Nondiscrimination and Anti-Harassment Policy

Having a compliance program that would reduce risks and create an environment that is safe, legal, and free from discrimination and harassment is essential. This handbook section is based on the policies worked out during the previous units, including accreditation, contract laws, combating healthcare frauds, and efficient use of health information technology. The compliance policies ensure that the organization meets federal and state legal requirements as well as the rights and behavior of employees at the workplace, reporting of discrimination, sexual harassment, and ethical practices in business. In this section, the specific crucial compliance policies on retaliation, harassment, discrimination, reporting, confidentiality, accommodation, and the complaint procedures for a safe and fair work area are reviewed.

Retaliation

Retaliation against employees for reporting misconduct or participating in investigations is strictly prohibited. That is why employees at AIU Regional Hospital are free to express their concerns without fear of punishment. It is encouraged that employees should feel free to report any retaliation through the proper channels (Sørensen et al., 2020). Such cases will not be well tolerated, and quick investigations and hearings will be conducted to ensure such conditions do not exist. Any form of retaliation can lead to disciplinary action against the offending party, including termination. Furthermore, all complaints will be handled with strict confidence by the persons making the complaints to enhance workplace safety.

Sexual Harassment

Sexual harassment is prohibited in AIU Regional Hospital, and the institution does not condone such or any harassment. Sexual harassment involves sexual solicitation, which includes commands or pressure for sexual favors and other verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature (Zeighami et al., 2022). Disciplinary measures involving the employee and termination will be administered whenever an employee participates in such behavior. Complainants are urged to report such incidences through the adopted complaint channel. Any complaint will be taken seriously and acted on immediately to achieve a safe and respectful workplace. Also, the policy at AIU Regional Hospital is to train employees continuously to prevent and deal with sexual harassment complaints.

Age or Gender Discrimination

Age and gender discrimination are prohibited and unlawful at the AIU Regional Hospital. The hospital subscribes to the policy of equal employment opportunity and applies the policy to the person’s age and gender identity. Discrimination or harassment will be handled with the seriousness deserved and acted on immediately. The hospital guarantees that all aspects of employment, including hiring and promotion, are not influenced by age or gender bias (Winkel et al., 2021). Employees are allowed to report incidences of discrimination to the proper authorities, where the complaints will be dealt with accordingly. To improve fair employment practices, equality, and diversity in the workplace, AIU Regional Hospital also provides diversity and inclusion training to foster a fair and equitable work environment.

Harassment

Voice, touch, and mind harassment of any type is prohibited at the AIU Regional Hospital. Harassment can be defined as any conduct that might make working in an organization uncomfortable (Diez-Canseco et al., 2022). Each worker within an enterprise should enhance the value and self-worth of another worker, no matter their rank or status. Such incidents will be treated seriously and followed up on to promote a progressive workplace culture. Action will be taken against any employee found guilty of perpetrating harassment, which may lead to dismissal. Furthermore, AIU Regional Hospital has a policy to maintain a safe working environment and encourage its employees who feel they are harassed to report whether they were harassed forcefully or not without fear of retaliation.

Individuals and Conduct Covered

This policy of AIU Regional Hospital also applies to its employees, contractors, and visitors. All individuals who are on the premises must respect the people around them and follow the organization’s conduct rules. Misconduct will be investigated in order to eliminate bias and biasness. We value diversity in the workplace, and equality is our fair way of handling employees. Everyone is expected to foster positivity and guarantee that all member’s opinions are valued. This policy does not allow for any such misconduct, and where it has been done, then the violator will have corrective action taken against them. Accordingly, AIU Regional Hospital desires to build changes in the relations at the workplace through collaboration and mutual respect from colleagues and subordinates and by improving the morale and productivity of the employees.

