What are examples of harassment?

<span data-sheets-value="{"1":2,"2":"Examples of harrasment include continuing behaviors like unwanted sexual advances, commenting about a person's appearance or private life, sending explicit text messages, isolation in the workplace and subjecting a person to unfair working conditions."}" data-sheets-userformat="{"2":15105,"3":{"1":0},"11":4,"12":0,"14":{"1":2,"2":0},"15":"Montserrat","16":8}">Examples of harassment include continuing behaviours like unwanted sexual advances, commenting about a person’s appearance or private life, sending explicit text messages, isolation in the workplace and subjecting a person to unfair working conditions.

What is a policy of non-discrimination?

<span data-sheets-value="{"1":2,"2":"A corporate policy of non-discrimination provides a definition of discrimination and the company's stance on it. It also describes the steps an employee can take if they feel discriminated against in the workplace. The policy could be formalized either in a separate document and/or as part of a blanket document like a harrassment policy (see this template)."}" data-sheets-userformat="{"2":15105,"3":{"1":0},"11":4,"12":0,"14":{"1":2,"2":0},"15":"Montserrat","16":8}">A corporate policy of non-discrimination provides a definition of discrimination and the company’s stance on it. It also describes the steps an employee can take if they feel discriminated against in the workplace. The policy could be formalised either in a separate document and/or as part of a blanket document like a harassment policy (see this template).

What should be included in a harassment policy?

<span data-sheets-value="{"1":2,"2":"Start with key definitions (e.g. harassment, discrimination, unacceptable conduct, victimization). Then include a complaint procedure description, violation consequences and a policy implementation procedure description. Use this template to include the most important points."}" data-sheets-userformat="{"2":15105,"3":{"1":0},"11":4,"12":0,"14":{"1":2,"2":0},"15":"Montserrat","16":8}">Start with key definitions (e.g. harassment, discrimination, unacceptable conduct, victimisation). Then include a complaint procedure description, violation consequences and a policy implementation procedure description. Use this template to include the most important points.

HARASSMENTPOLICY TEMPLATE

Created by:

[HR Manager.FirstName][HR Manager.LastName] [HR Manager.Company]

Prepared for:

[Employee.FirstName][Employee.LastName]

[Employee.Company]

Tailor the sections of this Policy template to fit your company's employment policies and needs.

Purpose of the Policy

Scope of the

Policy

[HR Manager.Company] strives to create and maintain a safe work environment that treats people with respect, dignity, and decency. Our goal is to maintain a work environment free from exploitation, oppression, and intimidation and characterized by mutual trust. By enacting this Policy, [HR Manager.Company] seeks to discipline, correct, and prevent any form of harassment or discrimination in the Company.

This Policy applies to all employees, contractors, public visitors, customers, or any other person that comes into contact with the employees at [HR Manager.Company]'s premises. It prohibits any form of harassment that would detrimentally interfere with a person's work performance or create an offensive or intimidating work environment. [HR Manager.Company] Harassment Policy covers all employees, regardless of their positions, and ensures that appropriate action is taken against any person violating the Policy within the Company's premises.

Policy Elements

Definitions

Harassment

Discrimination

This Policy defines harassment as any conduct, verbal or physical, that is unwelcome, offensive, or creates an intimidating, hostile, non-cooperative, or hostile work environment. This includes but is not limited to requests for sexual favors, sexual solicitation or assault, insulting a person/persons, or making fun of a person's race, sex, marital status, religion, national origin, medical condition, physical disability, age, or background.

Unacceptable workplace conduct

Any form of discrimination, bullying, gossip, victimization or sexual harassment is unacceptable at [HR Manager.Company]. Here are several instances that [HR Manager.Company] considers harassment:

Employee

These are all individuals employed by [HR Manager.Company], including interns, contract workers, or anyone else working on behalf of the Company.

This involves any behavior or act of treating another person unfavorably, either directly or indirectly, based on their personal characteristics, religion, age, medical condition or physical disability, color, race, gender identity, or national origin. [HR Manager.Company] considers the following as acts of discrimination:

• An employee is denied a promotion or a particular task because they are "too old" or "too young" without considering their ability to perform the job.

