City Bar Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Policy
The City Bar embraces a culture of diversity, equity and inclusion by supporting a workplace that welcomes, respects and values differences. We recognize that our diversity – the many different and unique things we individually and collectively bring to work each day – contributes to building a stronger workforce and a better organization. When employees, members, and volunteers come from a variety of backgrounds, the combination of these unique individual perspectives and experiences helps shape how the City Bar successfully executes its mission.
The City Bar strives to:
- Attract a broad pool of diverse candidates;
- Embrace innovation and high-quality decision-making through exposure to a broad range of perspectives and ideas;
- Maximize employee engagement, retention and professional development;
- Welcome the representation of all groups and employee perspectives;
- Have respectful communication and cooperation between all employees; and
- Reflect the diversity of the New York City communities in which our employees live and work.
All employees of the City Bar have a responsibility to treat others with dignity and respect at all times. All staff are expected to exhibit conduct that reflects inclusion during work and at all work-related events, whether on or off the work site. To that end, the City Bar is committed to the following practices:
- Leadership Accountability. The City Bar’s commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion in our workplace is reflected at all levels of our organization, including our governing bodies (the Association’s Executive Committee and the Board of the City Bar Fund) and senior staff. This organization-wide policy also mirrors our longstanding efforts to improve diversity among our volunteer membership, committee chairs and more broadly in the legal profession.
- Recruitment and Outreach. Vacant positions are written, posted and shared in a manner to attract a diverse group of candidates with different backgrounds; equivalent experience will be accepted in lieu of educational requirements wherever feasible. We strongly encourage hiring managers to work closely with the Human Resources Department to recruit broadly and think creatively to utilize alternative sources for qualified, but often overlooked applicants. Hiring managers should make every effort to interview a diverse panel of candidates, whenever possible, before making a hiring decision. All job postings include a statement that the City Bar supports equal employment opportunity and does not tolerate discrimination in any form.
- Career Advancement and Professional Development. All managers provide staff with thoughtful feedback for career advancement and professional development, and encourage internal candidates to apply to City Bar opportunities for which they are qualified. Senior staff are expected to promote equitable access to training and advancement opportunities throughout the workplace; to provide targeted resources for under-represented groups as needed; and to ascertain the need for, and interest in, other efforts to advance the goals of this policy.
- Training and Communication. We require all staff to attend training on equal employment opportunity, discrimination and harassment (including sexual harassment), and unconscious bias disruption. We also train staff to be conscious of the decisions they make about people to support objectivity rather than subjectivity. We urge all employees to reflect on their interactions with colleagues – who is being heard and listened to and who is not – and to identify steps to include all voices.
- Compensation and Benefits. All staff compensation is carefully considered and equitable based on the role, qualifications and performance. We offer a competitive benefits program in an effort to attract and retain the most qualified individuals from a wide array of backgrounds.
- Work-Life Balance. We offer opportunities that assist staff in managing work and personal life, such as flexible work arrangements and family care leave, when possible, based on the employee’s role and needs. We are sensitive to cultural differences in family commitments and elder care needs. These policies are set forth in more detail in our employee handbook.
- Reasonable Accommodation. The City Bar provides reasonable accommodations for individuals whose ability to perform job duties is, or would be, affected due to any or all of the following: disability; religious beliefs or practices; pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding, or a related medical condition; or status as a victim of domestic violence, sex offenses or stalking. The process for requesting a reasonable accommodation is described in more detail in our employee handbook.
- Contractual Relationships. We encourage all departments to periodically re-evaluate outside vendors, not only to drive competition and ensure that the City Bar is receiving the best possible value, but also to identify opportunities to purchase goods and services from minority-and women-owned businesses.
During the first year that this policy is in effect, and as needed on an ongoing basis, the City Bar will examine its operations, including but not limited to the above commitments, in order to identify specific areas of improvement.
This Diversity and Inclusion Policy is posted on our website.
(Rev. 1/29/2020)