Reporting

Employees are encouraged to report any violations of hospital policies through the designated reporting channels. This includes discrimination, harassment, fraud, or even safety violations. People can report anonymously, and all the cases reported will be checked and investigated to their completion. There are many ways to report at AIU Regional Hospital; for instance, employees can report through a telephone hotline, online form, or directly to a manager. Documents needed will be processed professionally and efficiently, and findings will be communicated to relevant parties. The hospital ensures that all participants will be treated relatively well during the investigation.

Confidentiality

Every endeavor will be made to protect the identity of reports and investigations when in the hospital’s office. Of paramount importance is the anonymity given through the policy to assure employees that it is safe to report. While complete confidentiality cannot always be guaranteed, information will only be shared on a need-to-know basis. Keeping confidentiality during the whole process also ensures no person’s rights and privacy are infringed upon. Furthermore, no employee participating in any investigation can disclose any information on the case. In case of violation of this rule, the employee will face disciplinary measures. Employees will be educated on the actions taken to ensure that their information is safe and the measures deployed to ensure that their information is protected (Alraja et al., 2023). AIU Regional Hospital also has a speak-up policy whereby none of its employees reporting malpractice fears will be exposed, fired, or dismissed. Finally, such commitment improves the confidentiality of the reporting process and creates a positive workplace culture.

Reasonable Accommodations

AIU Regional Hospital’s policy ensures to place any employee with a disability or requirement to the best of their ability. Reasonable accommodations may include adjustments to job duties, work schedules, or the physical work environment (Rangarajan et al., 2020). Regarding accommodation, there will still be some based on specific cases to meet the needs of the employee as well as the hospital. The organization aims to give people reasonable chances to perform their tasks effectively and comfortably. Employees can report their accommodation needs to Human Resource (HR) so that the relevant changes can be made immediately. The hospital has a policy of ensuring compliance with all laws, including the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). A regular check-in will help the company make necessary changes to accommodations to keep it as relevant and beneficial for all employees as possible.

Complaint Procedure

Any employee who considers they have faced discrimination or harassment at the workplace should submit a complaint. Complaints should be reported to the HR officer or the specific compliance officer, if any (Sampson, 2021). Every complaint will be addressed quickly and substantively, and if there is misconduct, the necessary corrective measures will be taken. The hospital always appreciates its clients and will ensure any concern is handled fairly and within the shortest time possible. To encourage this process, employees are encouraged to give as many details as possible about an incident to help in the investigation process. It is important to note that all the complaints during the process will be treated under conditions that the rights of the individuals shall be protected under the provision of the privacy clause. In addition, the employees will be informed of the current status of their complaints right from the time they are investigating the case.

Plan for Implementation

For this compliance program, AIU Regional Hospital will organize regular formal training sessions on existing laws and policies for the staff to attend and update themselves. During these sessions, the participants will be made to understand how compliance can help maintain respect in the workplace. The plan also includes periodic audits and evaluations to determine effectiveness and improvements to the program. Feedback from staff will be actively sought to adapt the program to evolving needs. Also, the hospital will set up a timetable for the refresher training to ensure that employees stay current on the changes made to the policies applied at the organization. Printed, readily available, and easily understood resources like pamphlets and online interactive e-modules shall also be provided to complement learning. Finally, this commitment toward continuous learning shall enhance the provision of accountable and respectful services in AIU Regional Hospital.

Conclusion

In conclusion, developing a robust compliance program is critical to ensuring that AIU Regional Hospital remains a safe, fair, and legally compliant organization. From retaliation, harassment, and discrimination to accommodations and precise reporting mechanisms, the hospital fosters a good workplace culture. Continuous employee training and frequent audits will enhance the proper implementation of these policies. Besides, a risk management director must ensure that AIU Regional Hospital stays committed to these principles, thus keeping staff and the institution safe while avoiding demeaning and discriminating behavior.

