EEO Policy

The Office of Human Resource Planning and Diversity Initiatives handles Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) issues and reports to the Secretary of Personnel who is responsible to the Governor and the people for directing, implementing, and enforcing the State's Affirmative Action Program. Employees are encouraged to express their concerns regarding existing or potential barriers or prohibitions to equal employment opportunity due to race, color, national origin, sex, age, religion, veteran status and disability in accordance with state and federal laws. EEO assistance is available by contacting your agency EEO Counselor/Coordinator or the Office of Human Resource Planning and Diversity Initiatives at (502) 564-8000.

1. To ensure equal employment opportunity for all Kentuckians regardless of race, color, national origin, sex, age, religion, veteran status and disability in accordance with state and federal laws, the affirmative action plan dated July 1, 1984, confirmed as part of Executive Order 84-549 continued in force by Executive Order 92-1059, and Executive Order 2003-533 and expanded by the Governor in Executive Order 2006-402, the official affirmative action plan for Kentucky State Government. Copies of the plan, as well as the plans developed by individual agencies pursuant to the state plan, is maintained on file and made available for inspection in the office of the Secretary of Personnel.
2. Every program cabinet, department, and agency of state government must comply with the provisions of the affirmative action plan.
3. Equal employment opportunity is an integral part of each cabinet, department, and agency program, and any program evaluation includes an assessment of equal opportunity performance.
4. The State EEO Coordinator is responsible for the implementation of the plan and reports to the Secretary of Personnel. In fulfilling these responsibilities, the State EEO Coordinator:

5. The Secretary of Personnel may also:

State law prohibits unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual acts or favors, with or without accompanying promises, threats, or reciprocal favors or actions; or other verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature that has the purpose of or creates a hostile or offensive working environment. Examples of prohibited conduct include, but are not limited to, lewd or sexually suggestive comments, off-color language or jokes of a sexual nature; slurs and other verbal, graphic or physical conduct relating to an individual's sex; or any display of sexually explicit pictures, greeting cards, articles, books, magazines, photos or cartoons.

Complaints of sexual harassment will be promptly and carefully investigated, and all employees may be assured that they will be free from any and all reprisal or retaliation from filing such complaints. Any employee who has a complaint of sexual harassment at work by anyone, including supervisors, co-workers, visitors, clients, or customers, should immediately bring the problem to the attention of agency officials or the Personnel Cabinet. Employees may bring the complaint to the attention of their supervisor, or if the complaint involves supervisory personnel in the employee's line of command, to another supervisor, the personnel manager or the Office of Human Resource Planning and Diversity Initiatives at (502) 564-8000.

Kentucky state government is committed to the full implementation of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). It is the policy of the Commonwealth to maximize the full inclusion and integration of people with disabilities in all aspects of employment and all programs, services and activities.

All employees must comply with the following policies regarding the ADA:

• Discrimination Prohibited: Employees with disabilities who are otherwise qualified may not be discriminated against in any areas of employment including, but not limited to, job application and compensation procedures, fringe benefits available by virtue of employment and activities sponsored by the state.
• Limiting, Segregating, and Classifying: Employees with disabilities shall not be limited, segregated, or classified in a way that adversely affects their employment opportunities or status.
• Contractual or Other Arrangements: The Commonwealth will not participate in contractual or other arrangements or relationships that would subject qualified employees with disabilities to the discrimination prohibited by the ADA.
• Reasonable Accommodations: The Commonwealth will make reasonable accommodation to the known physical or mental limitations of an otherwise qualified employee with a disability, unless it can be shown that the accommodation would impose an undue burden. After a qualified employee requests reasonable accommodation, all agencies will make every reasonable effort to find out what is needed and provide the appropriate accommodations. This is to be an interactive process with the agency consulting with the employee with a disability.
• Administration of Tests: The Personnel Cabinet will select and administer tests concerning employment in the most effective manner to ensure that, when a test is administered to a job applicant or employee who has a disability that impairs sensory, manual or speaking skills, the test results accurately reflect the skills, aptitude, or whatever other factor of the applicant or employee that the test purports to measure, rather than reflecting the impaired sensory, manual, or speaking skills of such employee or applicant (except where such skills are the factors that the test purports to measure).
• Retaliation and Coercion: The Commonwealth will not coerce, intimidate, threaten, harass, or interfere with any individual exercising or enjoying his or her rights under the ADA or because that individual aided or encouraged any other individual in the exercise of rights granted or protected by the ADA. Employees may file a complaint as set forth in Employee Grievances and Complaints. Please direct any questions or concerns to your agency ADA Coordinator.
  

Semi-Annual Report on Female and Minority Employment Jan. 1, 2007- June 30, 2007 (PDF - 656 KB)

2006 Affirmative Action Plan (PDF -2570 KB)