We committed to establishing and maintaining a productive, discrimination and harassment-free work environment in which employees and customers are treated with respect. Accordingly, the Company will not tolerate any form of unlawful harassment against any employee by any person, including other employees or customers.
It is expected that all employees will observe the highest standards of conduct and will avoid any behavior that could be interpreted as unlawful harassment. Employees who experience or witness offensive behavior or conduct must immediately report such occurrences to his/her supervisor, or an owner of the Company.
Although it is impossible to define harassment, the conduct prohibited by this policy includes but is not limited to all unwelcome conduct, whether verbal, physical or visual, that is based upon a person’s protected status, such as: age, color, disability, marital status, national origin, race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, veteran status, ancestry, medical condition, citizenship status or other protected group status, or upon the protected status of the person’s relatives, friends, or associates.
The conduct forbidden by this policy specifically includes, but is not limited to epithets, slurs, negative stereotyping, or intimidating acts that are based on the criteria referred to above and written or graphic material circulated within or posted within the workplace that shows hostility toward a person based on the criteria referred to above. This includes posting to and from social media sites, or online applications.
All reports will be fully investigated and, if found to have merit, will result in appropriate disciplinary action against the offender, up to and including dismissal.
Sexual harassment – whether verbal, physical or visual – against any person of any gender is also illegal and will not be tolerated. Sexual harassment may take many forms but is always to be taken extremely seriously. It may take the form of:
- Verbal harassment or abuse
- Sharing off-color jokes or inappropriate photos
- Offensive clothing
- Innuendos or offensive language
- Subtle pressure or requests for sexual activity
- Unnecessary touching, patting, hugging, pinching, brushing against another’s body
- Requesting or demanding sexual favors accompanied by implied or overt promise of preferential treatment or threats with regard to an individual’s employment status
- Remarks of a sexual nature about a person’s clothing, body, sexual activity, or previous sexual experience
- Retaliation for resisting or complaining about such acts
- The creation of a hostile work environment through any combination of the activities listed above
An employee who experiences or witnesses any conduct that may be inconsistent with this policy is encouraged and expected to contact his/her supervisor, or an owner of the Company. All reports will be fully investigated and, if found to have merit, will result in appropriate disciplinary action against the offender, up to and including dismissal.