Rule 201. Generally.

 (a)  The Supreme Court of Pennsylvania declares that it is the policy of the Unified Judicial System of Pennsylvania (UJS) to ensure that all individuals having business with the UJS are treated in a dignified, civil, respectful, and nondiscriminatory manner.

 (b)  This policy prohibits all forms of discrimination and harassment in a Court Facility (defined as ‘‘Any building or office serving as the workplace for Personnel of the System and/or Related Staff; and any UJS-related building or office in which Court Users conduct business with the UJS’’), and applies to the following:

   Personnel of the System—defined in 42 Pa.C.S.A. §  102 as ‘‘Judicial officers, personal staff, administrative staff, and central staff.’’

   Related Staff—defined in 42 Pa.C.S.A. §  102 as ‘‘All individuals employed at public expense who serve the UJS, but the term does not include Personnel of the System.’’ Those who serve the UJS include district attorneys, public defenders, sheriffs and other officers serving process or enforcing orders, registers of wills, prothonotaries, clerks of courts, clerks of the orphan’s court division, coroners, jury commissioners, probation officials and personnel of all of the foregoing.

   Court Users—includes, but is not limited to, attorneys, applicants for employment, litigants, witnesses, jurors and court volunteers.

 (c)  The Supreme Court of Pennsylvania is committed to the principles of equal employment opportunity to ensure legal and appropriate hiring and employment practices, and to promote public confidence in the fairness and integrity of the judicial system and the judicial process. It is, therefore, the policy of the Supreme Court that there shall be no discrimination because of race, color, sex, sexual orientation, national origin, age, disability or religion by any Personnel of the System or Related Staff in any employment-related action (such as, hiring, promotion, terms or privileges of employment, and the like), or by any Personnel of the System, Related Staff or attorney in any court-related action.

 (d)  Accordingly, all judicial officers and managerial and supervisory Personnel of the System shall ensure adherence to and compliance with this Policy and the procedures intended to facilitate its implementation and administration.