It is illegal under state and federal law for any employee, male or female, to sexually harass another employee. WSI strictly prohibits sexual harassment in the workplace. In addition, harassment based on other protected characteristics such as race, national origin, religion, disability or age will also not be tolerated. The purpose of this policy is to stress strong opposition to harassment of any type and identify the complaint procedures available to complainants, as well as the disciplinary penalties that can be imposed for sexually harassing conduct or behavior by any employee, vendor, contractor or other persons with whom WSI interacts with as part of their jobs.
The following guidelines further explain the policy in effect:
1. Sexual harassment includes any unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors and other verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature in the workplace or between employees. Such harassment may also occur where tolerance of such actions is made a condition of employment that interferes with an individual’s work performance or simply creates an intimidating, hostile or offensive work environment for others.
2. Sexual harassment may occur between employees of different genders or the same gender. Conversations of a sexual nature, discussions about sexual topics, jokes with sexual connotations, cartoons, photographs, e-mails, faxes or written documents containing sexual overtones, all may be considered offensive or intimidating by others, and be harassing in nature. Such matters are also inappropriate in the workplace.
3. Similarly, such actions or words directed at another person’s race, national origin, age, religion or disability may also be harassment and will not be tolerated.
4. It is illegal and against WSI policy for any employee, male or female, to harass another employee, or to create a hostile working environment by either committing or encouraging harassment. Examples of harassing behaviors include: (a) Physical assaults on another employee, including but not limited to, rape, sexual battery, molestation or attempts to commit these assaults; (b) Intentional physical conduct that is sexual in nature, including but not limited to, touching, pinching, patting or brushing up against another employee’s body; (c) Unwanted sexual advances, propositions or sexual comments, including making sexual gestures, jokes or innuendoes in the presence of any other employee; (d) Posting, displaying or circulating by e-mail or otherwise pictures, posters, calendars, graffiti, objects or other materials that are sexual in nature or pornographic.
5. The creation of an intimidating, hostile or offensive working environment may include such actions as persistent sexual comments or the display of obscene or sexually-oriented photographs or drawings. WSI will determine whether such actions constitute sexual harassment, based on a review of the facts and circumstances of each situation.
6. WSI will not condone any sexual harassment of employees or harassment of employees based on other characteristics. All employees, including managers, supervisors and foremen, will be subject to severe discipline, up to and including discharge, for any act of sexual or other harassment.
7. Any employee who feels that he or she has been the subject of sexual harassment, or harassment based on other characteristics, should report the behavior to his or her supervisor, human resources or to the safety officer.
8. Supervisors, human resources, safety officer or any officer of the company who receives a complaint of harassment or who becomes aware of a situation which could constitute harassment will promptly and confidentially advise the human resource department of the complaint or situation. Human resources shall promptly notify the Chief Executive Officer and, if warranted, coordinate a review and resolution of the complaint. A thorough investigation will follow and will include documentation of the complaint or situation and what investigative steps were taken. Confidentiality will be maintained as much as reasonably possible.
9. It is illegal to retaliate against or discipline an employee who makes a charge of sexual or other harassment unless the charge is found fraudulent.
10. WSI is extremely serious about not allowing harassment to occur or to go unaddressed. WSI has a zero tolerance attitude toward harassment and will deal promptly and effectively with any employee who engages in sexual or other harassment.