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Policy Name:Equal Employment
Scope:All Staff and Associates
Revision Date:February 16, 2023
Last Review Date:March 9, 2023


Reliant values a diverse workforce with all the unique qualities that individuals of various backgrounds, cultures, and experiences can offer in ministry. Reliant is committed to providing staff with the opportunity to develop to their fullest potential. Reliant will base employment-related decisions upon valid job/ministry-related factors, including the employee's or applicant's demonstrated ability, experience, potential, and commitment to the specific ministry of Reliant. Reliant will not discriminate in employment decisions based on race, color, gender, age, national origin, marital status, pregnancy, veteran status, or disability. This applies to recruitment, hiring, training, selection, eligible promotion, and all other actions and conditions of employment, such as compensation, benefits, termination, and disciplinary measures.

As a church-based missions agency, Reliant requires that all staff be Christians and agree with Reliant's Statement of Faith and must also follow the Standards of Conduct as listed in the Field Manual, including the Reliant Code of Conduct.

As a ministry that partners broadly in the Christian community, we also recognize that the individual churches and ministries we partner with have different theological viewpoints on leadership as it relates to gender. Reliant leaves decisions about women in church leadership positions to the discretion of the local church. However, Reliant also provides equivalent categories for equal compensation within those churches that hold to a theological position of elders or pastors being a male-specific role. (See Staff Levels for more information.)

Immigration Law Compliance

Reliant complies with all applicable United States immigration laws, including the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986, and will not knowingly hire or continue to employ anyone who does not have the legal right to work in the United States in accordance with applicable federal and state laws. Prior to commencing employment, and as an ongoing condition of employment, every newly hired employee must provide documentation establishing identity and eligibility for employment in accordance with federal law. Before commencing work, newly re-hired employees must also complete an I-9 form if they have not previously filed an I-9 with this organization, if their previous I-9 Form and/or documentation is more than three years old, or if their previous I-9 Form and/or documentation is no longer valid.  If documentation shows that an employee is authorized to work in this country for a limited period, the employee will be required to submit proof of renewed eligibility prior to the expiration of that period in order to remain employed with Reliant.

Reasonable Accommodation

Reliant staff who serve in ministerial or religious roles are exempt from the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).  However, Reliant is committed to providing reasonable accommodation to its employees and applicants for employment to ensure that individuals with disabilities enjoy equal access to all employment opportunities.  Reasonable accommodation will be considered on a case-by-case basis, with attention to the individual circumstances of the employee or applicant requesting the accommodation.  No accommodation will be provided if it imposes an undue hardship on Reliant or poses a direct threat to the health or safety of others.


21 Comments

  1. Dave Meldrum-GreenTom Mauriello and user-1a794.

    I believe we should add information about being church-based here, and that we do limit employees to Christians, and that they have to follow our code of ethics. I'll take a stab at it soon if you guys agree.

  2. Dave Meldrum-GreenTom Mauriello and user-1a794, here's my first take a rewrite of this policy. This one may need legal review

    1. I"m running it by Gammon & Grange for their review, Mike. 

  3. Dave Meldrum-Green, I think this one is ready for approval now (smile)

  4. Mike Swann, It looks like it's already published and approved. Sarah Swann Also I'm showing it with highlights still showing up on the sections I added....can those be removed? 

  5. those highlights are due to comments, they don't show on the field view.  You can always test this by logging out, or viewing it in another browser that isn't logged in.

  6. Keva Ambre, here is the language to replace the ADA language on the application. It is called "Reasonable Accommodation" 

    1. ADA question has been revised on both the US/Intl app and the Assoc/ Intern app

  7. I'm wondering if we should incorporate our Equal Employment Policy and the blurb about Immigration Law into our assessment (the Hub). 

  8. Keva Ambre It certainly can't hurt to put it there as well. 

  9. Mike Swann Tom Mauriello Updated Immigration Law Compliance paragraph as well with Gammon & Grange revised paragraph.

    Reliant complies with all applicable United States immigration laws, including the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986, and will not knowingly hire or continue to employ anyone who does not have the legal right to work in the United States in accordance with applicable federal and state laws. Prior to commencing employment, and as an ongoing condition of employment, every newly hired employee must provide documentation establishing identity and eligibility for employment in accordance with federal law. Before commencing work, newly re-hired employees must also complete an I-9 form if they have not previously filed an I-9 with this organization, if their previous I-9 Form and/or documentation is more than three years old, or if their previous I-9 Form and/or documentation is no longer valid.  If documentation shows that an employee is authorized to work in this country for a limited period, the employee will be required to submit proof of renewed eligibility prior to the expiration of that period in order to remain employed with Reliant.

  10. Any chance that Reasonable Accommodation paragraph might change again? If so, I'll wait to update it in the Hub. 

    1. I think we're all set with that paragraph now, Keva. 

  11. Keva Ambre, I think we are resolved on this, just need user-1a794' sign of on it. (smile)

  12. user-1a794

    The issue I raised has not been addresses, Dave Meldrum-Green.  I want the word pregnancy to be changed to family status.   The fact of the matter is that if a woman ends up being pregnant at application time or at the start of support raising, there is every chance she cannot accomplish the first role, which is fund raising.  There of course is possibility that she can.  However, the word as it stands is not parallel with the sentence and it is mis-leading.  it's just wierd.  Since we are not quoting other government documents so that we don't act like we are subject FSLA, this word also can be shifted. 

    1. user-1a794 the word pregnancy was specifically inserted by Gammon & Grange...here's the comment they included with why they did it....

      "This is an additional protection under the FL EEO law, which was not included (in original draft by Reliant)".   I know there have been comments that the inclusion of the term pregnancy may sound strange, but again it was done to afford us additional protection with the Florida EEO law....so I will have to double check with G & G about changing it or amending it. 

  13. user-1a794 just awaiting your approval on this page in order for it to go live. Let us know if you still have any questions or concerns. Thanks!

  14. Unknown User (ed.courtney@reliant.org)

    FYI, the most up-to-date version of this page has not been approved for the Field Manual yet.

  15. Dave Meldrum-Green user-1a794 I'm reviewing policies and I see that this one is still "Ready" and hasn't been published. Cori, it looks like it needs your approval (and yes, this is from 4 years ago.)

  16. user-1a794

    Julie ThomasI marked approved. It's confusing bc there is a published version of the page that is one day away from this one.  But i've added approval in the "ready" space that i found. 

  17. Reviewed on 3/9/2023

    Revisions align with the language update project. Also, in the ADA section took out the parenthetical comment after ministerial or religious roles so that those roles were not assumed to exist only in Field Staff.