Affirmative Action Policy

Reaffirmation of Equal Employment Opportunity and Affirmative Action Policies

At John W. Baumgarten Architect, P.C., compliance with Equal Employment Opportunity and Affirmative Action (EEO/AA) policies remains essential to our continuing success. A key aspect of our company values is our commitment to equal employment opportunity, affirmative action and mutual respect. Our anti-discrimination and anti-harassment policies go even farther than legal compliance to help us foster a positive and inclusive work environment for all employees.

Below is the company’s reaffirmation statements of EEO/AA policies and John Baumgarten Architect, P.C.’s commitment to anti-discrimination, anti-harassment, and prohibition against retaliation.

Anti-Discrimination and Anti-Harassment Policy Statements, Prohibition Against Retaliation, and Reaffirmation of Equal Employment Opportunity and Affirmative Action Policies

Commitment to Non-Discrimination

In accordance with applicable, federal, state, and local laws, John W. Baumgarten Architect, P.C. prohibits discrimination in employment based on an individual’s protected status, including race/ethnicity, color, national origin, ancestry, religion, creed, age, gender, gender identity/expression, sexual orientation, marital status, parental status, including pregnancy, childbirth, or related conditions, disability, military service, veteran status, genetic information, or any other protected status. Any such discrimination will not be tolerated. The company is committed to taking all reasonable steps to prevent discrimination from occurring. Federal and state laws define discrimination as treating an employee differently based on the employee’s membership in one of the protected categories listed above.

Commitment to No Harassment

Freedom from discrimination includes freedom from any form of harassment based on a person’s protected status, including race/ethnicity, color, national origin, ancestry, religion, creed, age, gender, gender identity/expression, sexual orientation, marital status, parental status, including pregnancy, childbirth, or related conditions, disability, military service, veteran status, genetic information, or any other protected status. Such conduct is prohibited whether committed by managerial or non-managerial employees, contractors, vendors or customers. Even if such actions do not rise to the level of legally actionable conduct, they nonetheless are prohibited in our workplace. Examples of prohibited conduct include, but are not limited to:

Verbal conduct (for example, racial or sexual epithets, foul language, unwanted sexual flirtations, comments about a person’s body, ethnic jokes, derogatory statements or slurs);
Physical conduct (for example, bullying, improper touching or assault);
Visual or written harassment (for example, racially or sexually explicit or derogatory posters, cartoons, graffiti, drawings, e-mails, instant messages, social media content, or obscene gestures);
Offering or implying to offer employment benefits in exchange for sexual favors; or
Reprisals for a refusal to respond to sexual advances—no supervisor or manager shall threaten or insinuate, either explicitly or implicitly, that an employee’s submission to or rejection of sexual advances will in any way influence any personnel decision involving that employee.

Prohibition against Retaliation

John W. Baumgarten Architect, P.C. prohibits retaliation against any employee by another employee or by the company for reporting, filing, testifying, assisting or participating in any manner in any investigation, proceeding or hearing conducted by the company or a federal or state enforcement agency.

John W. Baumgarten Architect, P.C.’s Complaint and Reporting Procedure

The company will not tolerate any form of illegal harassment, discrimination and/or retaliation in the workplace, and will hold employees who violate this policy accountable. The company’s complaint and reporting procedure provides for a prompt, thorough and objective investigation of any discrimination, harassment or retaliation claim. Following an investigation, any employee who is found to have engaged in prohibited discrimination or other conduct that violates company policy will be subject to appropriate disciplinary action, up to and including termination of employment. Appropriate action also will be taken to deter any future harassment, discrimination, and/or retaliation. If any employee believes he/she has been discriminated against, harassed or retaliated against, or is aware of discrimination, harassment or retaliation against others, the employee should provide a written or verbal report to his or her Human Resources representative, EEO administrator or his/her supervisor as soon as possible. All incidents that are reported will be investigated. The company will seek to protect the privacy and confidentiality of all parties involved to the extent possible, consistent with a thorough investigation and its legal obligations.

Additional Enforcement Information

Federal Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) and similar state agencies investigate complaints of discrimination, harassment and retaliation in the workplace. Employees may file a complaint with any of these agencies. In addition, employees may file such complaints with the company under its Dispute Resolution Procedure.

Reaffirmation of Equal Employment Opportunity and Affirmative Action for Women, Minorities, Disabled and Veterans

Below are the ways in which the company promotes programs that help to ensure the success of John W. Baumgarten Architect, P.C.’s Equal Employment Opportunity and Affirmative Action (EEO/AA) policy:

As an Equal Employment Opportunity/Affirmative Action employer, John W. Baumgarten Architect, P.C. provides equal employment opportunity to all employees and applicants without regard to an individual’s protected status, including race/ethnicity, color, national origin, ancestry, religion, creed, age, gender, gender identity/expression, sexual orientation, marital status, parental status, including pregnancy, childbirth, or related conditions, disability, military service, veteran status, genetic information, or any other protected status.
John W. Baumgarten Architect, P.C.’s diversity initiatives are applicable—but not limited—to our practices and policies on recruitment and selection; compensation and benefits; professional development and training; promotions; transfers; social and recreational programs; layoffs; terminations; and the ongoing development of a work environment built on the premise of gender and diversity equity that encourages and enforces:
Respectful communication and cooperation between all employees.
Teamwork and employee participation, permitting the representation of all groups and employee perspectives.
Work/life balance through flexible work schedules to accommodate employees’ varying needs.
Employer and employee contributions to the communities we serve to promote a greater understanding and respect for the diversity.

John W. Baumgarten Architect, P.C. is committed to fostering, cultivating and preserving a culture of diversity and inclusion. Our human capital is the most valuable asset we have. The collective sum of the individual differences, life experiences, knowledge, inventiveness, innovation, self-expression, unique capabilities and talent that our employees invest in their work represents a significant part of not only our culture, but our reputation and company’s achievement as well.

We embrace and encourage our employees’ differences in age, color, disability, ethnicity, family or marital status, gender identity or expression, language, national origin, physical and mental ability, political affiliation, race, religion, sexual orientation, socio-economic status, veteran status, and other characteristics that make our employees unique.