Equality and justice for all is the law.
Americans have long been trained to see the deficiencies of people rather than policy. It's a pretty easy mistake to make: People are in our faces. Policies are distant. We are particularly poor at seeing the policies lurking behind the struggles of people. Ibram X. Kendi, How to Be an Antiracist
Equity and justice for all is the “North Star” that guides our civil rights, equity, and anti-racist work at the Office of Equity. We listen to the ideas and perspectives of stakeholder communities and partner across state government to develop and implement laws and policies needed to achieve equitable and just outcomes for the people served by Washington state agencies and the people who serve them. Each year, the Equity Director publishes a report to the Governor and Legislature, revealing state agencies’ commitment to a workforce free of discrimination and its value proposition for equity and belonging. To strengthen that commitment, our policies serve to outline the rights and responsibilities of every leader, supervisor, and employee and are consistent with current law.
Our team of Equity Consultants remain current about changes in state and federal statutes, regulations, executive orders, and new guidance and directives from the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) and the Washington State Office of Financial Management, respectively. We make every effort to ensure government agency policies remain current and that our state government workforce understands any changes to our policies.