6.5 Harassment

Purpose

To preserve a work environment that is free from harassment of any kind.

Scope

All staff and facultyof Rochester University.

Policy

It is the policy of Rochester University to promote a productive work environment. The College will not tolerate verbal or physical conduct by any employee that harasses, disrupts or interferes with another’s work performance or that creates an intimidating, offensive or hostile environment.

The College expects employees to maintain a productive work environment that is free from harassing or disruptive activity. No form of harassment will be tolerated, including harassment for the following reasons: race, national origin, religion, height, weight, marital status, disability, pregnancy, age, military status or gender. Special attention should be paid to the prohibition of sexual harassment.

Each supervisor and manager has a responsibility to keep the workplace free of any form of harassment, and in particular, sexual harassment. No supervisor or manager is to threaten or insinuate, explicitly or implicitly, that an employee’s refusal or willingness to submit to sexual advances will affect the employee’s terms or conditions of employment.

Sexually harassing or offensive conduct in the workplace, whether committed by supervisors, managers, non-supervisory employees, or non-employees is prohibited. This conduct includes, but is not limited to:

• Unwanted physical contact or conduct of any kind, including sexual flirtations, touching, advances or propositions
• Verbal abuse of a sexual nature
• Demeaning, insulting, intimidating or sexually suggestive comments about an individual’s dress or body
• The display in the workplace of demeaning, insulting intimidating, or sexually suggestive objects or pictures, including nude photographs
• Demeaning, insulting, intimidating or sexually suggestive written, recorded, or electronically transmitted messages

Any of the above conduct, or other offensive conduct, directed at individuals because of their race, national origin, religion, height, weight, marital status, disability, pregnancy, age, military status or gender is also prohibited.

Any employee who believes that a supervisor’s, manager’s, other employee’s or non-employee’s actions or words constitute unwelcome harassment has a responsibility to report or complain about the situation as soon as possible. The report or complaint should be made to the Director of Human Resources or a member of the Administrative Team.

All complaints of harassment will be investigated promptly and in as impartial and confidential a manner as possible. Employees are required to cooperate in any investigation. A timely resolution of each complaint should be reached and communicated to the parties involved. Retaliation against any employee for filing a complaint or participating in an investigation is strictly prohibited.

Any employee, supervisor, or manager who is found to have violated the harassment policy will be subject to appropriate disciplinary action, up to and including termination. Rochester University prohibits any form of retaliation against employees for bringing bona fide complaints or providing information about harassment. However, if an investigation of a complaint shows that the complaint or information was false, the individual who provided the false information will be subject to disciplinary action, up to and including termination.

Newly hired employees will be required to sign the Sexual Harassment Policy of the College. Additionally, the U.S. Supreme Court and EEOC have mandated that employers with 10 or more employees conduct workplace harassment training for all employees on an annual basis. Employees of the College are required to participate in the training.