Pacific Edge Sexual Harassment Policy
The Goal of this policy is to define and educate our staff as to what constitutes harassment, and to outline the parameters for dealing with it if it occurs.
The definition of Sexual Harassment is broad and nuanced in nature. In simple terms it is any form of communication, whether verbal, physical, or implied, that could reasonably be interpreted as an unwanted sexual comment, proposition, contact or coercement. Anyone, regardless of gender, position, preference, etc., could be a perpetrator, and anyone could be a victim. We all have the right to a workplace that is safe, supportive, and free of harassment.
As an employee of Pacific Edge, it is extremely dodgey to pursue a coworker, or client in a sexual or partner context. Regardless of your intent, or how innocent you think your actions may be, expressing interest can cause major issues. It is critical to understand that any form of proposition of a co-worker, or client, could likely lead to that person feeling unsafe or uncomfortable at Pacific Edge. This is not a pick-up joint, and this type of behavior is in direct conflict with our company culture of fostering an inclusive, loving, supportive community.
If you feel that a co-worker (or client) has made a sexually inappropriate comment, or action, towards you, it is critically important that you take action. As a community we must all act together to prevent sexual harassment, and that starts by calling out the offending behavior, and taking solid steps to address it. Please report it right away, to a senior staff member.
The steps for reporting are as follows.
#1: If you feel confident and comfortable, set a clear boundary with the perpetrator. Whether you speak to the perpetrator or not, proceed to… #2: Report the incident to a senior staff member. Your options for reporting are many; you are free to talk to any one of us, but the appropriate people are: Mike Kittredge, Josette Kniffen, Scott Lappin, Tom Davis, or Diane Russell.
Once reported, the Management Team will investigate the claim and take appropriate action. That action could include any or all of the following: A meeting between a manager(s) the alleged perpetrator to discuss, verify the claim, and we may need to have a follow-up meeting with the reporting party as part of investigation. Conduct determined to be willfully sexually inappropriate or harassing will be addressed and could likely result in termination of employment. In severe cases, we will involve the police. In less severe cases, actions such as a record in the perpetrators file, an enforced leave of absence, and/ or a requirement of further education as a condition of employment could be implemented.
Please note, any action(s), that could be deemed as Harassment, outside of work of the workplace that involve employees, impacts the work environment or creates a situation that has an employee feeling unsafe at Pacific Edge, may also be addressed.
Communication and community is what this is all about. We must all be conscious of how we act towards each other. We must strive to treat our co-workers and clients with the utmost respect, support, and equality. And should it happen that someone is inappropriate, it is critical that this action is communicated to Management immediately so that we can take steps to correct the situation.
Pacific Edge and Romantic Relationships:
We do not condone nor prohibit employees having personal consenting romantic relationships so long as there are no negatives impacts on the workplace. If the romantic relationship does impact the workplace the management team will take appropriate action, up to and including termination of employment.
Pacific Edge prohibits romantic relationships between employees with managerial or supervision duties and those that report to said supervisor.