EEO Information

This is a written plan of action in coordination with Benesch’s Employee’s Guide to Personnel Policies and Procedures (section 3.3 Equal Employment Opportunity Policy) and is reviewed on an annual basis.

 

Since its inception, Benesch has maintained a strong commitment to providing equal employment opportunities (EEO) to all employees and applicants without regard to an individual’s race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, political affiliation or belief, age, disability, military service, status as a protected veteran, or any other protected characteristic in accordance with applicable Federal, State and local laws governing non-discrimination in every location in which the company has facilities.

Benesch will not discharge or in any other manner discriminate against employees or applicants because they have inquired about, discussed or disclosed their own pay or the pay of another employee or applicant. However, employees who have access to the compensation information of other employees or applicants as a part of their essential job functions cannot disclose the pay of other employees or applicants to individuals who do not otherwise have access to compensation information, unless the disclosure is (a) in response to a formal complaint or charge, (b) in furtherance of an investigation, proceeding, hearing or action, including an investigation conducted by the employer, or (c) consistent with the contractor’s legal duty to furnish information.

This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment including, but not limited to, promotion, demotion or transfer; sourcing, recruitment or recruitment advertising; layoff or termination; rates of pay or other forms of compensation; leaves of absence; selection for training including, on-the-job training and/or internship.

Sourcing and Recruitment

Benesch is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer of protected veterans and individuals with disabilities. Qualified applicants are evaluated without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, national origin, political affiliation or belief, age, gender identity, disability, military service, status as a protected veteran or any other protected characteristic.

State Employment Offices (ESDS) and third-party recruitment vendors are notified of Benesch’s EEO obligations. All advertisements for available positions with Benesch are placed on the Careers page of the Company website for internal and external applicants. They are also placed with ESDS offices and with organizations dedicated to diversity outreach, including women, minorities, those with disabilities and protected veterans.

Benesch participates in local career fairs at universities, colleges and technical schools in various states as opportunities arise from year to year and reaches out to alumni and professional organizations to promote internships and open positions.

All advertisements for employment opportunities include the following notation: “An Equal Employment Opportunity/Affirmative Action/Disability/Protected Veteran Employer. Qualified applicants are evaluated without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, political affiliation or belief, age, disability, military service, status as a protected veteran or any other protected characteristic.”

Selection

Benesch does not utilize pre-employment aptitude or similar tests to screen job applicants. The same job-related questions are asked to each applicant applying for the same job classification to ensure that candidates are evaluated in a consistent manner as it relates to the skills and abilities required for the job.

Reasonable accommodation is provided to qualified applicants for employment and employees with disabilities upon request. Contact information is available on Benesch’s careers page for applicants who may need to request accommodation with the application or interview process. Information is available in the Employee Guide for Personnel Policies and Procedures for employees who may need to request job-related accommodations.

Wage and Salary Structure

Benesch makes employment, pay and promotion decisions without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, political affiliation or belief, sexual orientation, age, gender identity, disability, gender identity or expression, military service, protected veteran status or other factors unrelated to a person’s ability to do the job. Benesch conducts an annual salary analysis to determine whether the current rate of pay is commensurate with individual performance and job classification.

Harassment

Benesch does not tolerate harassment of or by its employees. Any form of harassment related to an employee’s race, color, sex, sexual orientation, religion, national origin, political affiliation or belief, sexual orientation, age, gender identity, marital status, political belief, veteran status or disability is a violation of Benesch’s Policy on Harassment and will be treated as a disciplinary matter.

Benesch is committed to the maintenance of an environment free of discrimination and all forms of coercion that impede the freedom or diminish the dignity of any employee. Benesch will not tolerate sexual or other harassment by employees, whether it is aimed at other Benesch employees or the employees or representatives of clients, vendors or others with whom we do business. By the same token, Benesch likewise endeavors to protect our employees against harassment by non-employees with whom we do business.

Any complaint or violation of policy which arises should be immediately reported to the employee’s supervisor, Human Resources, or the company EEO Officer.

Employees or applicants will not be subject to harassment, intimidation, threats, coercion, or retaliation because they engage in filing a complaint or assist in a review or investigation of a complaint.

Dissemination of Policy

This EEO Plan is available to employees in the Employee Guide for Personnel Policies and Procedures and on the Benesch intranet site; it is available to applicants for employment via the Benesch careers page on the company website.

The Know Your Rights poster and the Pay Transparency Policy Statement are all posted on the Benesch intranet site for all employees to view, particularly those who may not be working at a physical office location. These notices are all accessible electronically for applicants on the Benesch careers page on the company website.

The EEO Officer is:

Sandra Pond, SPHR
Chief Human Resources Officer
Benesch
35 West Wacker Drive, Suite 3300
Chicago, IL 60601
312-565-0450