• An employee, third party worker, or public visitor is sidelined because of their sex, religion, parental status, race, color, sexual orientation, pregnancy, medical record, or social origin.

• An employee, third party worker, or public visitor is treated unfavorably because of physical characteristics such as disability.

Bullying

Sexual harassment

[HR Manager.Company] prohibits any form of bullying in the Company, including behaviors such as:

• Isolation in the workplace

• Coercion

• Threats, shouting, or abuse (either verbal or physical)

• Continued unconstructive criticism

• Ganging up, teasing, and joking in a way that demeans a specific employee.

• Subjecting a particular employee/employees or third-party workers to unfair working conditions.

This includes unwanted sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, and any verbal, physical, or written conduct of sexual nature that is either implicitly or explicitly abusive, offensive, or threatening. It includes:

• Requests for sexual favors

• Sexual assault

• Sexually suggestive behavior, jokes, or comments

• Commenting about a person’s appearance or private life

• Inappropriate advances and sending explicit text messages or emails while within the Company’s premises

[HR Manager.Company] has a zero-tolerance for sexual harassment.

(In this section, you can add other forms that may be considered sexual harassment by the company.)

Victimization

This includes, but is not limited to, threatening or subjecting a worker to a detriment because of expressing their rights, taking a particular action, making a complaint to the management, refusing to accept sexual favors, or refusing to do a specific task.

Complaint procedure

[HR Manager.Company] has established a well-outlined procedure for solving harassment complaints. After being subjected to any form of harassment, the employee, visitor, or third party should:

1

Submit the complaints verbally or in writing to the Human Resources department.

2

Upon receiving the complaint, the HR manager will consult the supervisor to determine how the harassment occurred.

3

The HR manager will initiate an investigation on the matter to determine if there is a reasonable basis that the Policy has been violated.

The person carrying out the investigation will:

1

Interview the complainant and the alleged harasser or third party separately.

2

Decide whether or not there was an incident(s) of any form of harassment.

3

Write a report on the investigations and present it to the HR manager.

The HR manager will then:

1

Analyze the findings and re-interview the involved parties

2

Assess the complaints made by the victim

3

Examine the pervasiveness, frequency, and severity of the conduct

4

Determine the quality of the evidence.

This will help determine the appropriate disciplinary or corrective action taken against the harasser.

If there is no violation of this Policy or the investigations are inconclusive, the HR manager may recommend appropriate preventive measures.

[HR Manager.Company] will uphold a high degree of confidentiality and ensure that all complaints are addressed and resolved in a timely manner.

Possible Outcomes for Violating the Policy

If [HR Manager.Company] finds out that any form of harassment took place, the harasser will be liable for any of the following disciplinary actions:

• Issue a verbal or written warning

• Adverse performance evaluation

• Transfer or demotion, especially for supervisors

• Suspension or termination from employment if the gravity and extent of the harassment are severe.

Cases of sexual assault or repeated physical violence will result in immediate dismissal.

Implementation of this policy

[HR Manager.Company]'s HR manager will ensure that this Policy is adhered to. As part of their induction into the company, new employees must be taken through the content of this Policy. The Harassment Policy is used in conjunction with:

• Occupational Health and Safety Policy

• Workplace Sexual Harassment Policy

• Work Procedure and Pregnancy Policy

• Mission, Vision, and the Company’s value statements

• Discipline Procedure

All employees will be trained thoroughly on Harassment Policy and all Company Policies before commencing work and regularly while working at [HR Manager.Company]. They should understand the Harassment Policy and follow it to the latter throughout their working period. The HR department will ensure that all employees and third parties understand the Policy and the procedure that should be followed when any harassment act occurs. Terms and sections of this Policy may be added or removed without notice.

Review details

This policy is executed by the HR manager in collaboration with employment policies. This Policy was implemented by [HR Manager.Company] on [Document.CreatedDate].

Signature

MM / DD / YYYY