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If an employee has knowledge of or a concern of illegal or dishonest fraudulent activity, <br />the employee is to contact his/her immediate supervisor or Human Resources. The <br />employee must exercise sound judgment to avoid baseless allegations. An employee who <br />intentionally files a false report of wrongdoing may be subject to discipline up to and <br />including termination. <br />It is the city's legal responsibility to protect employees who make a complaint of <br />employment discrimination, who serve as a witness or participate in an investigation, or <br />who are exercising their rights when requesting religious or disability accommodation <br />from retaliation. <br />Whistleblower protections are provided in two important areas - confidentiality and <br />against retaliation; insofar as consistent with Minnesota Government Data Practices, the <br />confidentiality of the whistleblower will be maintained. However, identity may have to be <br />disclosed to conduct a thorough investigation, to comply with the law and to provide <br />accused individuals with their legal rights of defense. <br />The city will not retaliate against a whistleblower. This includes but is not limited to, <br />protection from retaliation in the form of an adverse employment action such as <br />termination, compensation decreases, or poor work assignments and threats of physical <br />harm. Any whistleblower who believes s/he is being retaliated against must contact <br />Human Resources immediately. The right of a whistleblower for protection against <br />retaliation does not include immunity for any personal wrongdoing. <br />Sexual Harassment and Respectful Workplace <br />Employees have a right to work in an environment free from discrimination and <br />intimidation, including harassment. The mission of the city is best accomplished in an <br />atmosphere of professionalism that in turn is supported by mutual respect and trust. The <br />city expects all employees to work toward this goal. <br />Harassment based on a person's race, color, creed, religion, national origin, sex, sexual <br />orientation, gender, gender identity, gender expression, disability, age, marital status, <br />familial status, pregnancy, status regarding public assistance, veteran status, or any other <br />protected class status may be unlawful and is strictly prohibited. <br />Abusive Customer Behavior <br />While the city has a strong commitment to customer service, the city does not expect <br />employees to accept verbal and other abuse from any customer. <br />An employee may request that a supervisor intervene when a customer is abusive, or the <br />employee may defuse the situation themselves, including professionally ending the <br />contact. <br />If there is a concern about the possibility of violence, the employee should use his/her <br />Page 135 of 447 <br />