Internal Communication Concerning the Program

The Colorado Judicial Department’s Statement of Policy contained within this program description shall be distributed to all Department judicial officers and employees when this program is adopted, and thereafter distributed to each new judicial officer and employee upon hire. It shall also be posted on courthouse bulletin boards, along with Federal Equal Employment Opportunity posters. It will be made available on the Colorado Judicial Department’s Intranet site. The Colorado Judicial Department EEO/Diversity Plan shall be distributed to all Chief Judges, Judicial District Administrators, Clerks of Court, Judges, and Supervisors, and shall be available to judicial officers and employees upon request through the Human Resources Division of the State Court Administrator’s office.

Articles concerning the EEO/Diversity Plan shall be featured periodically in the Department’s newsletters and publications as appropriate, and shall be included in management handbooks, annual reports, and policy manuals.

Training related to diversity in the workplace, harassment, and sexual harassment shall be provided to all employees and judges.

External Communication Concerning the Program

To affirm its commitment to the EEO/Diversity Plan, the Judicial Department shall conduct outreach to minority communities, high schools, community colleges, other colleges and universities, and professional associations to establish liaisons with those groups, foster a positive relationship, and recruit people from under-represented minority groups for employment and volunteer opportunities.

The Department’s EEO/Diversity Plan shall be published on the Judiciary’s web site.

The Human Resources Division shall send job announcements to recruitment sources that have contact with potential job applicants who would increase the Judicial Department’s diversity. These sources shall be kept informed of the EEO/Diversity Plan and encouraged to make employment referrals.

All Judicial Department job vacancy notices and job advertisements shall contain the statement “The Colorado Judicial Department is an Equal Opportunity Employer.”

Program Components

The Judicial Department will create statewide and local EEO/Diversity plans and initiatives in an effort to promote a workforce that resembles the labor market through the elimination of barriers and the implementation of proactive programs. On a regular basis, the Colorado Judicial Department’s workforce shall be analyzed to comply with Equal Employment Opportunity Commission reporting requirements to determine whether there are under-represented groups in the workforce as compared to the available labor force. The availability of under-represented groups in the state’s labor force shall be determined using job categories as defined by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission or the Department of Labor. If such under-representation is found, the Judicial Department will attempt to determine if it is the result of barriers limiting equal employment opportunities.

State and local plans will include an equal employment component focused on ensuring fairness and equity in all employment practices, as well as a diversity component that will encourage and promote the idea that differences in the workplace contribute to the success of the judicial department mission. The analysis may also consist of studies that review the degree to which employees feel valued and included in their work environment. Plans will be evaluated on a regular basis to identify areas of success and areas for improvement.

The Judicial Department, through the Office of the State Court Administrator and the Human Resources Division, will provide guidance to local judicial district authorities to aid them in defining EEO/Diversity initiatives and creating plans appropriate for their locations. These plans will be created based upon a review of data specific to their location(s). To increase public trust and confidence in the judicial department, information concerning court users will be gathered so that their needs and concerns may become a part of local diversity planning. Each plan will describe methods to be used to increase diversity in the workforce, and to promote awareness and sensitivity to diversity issues related to employees and those who use the various programs, activities, and facilities within the Colorado Judicial Department. Each plan will contain a review of past accomplishments, and suggestions for improvement where needed. Every other year on December 31st, each Judicial Location will file an updated EEO/Diversity Plan describing the efforts, accomplishments, and shortfalls of the previous year, and describing plans for the coming year. Statistical information will be provided by the Human Resources Division of the State Court Administrator’s office prior to completion of this report. Reports will be filed with the Human Resources Division, which will summarize the reports and submit the summary to the Supreme Court for its review.

Specific training programs will be created to increase awareness and sensitivity to diversity issues for all employees and judicial officers within the judicial department. Diversity issues will be considered in the creation of new programs. Trainers and faculty will consider diversity issues when learning to be trainers. All new employees and supervisors hired or promoted after the implementation of this plan will be required to take diversity training within two years of their hire or promotion date. The performance appraisal program will evaluate supervisors on their ability to promote a diverse workforce.