Human Relations / Diversity, Equity & Inclusion

The City of Winston-Salem Human Relations/Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion Department is committed to the philosophy of inclusion, equal opportunity, and fair treatment in employment, housing, and public accommodations by providing, facilitating, promoting, anticipating, studying, and recommending programs, projects, feedback, and actions for the elimination of discrimination in municipal programs and services, as well as all fields of human relationships.

Equal Employment Opportunity

The City of Winston-Salem employment practices are guided by federal, state, and local rules and regulations guaranteeing employment opportunities to all persons without regard to and prohibiting discrimination or harassment on the basis of age, color, creed, disability, ethnicity, familial status, gender expression or gender identity, marital status, national origin, political affiliation, pregnancy, protected hairstyles, race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, or veteran status, unless a bona fide occupational qualification exists.

View the online Jobs listing and employment application.

Requests for Reasonable Accommodation

The city is subject to certain provisions within the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Should you have a question concerning the ADA, its application to the city, or a request for a reasonable accommodation, please contact the Human Resources Department or the city’s ADA Coordinator in the City Attorney’s Office for further information.

Employee Equity Survey

The results of the 2022 Employee Equity Survey may be found here.

The survey responses and employee concerns presented herein demonstrate a wide range of equity concerns that have since been addressed and/or are being addressed by the Human Resources Department. Due to personnel privacy, this overview does not include responses to the open-ended survey questions; however, the responses have been shared with the appropriate departments, including the City Manager's Office, the City Attorney's Office, and the Human Resources Department, for close examination and follow-up.

Eviction Diversion Education Packet  

HRC Municipal Equality Index Scorecard

Winston-Salem scored 92 out of 100 points on the Human Rights Campaign's 2022 Municipal Equality Index Scorecard. This score is based on five categories: (1) nondiscrimination laws, (2) the municipality as an employer, (3) municipal services, (4) law enforcement, and (5) leadership on LGBTQ+ equality. The detailed scorecard may be viewed on HRC's website. 

COVID-19

Please see the following links for national and state information regarding COVID-19 in regards to Fair Housing and Landlord/Tenant issues.

Join us in celebrating April as Diversity Awareness Month

Diversity Awareness Month Calendar of Events

April is Diversity Awareness Month! The Human Relations/Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Department invites you to join us each week for the following events:

Week One: April 3-7
Diversity Awareness Month Launch at City Hall

Mayor Allen Joines will begin the April 3 City Council meeting by issuing a proclamation to celebrate April as Diversity Awareness Month.

Week Two: April 10-14
Diversity in Art

Culturally-diverse art pieces will be on display in the lobby of City Hall. This exhibition is presented in partnership with the Public Arts Commission.

Week Three: April 17-21
Diversity in Music

A variety of cultural musical performances will take place between 11:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. on select days in the City Hall lobby. Performances are presented in partnership with the Hispanic League.

Week Four: April 24-28
Diversity in Cuisine

In celebration of Diversity Awareness Month, cultural food trucks will be available between 11:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. on select days in the City Hall North Lot.

  • April 26: Jamaican Cuisine
  • April 27: Mexican Cuisine
  • April 28: Puerto Rican Cuisine

In addition to the events above, consider attending one or more community events that illustrate the wonderful diversity of Winston-Salem.

Human Relations/DEI in the Community

The Human Relations/DEI Department organizes the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Helping Hands Day each year. City employees volunteer at more than a dozen sites across Winston-Salem in order to to demonstrate and exemplify the ideals of Dr. King by giving back to our community, particularly to those organizations that serve the historically underserved. Afterwards, volunteers enjoy a lunch served by the City Manager's office.

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MLK Jr Helping Hands Day 8
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The Human Relations/DEI Departments holds BIC (Building Integrated Communities) Pipeline sessions twice a year at Forsyth Tech. BIC is dedicated to immigrant, refugee, and asylee outreach. The goal of the Pipeline is to educate these newcomers to programs and services provided by various agencies and organizations throughout our local community. Our staff facilitates representatives who are on hand to provide information about their services in each audience member’s native language via numerous interpreters and headsets. BIC stakeholder organizations include Novant Health, WS/FC Schools, WSPD, WSDOT, World Relief, Legal Aid, the Hispanic League, and Truist.

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    Human Relations / DEI Spotlight Notable News & Information
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    Eviction Diversion Packet Offers Resources for Those Facing Eviction

    A group of community organizations convened by the Human Relations Department has created an Eviction Diversion Packet with information and resources to help residents facing eviction. Read more...

  2. Employee Equity Survey Results Available for Review

    The results of the 2022 Employee Equity Survey are now available. Read more...

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