LWVMA banner

 

Membership Resources

ANTI-HARASSMENT POLICY

 

adopted January 27, 2010

The League of Women Voters of Massachusetts is committed to providing a work environment which is free from harassment based on an individual's race, color, religion, creed, national origin, ethnicity, ancestry, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, gender expression, political orientation, handicap, disability, attribute, or age. Harassment in all of these forms is unlawful and violates both the spirit of equal opportunity and the rights of the individual.

Harassment covers a range of behaviors, including subtle and not-so-subtle, verbal and non-verbal behavior. It can be engaged in or experienced by both men and women. Harassment will not be tolerated in any form at any level by the LWVMA.

Harassment includes:

  • telling jokes that explicitly or implicitly belittle an individual's race, color, religion, creed, national origin, ethnicity, ancestry, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, gender expression, political orientation, handicap, disability, attribute, or age;
  • making verbal or physical innuendos that explicitly or implicitly belittle an individual's race, color, religion, creed, national origin, ethnicity, ancestry, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, gender expression, political orientation, handicap, disability, attribute, or age;
  • verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature, including conduct that expressly or implicitly constitutes a sexual advance or a request for sexual acts or favors;
  • making verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature the basis of any employment decision or a condition of an individual's continued employment;
  • taking or failing to take a personnel action (e.g., firing, demoting, failing to promote) in reprisal for an employee's rejecting or reporting such conduct;
  • failing to take appropriate action in response to an employee's reporting such conduct (e.g., failing to investigate charges);
  • creating an intimidating, hostile, humiliating or offensive work environment by means of verbal or physical conduct of a harassing nature; or
  • subjecting others to obscenity or offensive language (including displaying offensive photographs, cartoons, or graffiti, or using offensive language in situations where others are certain to hear it).

This kind of behavior is unacceptable at the LWVMA and in any work-related setting outside the office.

In the interest of maintaining a work environment in which no employee of the LWVMA or visitor to its office feels threatened or alienated, employees are warned against making unwelcome sexual advances toward anyone, including co-workers. An employee who engages in harassment will be subject to appropriate disciplinary action. Such action may range from an oral or written warning up to and including discharge.

Any employee who believes that he or she has been subjected to harassment, whether by a supervisor, co-worker or visitor, should report the incident to a member of the executive committee of the board of directors of the LWVMA. Such member will ensure that a thorough investigation of the complaint is conducted following procedures designed to discover the facts, to preserve the confidentiality of all involved in the investigation, to prevent retaliation against the employee for bringing the complaint and against anyone who assists in the investigation, and to ensure fair treatment of the person accused of harassment.

Throughout the investigative process, to the extent possible, the LWVMA will share information about the matter only on a need-to-know basis. All employees, including the complainant, who suspect or have knowledge of a harassment complaint or of the conduct of an investigation, must refrain from discussing the matter with other employees, except as directed by the president or first vice president. The person conducting the investigation will report his or her findings in writing to the president or first vice president. The results shall also be reported in confidence to the complainant.

Any discrimination or adverse action (such as intimidation, threats or coercion) taken against an employee because he or she complains of harassment, or assists in an investigation of any allegation of harassment, is unlawful and will result in appropriate disciplinary action.

Federal and state government agencies responsible for enforcement of employment discrimination laws in the jurisdiction of the LWVMA’s offices are the following:

Equal Employment Opportunity Commission
John F. Kennedy Federal Building
475 Government Center
Boston, MA 02203
Tel: (617) 565-3200

Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination
One Ashburton Place, Sixth Floor, Room 601
Boston, MA 02108
Tel: (617) 994-6000

Adopted by the League of Women Voters of Massachusetts Board of Directors 2009-11 on January 27, 2010.