OS Council hears about proposed changes to discrimination policy

By Sharon Keeler, Media Relations

Several issues that will impact Operating Staff were discussed at the April meeting including proposed changes to the university’s Discrimination and Discriminatory Harassment Policy, a new training program for supervisors, and benefit cost containment proposals.

Pat Gormley, special assistant to the president for affirmative action, spoke to council members on the first issue. She explained that the proposed changes to the Discrimination and Discriminatory Harassment Policy are intended to provide greater clarity and bring the university in compliance with changes in the law. The new policy updates the older 1997 policy.

The summary of major areas of recommended change include:

• Inclusion of discrimination, not just harassment.
• Inclusion of a new protected category of “gender identity or expression.”
• Legal changes required by federal and state law. For example, it requires the reporting by employees of sexual harassment of a student by another employee — even by employees who were informed by the student complainant but requested to keep the information confidential
• Clearer illustration of kinds of discrimination and harassment, including those surrounding disability.
• Emphasized responsibility of supervisors and others to whom a complaint is brought.
• Better explanation of the informal complaint process, which is used in most complaints.

Several councilors voiced concern about some of the changes, most notably the one requiring them to report student complaints when they are deemed “confidential.”

Gormley stated that this was the law and employees must report cases of sexual harassment if it involves a student. She said staff can report to their supervisors or to Human Resources. She also said when employees are approached by students with “confidential” information, they might want to explain before a student goes into detail that “confidential” cannot apply to situations involving sexual harassment, and that staff are bound by the law to report. Gormley did not dissuade employees from talking with or supporting students, she said this simply might help employees who were concerned about being involved.

Gormley said law exempts SHARPP, Health Services and the Counseling Center from the requirement to notify others when issues of sexual harassment are discussed.

Another OS councilor asked what policies are available to protect an employee accused of harassment or discrimination. Gormley said employees have the right to grieve an accusation and should consult with their HR partner should their supervisor not provide them with information.

The Affirmative Action office is seeking comments on the proposed draft, which is available at http://www.unh.edu/affirmativeaction/policies.htm.

Ann Driscoll, a consultant working with HR, then presented the council with an outline for a new “Foundations of Supervision” program that UNH will pilot in September. Similar to the Managing@UNH program, the supervision course is targeted toward employees who have recently or will soon become supervisors, and who have never had formal training or would like to refresh their fundamental supervisory skill sets.

The program includes five and one-half days of training over five to six months. The proposed curriculum includes sessions on leadership, assessment, effective communication, interviewing and hiring, managing teams, supervising a multicultural workforce, dealing with conflict, and performance management.

The program is set to begin Sept. 20 and there are seats for 26 applicants. Employees should contact their deans, directors and managers if they are interested in participating.

As the meeting came to a close, Lonn Satler, the council’s System Personnel Policy Committee representative, presented the OS Council with a list of benefit cost containment proposals that were being considered by the university system. These proposals ranged from changes in the long-term disability benefit, to increasing prescription drug co-pays. Satler asked councilors to review the list and begin thinking about what issues are most important.

Councilors were also reminded that the Compassionate Leave policy went into effect April 1 as a pilot program. For more information, see the March 26 Campus Journal. at Details are available on the HR Web site at www.unh.edu/HR under “Policies.”