Message on Equal Employment Opportunities,
Affirmative Action and Harassment

To the Employees of the National Academies, March 2006
Dr. Ralph J. Cicerone, President of the National Academy of Sciences

The core values of our organization emphasize honesty, civility, and respect for each person as an individual. These values must also guide our work with each other. The National Academies take pride in tackling problems – scientific or otherwise – in a fair and balanced manner. Fair treatment in our interactions with each other is just as important as it is in dealing with the scientific problems that we address.

For each of us to carry out our responsibilities, we must treat every person according to his or her qualifications and demonstrated abilities alone. The National Academies' Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) and Affirmative Action Program is very important to our institution, and I am happy to personally reaffirm the National Academies' legal and moral obligations, and our full commitment to equal opportunity and affirmative action.

The National Academies are committed to maintaining a workplace free of discrimination and will not tolerate instances of harassment in any form. Most of you have attended (or will have the opportunity to attend) a briefing focused on sexual harassment. Please take to heart your individual obligation to create and maintain the type of workplace where everyone feels respected.

Our institutional commitment goes far beyond formal requirements and I take seriously my institutional responsibility for these matters. Discrimination and harassment in any form are unacceptable in our institution. Managers have a special responsibility, and they must serve as role models.

It is the policy of the National Academies to recruit, hire, transfer, compensate, and promote people in all job categories and to administer all other personnel actions, terms and conditions of employment -- such as training and recreational programs -- without regard to race, color, sex, age, national origin, citizenship, ancestry, religion, creed, disability, marital status, family responsibilities, sexual orientation, personal appearance, political affiliation, matriculation, or a medical condition for which a person has been rehabilitated or cured. It is also the institution's policy to recruit, hire, promote, and provide reasonable accommodation to individuals with disabilities who are otherwise qualified.

My ultimate objective is for the Academies' workforce to display the same diversity as the nation we serve. We have policies and procedures in place to protect against discrimination and to provide for equal opportunity; however, achieving diversity in the workplace requires the personal commitment of all managers. Toward this end, I have asked our Office of Human Resources (OHR) to provide periodic feedback to the executive office and to each major unit on our progress.

Please take the time to read our formal policies on equal employment opportunity and affirmative action, general and sexual harassment, and to make certain that you understand the full range of responsibility that each of us bears in ensuring that our organization remains a productive and enjoyable place to work.

If you have any questions about these or other topics, please feel free to talk with an EEO/Peer Counselor, the EEO Advisor, OHR Staff, or any member of the management team.