References

Alraja, M. N., Butt, U. J., & Abbod, M. (2023). Information security policies compliance in a global setting: An employee’s perspective. Computers & Security, 129, 103208. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cose.2023.103208

Diez-Canseco, F., Toyama, M., Hidalgo-Padilla, L., & Bird, V. J. (2022). Systematic review of policies and interventions to prevent sexual harassment in the workplace to prevent depression. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 19(20), 13278. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph192013278

Rangarajan, S. K., Muliyala, K. P., Jadhav, P., Philip, S., Angothu, H., & Thirthalli, J. (2020). Reasonable Accommodation at the workplace for professionals with severe mental illness: A qualitative study of needs. Indian Journal of Psychological Medicine, 42(5), 445–450. https://doi.org/10.1177/0253717620939771

Sampson, S. (2021). Good people doing bad things. Journal of Legal Anthropology, 5(1), 110–134. https://doi.org/10.3167/jla.2021.050105

Sørensen, J. L., Gaup, A. M. N., & Magnussen, L. I. (2020). Whistleblowing in Norwegian municipalities—Can offers of reward influence employees’ willingness and motivation to report wrongdoings? Sustainability, 12(8), 3479. https://doi.org/10.3390/su12083479

Winkel, A. F., Telzak, B., Shaw, J., Hollond, C., Magro, J., Nicholson, J., & Quinn, G. (2021). The role of gender in careers in medicine: A systematic review and thematic synthesis of qualitative literature. Journal of General Internal Medicine, 36(8), 2392–2399. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11606-021-06836-z

Zeighami, M., Shahrbabaki, P. M., & Dehghan, M. (2022). Iranian nurses’ experiences with sexual harassment in workplace: A qualitative study. Sexuality Research and Social Policy, 20(2), 575–588. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13178-022-00688-w

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Assignment Details

This Individual Project (IP) builds upon all of your work in the previous units.

As director of risk management of AIU Regional Hospital, be sure to add a section on compliance in your handbook. You will use the research from Units 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5’s updates to the “Nondiscrimination and Anti-Harassment Policy” for the report.

The Compliance section will use research from the previous units to provide backgrounds on the policies that you develop, as follows:

1. Unit 1: Analyzing the benefits of accreditation to a health care organization
2. Unit 2: Laws governing contracts and physician–patient responsibilities
3. Unit 3: Evaluation of health information technology (HIT) and legislation, use of social media, and telemedicine in health care
4. Unit 4: Addressing the significant categories of health care fraud and abuse; providing recommendations
5. Unit 5
   • Retaliation
   • Sexual harassment
   • Age or gender discrimination
   • Harassment
   • Individuals and conduct covered
   • Reporting
   • Confidentiality
   • Reasonable accommodations
   • Complaint procedure
   • Plan for implementation

Deliverable Requirements: Your Compliance section should have at least 5 pages and 7 references. It should also use APA formatting for the title, notes, and references. Then, insert the 5 pages from your Unit 5 assignment into your Employee Orientation Handbook. You will combine the assignments from all units (5 pages per unit = 25 pages total) in the course to create and submit the final deliverable: an Employee Orientation Handbook with at least 25 pages.

Nondiscrimination and Anti-Harassment Policy

Submitting your assignment in APA format means that you will need the following at a minimum:

• Title page: Remember the running head. The title should be in all capitals.
• Length: There should be at least 25 pages.
• Body: This begins on the page following the title page and must be double-spaced (be careful not to triple- or quadruple-space between paragraphs). The typeface should be 12-point Times New Roman or 12-point Courier in regular black type. Do not use color, bold type, or italics, except as required for APA-level headings and references. The deliverable length of the body of your paper for this assignment is 25 pages. In-body academic citations to support your decisions and analysis are required. Using a variety of academic sources is encouraged.
• Reference page: References that align with your in-body academic sources should be listed on the final page of your paper. The references must be in APA format and use appropriate spacing, hanging indent, italics, and uppercase and lowercase for the type of resource used. Remember that the reference page is not a bibliography but a further listing of the abbreviated in-body citations used in the paper. Every referenced item must have a corresponding in-body citation.

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