Our anti-harassment policy expresses our commitment to maintaining a pleasant, safe, and productive workplace for every employee. Any form of harassment will not be tolerated. Punishment for harassment depends on the severity of the offense and may include counseling, suspensions, or termination.
We do not discriminate or allow harassment on the basis of race, color, religion, disability, gender, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, age, genetic information, military status, or any other legally protected status.
We must also ensure that we never verbally or physically mistreat others or engage in offensive behavior, and we should not tolerate those who do. This includes harassing, bullying, abusive or intimidating treatment, inappropriate language or gestures, disorderly conduct, violence, and any other conduct that interferes with a co-worker’s ability to do his or her job.
What is the definition of harassment in the workplace?
Harassment includes bullying, intimidation, direct insults, malicious gossip, and victimization. Here are some instances that fall under the term ‘harassment’:
- Sabotaging someone’s work on purpose
- Engaging in frequent or unwanted advances of any nature
- Commenting derogatorily on a person’s customs or religious beliefs
- Starting or spreading rumors about a person’s personal life
- Continuous or intentional taunting or humiliation
- Suggestive gestures or remarks
What qualifies as Sexual Harassment?
Sexual harassment (direct or by implication) includes:
- Any kind of unusual and unwelcome sexual requests or demand for sexual favors in return for employment, promotion, examination or evaluation of a person.
- Stalking, displaying indecent posters, showing pornography, sending jokes, comments, messages which are inappropriate and sexual in nature, lurid stares, physical contact or molestation, inappropriate sounds, signs, questioning about person’s private life or body, insults or taunts based on sex or any kind of communication either verbal or non-verbal which affects the performance of the individual.
- Physical confinement against one’s will and likely to interrupt the privacy of the person.
- Any act or conduct by a person who is in authority, which creates a hostile work environment, offends the dignity of a person or intimidates them.
Sexual harassment is illegal and we will seriously investigate relevant reports. If an employee is found guilty of sexual harassment, they will be terminated.
Our policy is in accordance with the provisions of The Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition, and Redressal) Act, 2013. And is applicable to all the members of the company including the employer and those who are employed on regular, temporary, on a daily wage basis, etc. And also extends to those who are not employees of the company such as customers, clients, visitors, interns, contract workers, suppliers, etc.
This policy is restricted to the communication that occurs during office hours, related to work, or using an official medium, during the course of employment.
All the employees should have the personal responsibility to ensure that their behavior is not in contravention with the policy.