Was that Harassment Report
OUR POLICY AGAINST HARASSMENT
It is the policy and practice of Coltra to maintain and foster a work environment
in which all employees are treated with decency and respect. Accordingly, Coltra has
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 other person in our workplace will be tolerated. Coltra is
committed to enforcing its policy at all levels within Coltra, 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 Coltra’s members, directors and vendors, and
Coltra reserves the right to preclude such individuals from participation in or doing
business with Coltra to the extent they engage in conduct prohibited by this policy.
Every employee should be aware that all managers and supervisors are absolutely
prohibited from making any decision regarding job assignment or reassignment,
performance evaluation, compensation, promotion or demotion, termination or
commencement of employment, or any other decision involving any tangible
employment action, based in whole or in any part on any person’s exposure to,
submission to, acquiescence in, or complaint about, sexual harassment or any other form
of unlawful harassment or discrimination.
Conduct Covered by this Policy:
This policy applies to and prohibits all forms of illegal harassment and
discrimination, not only sexual harassment. Accordingly, Coltra 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 other protected group.
Employees receiving offensive messages over Coltra computer equipment, or
receiving other unlawfully offensive messages or graphics over Coltra computer
equipment, should report those messages to their supervisor or other appropriate
manager.
Employees are reminded that Coltra’s computers and the data generated on, stored
in, or transmitted to or from Coltra’s computers remain the property of Coltra for all
purposes. No employee is authorized to use any Coltra 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 Coltra retains the right to monitor its computers,
computer systems, and networks to ensure compliance with this requirement.
Mandatory Procedures in Cases of Harassment:
Any Coltra 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 Coltra.
Coltra 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, Coltra 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 Coltra 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 Coltra 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 Coltra 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.
Questions About This Policy:
If you have any questions at all about this policy, about whether you should report
an incident under this policy, or about Coltra commitment to a workplace free of
discrimination and harassment, please speak to your supervisor. If you believe it is
inappropriate for any reason to discuss the matter with your supervisor, please bring your
questions to the Human Resources Director.