Zero Tolerance Policy
This policy aims to maintain and foster a work environment in which all
employees are treated with decency and respect. We have adopted a zero-
tolerance policy toward discrimination and all forms of unlawful
harassment, including but not limited to sexual harassment. This zero-
tolerance policy means that no form of unlawful discriminatory or harassing
conduct towards any employee, client, contractor, or another person in our
workplace will be tolerated. The company is committed to enforcing its policy
at all levels and any employee who engages in prohibited discrimination or
harassment will be subject to discipline, up to and including immediate
discharge from employment for a first offense
This policy is equally applicable to all members, directors and vendors, and
the company reserves the right to preclude such individuals from
participation in or doing business with the company to the extent they engage
in conduct prohibited by this policy.
Conduct Covered by this Policy:
• This policy applies to and prohibits all forms of illegal harassment and
discrimination, not only sexual harassment. Accordingly, the company
absolutely prohibits harassment or discrimination based on sex, age,
disability, perceived disability, marital status, personal appearance,
sexual orientation, race, color, religion, national origin, veteran status or
any other legally protected characteristic.
• Because confusion often arises concerning the meaning of sexual
harassment in particular, it deserves special mention. Sexual
harassment may take many forms, including the following:
➢ Offensive and unwelcome sexual invitations, whether or not
the employee submits to the invitation, and particularly
when a spoken or implied quid pro quo for sexual favors is
a benefit of employment or continued employment;
➢ Offensive and unwelcome conduct of a sexual nature,
including sexually-graphic spoken comments; offensive
comments transmitted by e-mail or another messaging
system; offensive or suggestive images or graphics whether
physically present in the workplace or accessed over the
Internet; or the possession of or use of sexually suggestive
objects; and
➢ Offensive and unwelcome physical contact of a sexual
nature, including the touching of another, ’s body; the
touching or display of one’s own body, or any similar
contact.
Computer Messaging and Information Systems:
• Employees are particularly cautioned that the use of e-mail, voice mail, or
other electronic messaging systems, or the Internet, may give rise to liability
for harassment. Employees may not generate, should not receive, and must
not forward, any message or graphic that might be taken as offensive based
on sex, gender, or other protected characteristic. This includes, for
example, the generation or forwarding of offensive “humor” which contains
sexually-offensive terms, or terms which are offensive to any race, religion,
national origin group, or another protected group.
• Employees receiving offensive messages over the company’s computer
equipment, or receiving other unlawfully offensive messages or graphics
over the company’s computer equipment, should report those messages to
their supervisor or another appropriate manager.
• Employees are reminded that the company’s computers and the data
generated on, stored in, or transmitted to or from the company’s computers
remain the property of the company for all purposes. No employee is
authorized to use any company computer, computer system, network, or
software for the preparation, transmission, or receipt of sexually offensive
messages or graphics, or for other messages or graphics which might be
taken as offensive based on any other protected characteristic.
• Employees are reminded that the company retains the right to monitor its
computers, computer systems, and networks to ensure compliance with
this requirement.
Mandatory Procedures in Cases of Harassment:
• Any employee who believes that she or he has been subjected to unlawful
harassment of any kind has the responsibility to report the harassment
immediately to her or his supervisor. If the employee is uncomfortable
reporting the harassment to her or his immediate supervisor (whether
because the supervisor has committed the harassment, or for any other
reason whatsoever), the employee must report the harassment to the next
higher level of management above the immediate supervisor or, if the
employee prefers, to the [ Human Resources Director, Chief Financial
Officer, or President ] of the company.
• The company is committed to taking all reasonable steps to prevent
harassment and will make every reasonable effort promptly and
completely to address and correct any harassment that may occur.
However, the company cannot take prompt and effective remedial action
unless each employee assumes the responsibility of reporting any incident
of harassment immediately to an appropriate supervisory employee.
• Every report of harassment will be investigated promptly and impartially,
with every effort to maintain employee confidentiality. The complainant
and the accused will be informed of the results of the investigation. If the
company finds that its policy has been violated, it will take appropriate
corrective and remedial action, up to and including discharge.
Reporting Without Fear of Retaliation:
• No employee will be retaliated against for reporting harassment. This no-
retaliation policy applies whether a good faith complaint of harassment is
well founded or ultimately determined to be unfounded.
• No manager or supervisor is authorized, or permitted, to retaliate or to take
any adverse employment action whatsoever against anyone for reporting
unlawful harassment, or for opposing any other discriminatory practice in
the workplace.
• Any employee who feels he or she has been retaliated against in violation
of this no-retaliation policy is responsible for reporting the retaliation to
management, in the same manner as any other form of harassment or
discrimination should be reported.
