HUMAN RESOURCES MANUAL

Section: EMPLOYMENT & WORKPLACE EXPECTATIONS

Subject: NO DISCRIMINATION, BULLYING, OR RETALIATION

Date:June 28, 2011 No. 2-08Page 1

(Supersedes Procedure 2-08 dated December 2, 2010)

  1. PURPOSE

The purpose of this policy is to establish standards to prevent discrimination,bullying, and retaliation.

  1. SCOPE

All applicants, employees, and contracted personnel

  1. PROCEDURE
  1. POLICY

Lincoln Educational Services is committed to a work environment in which all individuals are treated with respect and dignity. Each individual has the right to work in a professional atmosphere that promotes equal employment opportunities and prohibits discriminatory practices, harassment, bullying, and retaliation. Therefore, the Company expects that all relationships among persons in the office will be business-like and free of bias, prejudice, harassment, and retaliation.

  1. EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY

Lincoln Educational Services is an equal opportunity employer which will not discriminate against any employee or applicant for employment in an unlawful manner. It is the Company’s policy to provide equal employment opportunities for all applicants and employees. The Company does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions), national origin, ancestry, age, disability, veteran status, marital status, sexual orientation, or any other basis protected by state or federal laws. The Company also makes reasonable accommodation for disabled employees.

Finally, the Company prohibits the harassment or bullying of any individual. This policy applies to all policies, programs, and areas of employment including but not limited to recruiting, hiring, training, promoting, compensating, benefits, transfers, disciplinary actions, terminations, layoffs, and job-related social or recreational programs.

  1. NO DISCRIMINATION

Lincoln Educational Services steadfastly opposes all forms of unlawful discrimination and harassment in the workplace or classroom environment. Discrimination and harassment and can take many forms including but not limited to:

  1. Racial slurs
  2. Ethnic jokes
  3. Disparaging or insensitive remarks about an individual’s religion, age, physical ability or sexual orientation
  4. Physical or verbal threats
  5. Sexual harassment

None of these or any other forms of harassment or discrimination are acceptable in the workplace.

  1. NO HARASSMENT

Please see policy 2-08-01 for Lincoln Educational Services’ No Harassment policy.

  1. NO BULLYING

Bullying is defined as repeated inappropriate behavior, either direct or indirect, whether verbal, physical or otherwise, conducted by one or more persons against another or others, at the place of work and/or in the course of employment. Examples of bullying include but are not limited to:

  1. Verbal Bullying: slandering, ridiculing or maligning a person or his/her family; persistent name calling; using a person as the object of jokes; abusive and offensive remarks
  2. Cyber Bulling:using the internet (i.e. e-mail, chat room discussion groups, instant messaging, webpages, etc.),cellular phones, or other interactive and digital devices to send or post text and images with the intention of harming another person
  3. Physical Bullying: pushing; shoving; kicking; poking; tripping; assault, or threat of physical assault; damage to a person’s work area or property; cornering; stalking
  4. Gesture Bullying: non-verbal threatening gestures; glances which can convey threatening messages
  5. Exclusion: socially or physically excluding or disregarding a person in work-related activities
  1. REPORTING AND INVESTIGATION

Any incident of discrimination, harassment, sexual harassment, or bullying should be reported promptly to the employee’s supervisor, Executive Director/Campus President, the Human Resources Employee Relations Manager, or the Vice President of Human Resources. Employees may also report incidents of discrimination, harassment, sexual harassment, or bulling to the Alertline system at 1-866-844-1427. All complaints will be investigated thoroughly, promptly, and kept confidential to the maximum extent possible. Any employee or student determined to havediscriminated against, harassed, sexually harassed, or bullied another employee and/or student will be subject to disciplinary action up to and including termination.

  1. RETALIATION

The Company prohibits any form of retaliation against any employee or student filing a complaint under this policy or for assisting in the Company’s investigation. However, if it is determined that an individual lodged a complaint of harassment or discrimination in bad faith or knowingly provided false information during the course of an investigation, appropriate disciplinary action may be taken up to and including termination.