PROTECTED VETERANS
Equal Opportunity Statement of Policy for Protected Veterans
In keeping with its mission and in accordance with the Vietnam Era Veterans’ Adjustment Assistance Act, as amended by the Jobs for Veterans Act of 2002 (VEVRAA) and other applicable laws, The University of Alabama is committed to providing persons who are protected veterans an equal opportunity to participate in and benefit from all programs and services offered by the University and is committed to compliance with affirmative action laws related to protected veterans. It is the policy of The University of Alabama not to discriminate against an individual’s status as a protected veteran regard to recruitment or advertising, hiring, training, promotion, and other terms and conditions of employment, provided the individual is qualified, with or without reasonable accommodations, to perform the essential functions of the job.
Non-Discrimination: Employment decisions at the University are based solely on valid job-related criteria and are and will be made without discrimination based upon the individual’s physical or mental disability or veteran status. This prohibition against discrimination applies to the following employment activities: recruitment, advertising, and job application procedures; hiring, upgrading, promotion, award of tenure, demotion, transfer, layoff, termination, right of return from layoff, and rehiring; rates of pay or any other form of compensation and changes in compensation; job assignments, job classifications, organizational structures, position descriptions, lines of progression, and seniority lists; leaves of absence, sick leave or any other leave; fringe benefits available by virtue of employment; selection and financial support for training, including apprenticeships, professional meetings, conferences and other related activities and selection for leaves of absence to pursue training; activities sponsored by the University; and any other term, condition or privilege of employment.
Reasonable Accommodations. The University makes and will continue to make reasonable accommodations to the known physical or mental limitations of an applicant or employee who is a qualified individual with a disability or is a qualified disabled veteran or pre-JVA special disabled veteran, unless such accommodations would impose an undue hardship on the operation of the University’s business. The University will not deny employment opportunities based on its need to make a reasonable accommodation to such an individual’s physical or mental impairment.
Anti-Retaliation. In addition, employees and applicants will not be subjected to harassment, intimidation, threats, coercion, or discrimination because they have engaged in, or may engage in, activities such as filing a complaint; assisting or participating in an investigation, compliance review or hearing or other activities related to the administration of the affirmative action provisions of VEBRAA or Section 503, or any other Federal, State, or local law requiring equal opportunity for individuals with disabilities or protected veterans; or opposing any act or practice made unlawful by VEVRAA or Section 503 or the ADAAA, or their implementing regulations, or any other Federal, State, or local law requiring equal opportunity for individuals with disabilities or protected veterans; or exercising any other right protected by VEVRAA, Section 503, the ADAAA, or their implementing regulations.
Responsibility for Implementation. The President of the University and other executive officers of the University have the ultimate responsibility for implementing the University’s equal opportunity policy and affirmative action programs. The President disseminates to the campus community an annual statement supporting the University’s affirmative action program, and urging every employee to comply with the equal opportunity, affirmative action, non-discrimination and anti-retaliation policies of the University. That statement is posted on-line at http://eop.ua.edu/law
Beth Howard, Executive Director of Equal Opportunity and Title IX Programs, oversees implementation of the University’s AAP for Veterans and Individuals with Disabilities. She has been assigned responsibility for reviewing and updating annually the University’s affirmative action programs and implementing an auditing and reporting system that a) measures the effectiveness of the University’s affirmative action program for individuals with disabilities and protected veterans; b) indicates the need for remedial action; c) determines the degree to which the University’s objectives have been attained; d) determines whether known individuals with disabilities or protected veterans have had the opportunity to participate in all University-sponsored educational, training, recreational and social activities; e) measures the University’s compliance with this affirmative action program’s specific obligations; and f) documents actions to comply with applicable federal regulations. All managers and supervisors must take an active part in following the University’s above-stated policy to ensure that all qualified applicants and employees who are protected veterans are considered and treated in a non-discriminatory manner with respect to all employment decisions.
DISABLED VETERAN’S REQUEST FOR ACCOMMODATION: Protected veterans who are disabled are invited to identify accommodations the University could make that would enable the employee to perform the essential functions of the job, including special equipment, changes in the physical layout of the job, changes in the way the job is customarily performed, provision of personal assistance services or other accommodations. Disabled veterans requesting reasonable accommodations should complete the Employee Accommodation Request Form. Instructions on how to complete the form are located here.
VOLUNTARY INVITATION TO SELF-IDENTIFY PROTECTED VETERAN STATUS: As a Government contractor subject to VEVRAA, the University is required to submit a report to the United States Department of Labor each year identifying the number of its employees belonging to each specified “protected veteran” category. In compliance with this mandate, the University invites employees who believe they are protected veterans to identify themselves by completing the form entitled Voluntary Self-Identification of Protected Veterans for Post-Offer and Current Employees. Instructions on how to self-identify are located on the HR Forms website, or available on the Employee tab in MyBama under Employee Services. Submission of this information is voluntary and refusal to provide it will not subject an employee to any adverse treatment. The information provided will be used only in ways that are not inconsistent with the Vietnam Era Veterans’ Readjustment Assistance Act of 1974, as amended.