Anti-Discrimination Policy of The Memphis Challenge, Inc.

The Memphis Challenge is committed to preventing discrimination and protecting our employees, students, and stakeholders from offensive and harmful behaviors. Our anti-discrimination policy supports our goal of creating a safe and inclusive environment for everyone.

We comply with all relevant anti-discrimination laws, including Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), and the Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA). We explicitly prohibit offensive behavior, such as derogatory comments directed at colleagues based on their gender or ethnicity.

**Scope**

This policy applies to all employees, students, vendors, and stakeholders.

**Policy Elements**

Discrimination is defined as any adverse action or attitude directed towards someone based on protected characteristics, including but not limited to:

• Age
• Religion
• Ethnicity/Nationality
• Disability/Medical History
• Marriage/Civil Partnership
• Pregnancy/Maternity/Paternity
• Gender Identity/Sexual Orientation

**Discrimination and Harassment**

The Memphis Challenge’s anti-discrimination and anti-harassment policies are closely linked. We do not tolerate discrimination that creates a hostile or unpleasant environment for its employees, students or volunteers.

Examples of discriminatory behavior include, but are not limited to:

• Disproportionately disqualifying male or female job candidates on purpose.
• The leadership repeatedly bypasses team members with specific protected characteristics (such as race) for promotion, without being able to provide formal documentation for their decisions.
• Staff making sexist comments.
• Staff sending emails that disparage someone’s ethnic origin.

Employees who engage in harassment will face our disciplinary process, which may result in reprimanding, demoting, or terminating them based on the severity of their actions.

We recognize that discrimination can sometimes be unintentional, as unconscious biases are challenging to identify and overcome. If it is determined that an employee has unconsciously discriminated, we will provide support through training and counseling and implement processes to mitigate biases. However, if the individual shows an unwillingness to change their behavior, we may consider demotion or termination.

We will not tolerate any cases of assault, sexual harassment, or workplace violence—whether physical or psychological. Employees who behave in this manner will be terminated immediately.

**Actions to Prevent Discrimination**

To ensure that our conduct and processes are fair and lawful, we will:

• Use inclusive language in job advertisements and include Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) statements.
• Establish formal job-related criteria for hiring, promoting, and rewarding team members.
• Offer compensation and benefits based on position, seniority, qualifications, and performance, rather than protected characteristics.
• Accommodate individuals with disabilities.
• Require managers to maintain detailed records of their decisions regarding team members and job candidates.

We will also consider additional measures to prevent discrimination, including:

• Implementing hiring processes that reduce bias, such as structured interviews and blind hiring initiatives.
• Organizing training on diversity, communication, and conflict management to enhance collaboration among employees from diverse backgrounds.

**What to Do in Cases of Discrimination**

If you are a victim of discriminatory behavior, or if you suspect that others are being discriminated against, please speak to HR or your manager as soon as possible. HR is responsible for hearing your concerns, investigating the issue, and determining appropriate actions.

Punishment for discriminatory behavior depends on the severity of the offence. For example, inadvertently offending someone might warrant a reprimand. Conversely, willfully bypassing employees for promotion because of a protected characteristic will result in termination.

If you claim a regulatory body (e.g., the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission), we are committed and bound by law not to retaliate against you.

How we address discrimination complaints

HR is proactive and responsive in determining whether discrimination occurs. For example, we:

• [Look into similar claims about the same person or process to determine if discrimination is systemic.]
• [Track metrics and look into data that give us some insight into people’s behaviors (e.g., percentage of job applicants of a certain race a hiring manager disqualifies.)]
• [Evaluate testimonies on social media that visitors, job candidates, or former employees have made.]
• [Conduct discreet interviews and gather information.]

We will investigate all claims discreetly. We will never disclose who made a complaint to anyone or give out information that may help others identify that person (e.g., which department or role they work in.)

We should all strive to prevent and address discrimination. Be aware of your implicit biases and speak up whenever you or your colleagues are discriminated against. If you have any ideas on how we can ensure fairness and equality in our workplace, we are happy to hear them.

Update 2/21/25