§ 39-2. Implementation responsibilities.

The affirmative action policy of the city is to provide equal employment to all people without regard to race, color, sex, religion, creed, age (18 and over), marital status, national origin, disability, or Vietnam Era veteran status.

(1)

Affirmative Action Officer. The affirmative action officer shall be the director of personnel and labor relations or his/her designee. Such officer shall coordinate the affirmative action program for the city, as an employer, and will act affirmatively to develop avenues of entry and mobility for the protected classes, i.e., members of racial religious or ethnic minority groups, women, individuals with disabilities and Vietnam Era veterans.

Duties include, but are not limited to:

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Analyzing the composition of the work force, especially as it relates to the representation of protected classes, and determining the causes of disparate treatment and of work force underutilization or overconcentration.

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Assisting the various city departments in developing strategies and methods for improving protected class representation in occupational categories.

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Developing or revising policies, procedures, and guidelines in such areas as recruitment, job qualifications, job interview standards and techniques, job progression and upward mobility, and other employment and personnel procedures.

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Assisting department heads in identifying protected class employees who demonstrate potential for advancement but who are in need of skill training and career counseling.

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Conducting training programs for department heads, supervisors and employees to inform them about affirmative action and to increase sensitivity to and awareness of the needs and special problems of protected classes.

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Establishing outreach and recruitment activities with protected class organizations and publicizing employment opportunities for protected classes.

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Developing with each department head an affirmative action plan for each department.

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Developing and monitoring internal auditing procedures to measure the status and progress of the affirmative action program periodically to assure that a good faith effort is made to achieve the goals.

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Researching and comparing the statistical makeup of the area labor market with the city work force.

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Investigating and resolving reports on discrimination complaints and informing complainants of their rights and of the options available to pursue complaints.

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Reviewing and studying new and revised federal, state and local rules, regulations and statutes to determine the impact on affirmative action activities.

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Maintaining personnel data and statistics in a manner consistent with applicable laws and regulations, as well as the requirements of the affirmative action plan.

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Developing and maintaining all personnel directives in a manner that is consistent with applicable laws and regulations and with the affirmative action plan.

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Continuously reviewing the civil service classification system, procedures, benefit packages, leave policies, training and career development programs and other employment practices to assure that all such practices conform with current legal and regulatory requirements, and the affirmative action plan.

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Implementing the approved affirmative recruitment plan to enable all protected class individuals to have equal access to the employment opportunities available.

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Disseminating the affirmative action plan (see Section 39-3).

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Reviewing the affirmative action plan annually (see Section 39-9).

(2)

City department heads. Each city department head shall affirm the department's commitment to the affirmative action policy, objectives, and program of the city of Syracuse and will be responsible for taking positive action to implement these policy objectives and programs within each department. An administrative staff member within each department shall be designated as an affirmative action contact person to assist the department head by working with the affirmative action officer to ensure each department's compliance with federal and state statutes, regulations and the affirmative action plan.

(3)

Affirmative action contact person. The department head shall delegate day-to-day programmatic responsibility for the department's affirmative action program to an affirmative action contact person, who shall report directly to the department head. The duties of the department affirmative action contact person include, but are not limited to, the following:

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Planning, developing, coordinating, implementing and monitoring the department's affirmative action program.

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Working with the personnel office in the department's recruitment and examination program, including reviewing proposed minimum qualifications for all positions.

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Maintaining resume files.

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Reviewing, monitoring and making recommendations on departmental personnel policies.

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Consulting, developing and participating in affirmative action training programs.

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Assuring that reasonable accommodations are provided to all known qualified disabled applicants and employees.

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Researching, compiling and analyzing data related to the representation of protected class employees in the department's work force.

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Participating in meetings concerned with affirmative action and equal employment opportunity.

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Keeping abreast of and interpreting laws, rules, regulations and court decisions impacting on the department's affirmative action program.

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Ensuring that all locations in the department are in compliance with Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973.

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Developing employment goals with specific and special emphasis on programs for pre-entry, entry and promotional titles.

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Developing and implementing systems for monitoring and attaining such goals.

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Developing an internal discrimination complaint procedure.

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Investigating and resolving complaints of discrimination by employees and applicants who are members of the protected classes.

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Informing complainants of rights and external avenues of redress.

(4)

Managers and supervisors. The obligations of managers and supervisors include, but are not limited to:

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Assisting the affirmative action officer in the identification of problem areas and the establishment of numerical and programmatic goals and timetables.

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Providing all protected class staff persons with full opportunity to participate in any available training and career enrichment activities, including workshops and seminars.

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Participating in affirmative action training provided to supervisory and management personnel.

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Consistently and equitably applying discipline rules and other personnel actions and procedures.

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Providing accurate reports and information as required for affirmative action purposes.

(5)

Advisory committee. The commission on employment of the mayor's permanent conference on minority affairs shall serve as an advisory group to the mayor through the affirmative action officer.

The committee's responsibilities include:

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Reviewing the city's affirmative action plan.

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Assisting in the dissemination of affirmative action information.

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Developing specific recommendations concerning the city's affirmative action plan.

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Assisting in identifying areas where the plan is not responsive to the needs of protected class employees.

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Assisting in identifying and expanding recruitment sources to attract a broader pool of applicants.

(Gen. Ord. No. 37-1985, 7-29-85)