IUPUI Environmental Health & Safety

University Policies > Nondiscrimination Against Employees Related To Hazardous Situations

Subject: Nondiscrimination Against Employee Related to Hazardous Situations
Effective Date: January 1, 1999
Approved: Robert Martin, Vice Chancellor - Policy: 9

PURPOSE AND BACKGROUND
University employees may be aware of an unsafe condition or practice in the workplace, but fail to report their concern to departmental management or the appropriate campus safety organization because of fear of retaliation by their employer. In some cases a safety issue that has been reported to departmental management may remain unresolved.

The purpose of this document is to establish a written University policy that protects employees who report environmental, health or safety problems to internal departments. This protection is parallel to the protection granted workers by various state and federal regulatory agencies.

SCOPE
This policy applies to all staff, faculty, students and guests of the University community. This policy includes but is not limited to issues related to: health, occupational safety, the environment, general safety and fire safety. Campus safety organizations as used in this policy include: Environmental Health and Safety, Fire Protection Services, Police, Radiation Safety.

POLICY

An employee shall not be discharged, suspended or otherwise discriminated against for failure or refusal to engage in unsafe practices or improper acts which adversely affect health, safety or the environment.

An employee shall not be discharged, suspended or otherwise discriminated against for reporting safety, health or environmental issues to the employee's management or to IUPUI departments having jurisdiction over the issue.
An employee who violates this policy is subject to the IUPUI disciplinary process up to and including dismissal.

PROCEDURES:

Anyone becoming aware of any discriminatory or retaliatory action within the scope of this policy should immediately bring it to the attention of the director of the appropriate campus safety organization or the chairperson of the appropriate campus safety committee.

Any employee who refuses to act in a manner directed by supervision because the employee believes it results in unsafe practices, exposure to unhealthy conditions, or harms the environment by violating a university policy or regulatory requirement, shall notify the employee's immediate supervisor of the reason for refusing to perform work as directed.

If the supervisor, after investigation of the issue, determines the employee is not correct and the employee still believes the work should not be performed as directed; then the employee shall contact the appropriate campus safety organization.

The campus safety organization shall expeditiously investigate the situation to determine if the employee's concern is appropriate. The safety organization shall inform the employee and supervisor of their findings.

Both supervisor and employee shall abide by the campus safety organization's decision at that time. If there is an ongoing safety concern, the appropriate campus safety committee will investigate the issue further.