Equal Employment Opportunity and Americans with Disabilities Act Information

Lasalle County Equal Opportunity Employer Policy

LaSalle County is an equal opportunity employer to all employees and applicants for employment and complies with all applicable discrimination laws.  LaSalle County will administer all terms and conditions of employment including but not limited to recruitment, hiring, promotion, training, compensation, benefits, transfer, layoff, recall, leaves of absence, discipline and discharge in a manner that does not discriminate on the basis of race, creed, color, religion, gender or gender identity, national origin, ancestry, disability, citizenship, age, marital or veteran status, sexual orientation, genetic information, military or unfavorable military discharge status, arrest record, order of protection status, or any other characteristic protected by law unrelated to the employee’s ability to perform the job, except where it is determined to be a bona fide occupational qualification.

Filing of a Complaint

Any individual who believes that there has been a violation of the provisions of the County’s Equal Employment Opportunity Policy may file a complaint with the EEO Coordinator.

Melissa Pilch, HR Director

Resource used: LaSalle County Equal Opportunity Employer Policy – Amended June 13, 2016

Notice Under the Americans with Disabilities Act

In accordance with the requirements of title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA), the County of LaSalle will not discriminate against qualified individuals with disabilities on the basis of disability in its services, programs or activities.  Employment: County of LaSalle does not discriminate on the basis of disability in its hiring or employment practices and complies with all regulations promulgated by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission under title I of the ADA.  Effective Communication:  County of LaSalle will generally, upon request, provide appropriate aids and services leading to effective communication for qualified persons with disabilities so they can participate equally in County of LaSalle’s programs, services, and activities, including qualified sign language interpreters, documents in Braille, and other ways of making information and communications accessible to people who have speech, hearing, or vision impairments.  Modifications to Policies and Procedures:  County of LaSalle will make all reasonable modifications to policies and programs to ensure that people with disabilities have an equal opportunity to enjoy all of its programs, services and activities.  For example, individuals with service animals are welcomed in County of LaSalle offices, even where pets are generally prohibited.  Anyone who requires an auxiliary aid or service for effective communication, or a modification of policies or procedures to participate in a program, service or activity of County of LaSalle, should contact the office of Melissa Pilch 707 E. Etna Road, room 249, Ottawa, IL. as soon as possible but no later than 48 hours before the scheduled event.  The ADA does not require the County of LaSalle to take any action that would fundamentally alter the nature of its programs or services, or impose an undue financial or administrative burden.  Complains that a program, service or activity of County of LaSalle is not accessible to persons with disabilities should be directed to Melissa Pilch at 815-434-8244.  County of LaSalle will not place a surcharge on a particular individual with a disability or any group of individuals with disabilities to cover the cost of providing auxiliary aids/services or reasonable modifications of policy, such as retrieving items from locations that are open to the public but are not accessible to persons who use wheelchairs.

County of Lasalle Grievance Procedure Under the Americans with Disabilities Act

This Grievance Procedure is established to meet the requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA).   It may be used by anyone who wishes to file a complaint alleging discrimination on the basis of disability in the provision of services, activities, programs, or benefits by the County of LaSalle.  The County’s Personnel Policy governs employment-related complaints of disability discrimination.

The complaint should be in writing and contain information about the alleged discrimination such as name, address, phone number of complainant and location, date, and description of the problem.  Alternative means of filing complaints such as personal interviews or a tape recording of the complaint, will be made available for persons with disabilities upon request.  The complaint should be submitted by the grievant and/or his/her designee as soon as possible but no later than 60 calendar days after the alleged violation to:

Melissa Pilch
ADA Coordinator & Benefit Coordinator
707 E. Etna Road, Room 249
Ottawa, IL 61350

Within 15 calendar days after receipt of the complaint, Melissa Pilch or her designee will meet with the complainant to discuss the complaint and the possible resolutions.  Within 15 calendar days of the meeting Melissa Pilch or her designee will respond in writing, and where appropriate, in a format accessible to the complainant, such as large print, Braille, or audio tape.  The response will explain the position of the County of LaSalle and offer options for substantive resolution of the complaint.

If the response by Melissa Pilch or her designee does not satisfactorily resolve the issue, the complainant and/or his/her designee may appeal the decision within 15 calendar days after receipt of the response to the Board Chairman of the County of LaSalle or his or her designee.

Within 15 calendar days after receipt of the appeal, the Board Chairman or other appropriate official or his or her designee will meet with the complainant to discuss the complaint and possible resolutions.  Within 15 calendar days after the meeting, the Board Chairman or other appropriate official or his or her designee will respond in writing, and, where appropriate, in a format accessible to the complainant, with a final resolution of the complaint.

All written complaints received by Melissa Pilch or her designee, appeals to the Board Chairman of the County of LaSalle or his or her designee, and responses from these two offices will be retained by the County of LaSalle for at least three years.