(a) The Oklahoma Department of Human Services (OKDHS) is an equal opportunity employer and has as its employment goal the recruitment, selection, and placement of persons most likely to become productive, motivated employees.  To accomplish this goal, procedures designed to meet the hiring process objectives include:

• (1) recruiting qualified applicants who have the general knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform the variety of work available in OKDHS;
• (2) selecting persons who meet minimum qualifications and can perform the essential functions and who are or will become successful employees of OKDHS;
• (3) placing employees in positions suited to their qualifications where they are successful in providing a variety of services to the citizens of Oklahoma;
• (4) ensuring that all employment decisions are based on job-related qualifications and consistent with applicable laws, rules, policies, procedures, and regulations governing such actions; and
• (5) providing OKDHS employees career development and advancement opportunity consistent with this policy.

(b) In the administration of the employment policies and practices, OKDHS does not discriminate against employees or applicants for employment because of race, creed, color, religion, sex, age, national origin, disability, or political affiliation or opinion.  OKDHS takes affirmative action to ensure that applicants and employees are treated in a non-discriminatory way.  Such employment actions include, but are not limited to, hiring, promotion, demotion, or transfer, recruitment, or recruitment advertising, layoff, or termination, rates of pay, or other forms of compensation, and selection for training.

(c) The policies in this Part apply throughout OKDHS, except where a separate policy has been issued, or a pilot is being tested as provided in OAC 340:2‑1-76(10).