Vickie Fair | Administrator
Scope of Responsibilities
The Office of Affirmative Action coordinates the department’s Equal Employment Opportunity/Affirmative Action Program and the Employee Assistance Program. The office responds to the needs of department employees on sensitive matters such as harassment and discrimination, disability accommodation and employee assistance.
The Office of Affirmative Action maintains workforce statistics and reports required by the Illinois Department of Human Rights. The office coordinates agency responses to employment discrimination and sexual harassment charges filed with the Department of Human Rights and the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC).
In responding to external complaints, staff reviews responses from the facilities, submits responses to the Department of Human Rights and the EEOC, coordinates the attendance of witnesses and represents the agency at fact finding conferences. The Office of Affirmative Action is also responsible for investigating internal complaints of discrimination and sexual harassment. It is a goal of the office to provide prompt, thorough investigations of complaints.
The Office of Affirmative Action is responsible for coordinating the agency’s Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA) program for employees, which includes responding to employee and applicant requests for accommodation. In handling accommodation requests, the office consults with the individual requesting an accommodation and investigates what, if any, accommodation is appropriate.
The Office of Affirmative Action also oversees the agency Employee Assistance Program (EAP). A list of agency EAP coordinators has been distributed to all work locations for posting.
Recruitment
Trained designated recruiters attend job fairs throughout the state. Recruitment brochures and display boards for recruiters are used at job fairs and recruitment events. A recruitment video is also made available. Special efforts are made to attend minority job forums and events and provide information regarding the agency’s recruitment program. A recruitment task force also has been established to continue to develop innovative methods of recruiting quality staff.
