Policy Manual

 
  7.MEP.23  

Harassment      

Type: Procedure                 Category: Human Resources                 Level: Community Care 

Parties: Community Care Employees and Contractees

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Supporting References: COA G4.3

Parent Effective Date Approval Level Revision Dates Last Reviewed
N/A  5-1-1997  Management Team  7/09  7-1-2009
Related Document Code Related Document Name Type
7.ME.24 Harassment Policy

Procedure:  .

  1. Behavior which will not be tolerated and shall be grounds for disciplinary action, up to and including termination, includes, but are not limited to the following:
    1. Abusing the dignity of a client, employee, contractee, or customer through insulting, degrading, or unwanted sexual remarks, advances, conduct or innuendoes (verbal or physical).
    2. Threats, demands, or suggestions explicitly or implicitly that an individuals work status is dependent upon their toleration of, or acquiescence to, sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, other verbal or physical contact or any other type of harassment.
    3. Retaliation against any client, employee, contractee, or customer for complaining, in good faith, about the behavior described above.
  2. Beyond this procedure, State and Federal law provides that all individuals, and each individual's supervisor, can be held personally liable for acts of sexual or other types of prohibited harassment and may be subjected to court imposed fines and/or civil penalties if the complainant chooses to pursue legal action.
  3. Any individual who feels subject to such harassing behavior from supervisors, co-workers, any other Community Care employee, contractee, or any person while on the job or in a related environment, should immediately contact their supervisor, Community Care's Executive Director, or E.E.O./A.A. Officer; Human Resources Personnel or follow the Employee Grievance Policy. Individuals reporting complaints can bypass any person who is also the alleged harasser.
  4. All employees are required to attend sexual harassment training, provided by Community Care during orientation. Annually a notice regarding harassment laws, agency policy, and procedure will be distributed to all employees.
  5. Community Care will provide supervisors and managerial employees with additional training concerning their responsibilities and methods for preventing and correcting sexual harassment within 60 days of their employment.
  6. Once Community Care becomes aware of a sexual harassment or prohibited harassment problem immediate action will be taken. Action will include an internal investigation with or without the consent of the complainant.
  7. Community Care will establish an internal investigative procedure for sexual and other complaints of harassment as follows:
    1. The EEO officer or Executive Director will be designated to investigate any report of harassment.
    2. All employees are required to cooperate with an internal investigation.
    3. Investigations will be conducted in as confidential a manner as possible.
    4. Community Care will protect good-faith complainants and witnesses from retaliation with their cooperation with the investigation.