Non-Discrimination — Harassment — Sexual Harassment
Definition
Discrimination occurs when an employee treats one employee differently from another when the two are similarly situated and the treatment is based on race. color. gender, religion, national origin, age, disability, sexual orientation, pregnancy, veteran status or any other protected status.
Process
Every employee is responsible for ensuring the workplace is free from discrimination. Any employee who feels he or she is being discriminated against, or is aware of or suspects someone else is being discriminated against or who desires counseling in order to cope with potential discrimination should:
- Make a written record of the date, time, and nature of the incident(s) and the names of any witnesses; and
- Report the incident to the Executive Director.
All incidents of discrimination ore retaliation must be reported, regardless of the seriousness.
Complaints
Complaints should be reported as soon as possible after an incident of the alleged discrimination has occurred. To ensure the prompt and thorough investigation of a complaint or discrimination, the individual expressing concerns should provide as much information as practical. The SCOA will immediately and thoroughly investigate all complaints of discrimination. The information will be kept in the strictness confidential to the fullest extent practical. If an investigation confirms that a violation of this policy has occurred, appropriate corrective action will be taken up to and including termination of employment. In addition, any employee who hinders an investigation or provides false information may be subject to corrective action up to and including termination.
The SCOA further prohibits retaliation against anyone for reporting discrimination.
Harassment
Definition
Harassment is unwelcome verbal or physical conduct toward an individual because of his/her race, color, gender, religion, national origin, age. disability, sexual orientation. pregnancy. Veteran status, or other protected status.
- Harassing conduct includes, but is not limited to:
- Epithets (an abusive word or phrase)
- Slurs or negative stereotyping
- Threatening, intimidating or hostile acts, including bullying
- Denigrating jokes
- Written or graphic material that denigrated or shows hostility or aversion toward an individual or group and that appears anywhere on SCOA premises or is circulated in the workplace
- Pursuing an associate in a persistent, harassing and/or obsessive way
Process
Every associate is responsible for ensuring that a workplace free of harassment is maintained. If associates believe that they have been subject to harassment. they should:
- Make a written record of the date, time. and nature of the incident(s) and the names of any witnesses.
- Report the incident of harassment to the Executive Director.
All incidents of harassment should be reported, regardless of their seriousness. Complaints should be filed as soon as possible after an incident of alleged harassment. To ensure the prompt and thorough investigation of a harassment complaint. the individual reporting the concern should provide as much information as possible.
SCOA will immediately and thoroughly investigate all complaints of harassment. This information will be kept confidential to the fullest extent practical. [fan investigation confirms that a violation of this policy has occurred, appropriate corrective action will be taken up to and including termination of employment. In addition, any associate who hinders an investigation or provides false information may be subject to corrective action up to and including termination.
Sexual Harassment
Definition
Sexual harassment is unwanted sexual attention of a persistent or offensive nature made by a person who knows, or reasonably should know, that such attention 1s unwanted. Sexual harassment includes sexually oriented conduct that is sufficiently pervasive or severe to unreasonably interfere with an associate’s job performance or that creates an intimidating. hostile. or offensive work environment. While sexual harassment encompasses a wide range of conduct, some examples of specifically prohibited conduct include, but are not limited to:
- Promising. directly or indirectly, to reward an associate, if the associate complies with a sexually oriented request:
- Threatening. directly or indirectly, to retaliate against an associate, if the associate refuses to comply with a sexually oriented request;
- Denying, directly or indirectly, an associate any employment-related opportunity. if the associate refuses to comply with a request of sexual nature:
- Engaging in sexual suggestive physical contact or touching another associate in a way that is unwelcome:
- Accessing or attempting to access. displaying, storing, or transmitting pornographic or sexually oriented materials using SCOA equipment or facilities:
- Engaging in indecent exposure; or
- Making sexual advances toward an associate. client or third party vendor and persisting despite the associate’s rejection of the advances.
Sexual harassment can be physical and/or psychological in nature. A series of incidents can constitute sexual harassment even if one of the incidents considered on its own would not be harassing.
Sexual harassment can involve males or females being harassed by members of either sex.
Although sexual harassment typically involves a person tn a greater position of authority as the harasser. individuals in positions of lesser or equal authority can also be found responsible for engaging in prohibited harassment. Third parties, such as clients or vendors, can also be involved in sexual harassment.
Process
Every associate is responsible for ensuring a workplace free from sexual harassment. If an associate believes that they have been subject to sexual harassment or any unwanted sexual attention, they should:
- Make a written record of the date, times. and nature of the incident(s) and the names of any witnesses; and
- Report the incident to the Executive Director.
All incidents of sexual harassment, inappropriate sexual conduct or retaliation must be reported regardless of their seriousness. Complaints should be reported as soon as possible after incident of alleged sexual harassment has occurred.