or local law.
Harassment is conduct focused on a person or group of persons including, but not limited to physical or verbal abuse, unwelcome activity of a sexual nature, and any other behavior or action that interferes with an individual’s ability to perform assignments or that creates a hostile or intimidating work environment.
The following, though not all-inclusive, is a list of conduct prohibited by this harassment and discrimination policy:

1. Verbal Abuse – any language that degrades or berates others, including, but not limited to, racial, religious, or sexual comments, jokes, and sexual innuendoes.
2. Any offensive sexual images, regardless of medium (email, internet sites, posted pictures, cartoons), including threatening symbols, jokes or gestures.
3. Physical Abuse – includes touching, hitting, slamming, throwing, kicking or threatening another person, including restraining by force or blocking the path of another.
4. Interference or Hostile Environment – any behavior or action that unreasonably interferes with an employee’s work performance or which results in or creates a hostile or offensive work environment.
5. Sexual Harassment – includes, but is not limited to, sexual advances, requests for sexual acts or favors and other physical conduct of a sexual nature when:
(a) Submission to such conduct is made either explicitly or impliedly a term or condition of an individual’s employment;
(b) Submission to or rejection of such conduct by an individual is used as the basis for employment decisions affecting the individual; or
(c) Conduct that has the purpose or effect of unreasonably interfering with an individual’s work performance or creating an intimidating, hostile, or offensive work environment.

To be clear, in the context of sexual harassment, the following conduct is prohibited: offensive and unwelcome physical conduct of a sexual nature, including the touching of another’s body, the touching or display of one’s own body, or similar contact; possession of or use of sexually suggestive objects in the workplace; offensive comments, jokes, innuendos, and other sexually-oriented statements or written materials; offensive or suggestive images or graphics, whether physically present in the workplace or accessed on the internet.

Such conduct is prohibited by state and federal law, including Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, the Louisiana Employment Discrimination Law, and La. R.S. 42:341, et seq.
The management of MCCNO strongly disapproves of sexual or other prohibited harassment and discrimination and will take all action to end harassment and discrimination and prevent its recurrence. Comments, conduct, off-color jokes and innuendoes that may be perceived as offensive or harassing are strictly prohibited and will not be tolerated. In accordance with applicable law, employees will receive at least one (1) hour of education and training per calendar year regarding sexual-harassment prevention. All supervisors and designated individuals to receive reports of harassment and discrimination will receive additional training as required by law.

Any employee who feels that he/she is the victim of discrimination or harassment or who has witnessed conduct prohibited by this Policy must report this in writing to the Human Resources Director. If the Human Resources Director is involved or if the employee does not feel comfortable reporting to the Director of Human Resources for any reason, written complaint can also be made directly to the Vice President of Finance and Administration. A written complaint should include the specific nature of the incident, place of incident, names of all parties involved, any witnesses, as well as a detailed report of all pertinent facts.

Complaints of harassment and discrimination will be promptly and carefully investigated. Investigations may include interviews with all relevant persons, including the accused and other potential witnesses. All employees are required to cooperate fully and truthfully during an investigation. MCCNO cannot be expected to respond to situations it is unaware of, so prompt reporting — even where the harassment might seem marginal or the complainant might want to avoid confronting the situation — is essential.

Any employee who files a good-faith complaint of harassment or discrimination will be free from any and all reprisal or retaliation as a result of filing the complaint. Investigators will make every effort to strike a balance between the parties’ desire for privacy and the need to conduct a fair and effective investigation.

Prohibited harassment or discrimination shall subject an employee to disciplinary action, up to and including immediate termination of employment. Likewise, there will be disciplinary measures if the incident, and thus the accusations, were fabricated or not made in good-faith.

Disability Accommodation Policy

MCCNO complies with all applicable federal, state, and local equal opportunity laws and is absolutely committed to providing equal employment opportunities, as well as reasonable accommodations, to all qualified individuals with disabilities in accordance with the law. Qualified applicants or employees with a disability may make a written request for reasonable accommodation to the Human Resources Director or the Human Resources Manager. Upon receipt of written request, someone from Human Resources or their designee will meet the employee to discuss the request. MCCNO may ask for more information from the employee’s healthcare provider(s) regarding the nature of the disability and the nature of limitations or take any other steps necessary to help determine viable options for reasonable accommodation, in accordance with applicable laws.