Memorandum
DATE: CURRENT DATE
TO: Supervisors
FROM: CEO
RE: Sexual Harassment
It is the policy of the BANK to provide an environment free from unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors and other verbal or physical conduct or communication constituting sexual harassment. The purpose of this policy statement is to establish clearly and unequivocally that the BANK prohibits sexual harassment by and of its employees and to set forth procedures by which allegations of sexual harassment may be filed, investigated and adjudicated.
Sexual harassment is misconduct which interferes with work productivity and deprives employees of the opportunity to work in an environment free from unsolicited and unwelcome sexual overtones. Sexual harassment includes all unwelcome sexual advances and sexually oriented communication, requests for sexual favors and other such verbal or physical misconduct. Sexual harassment is a prohibited practice and is a violation of the law.
The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission has issued guidelines interpreting Section 703 of Title VII as prohibiting sexual harassment. Sexual harassment is defined in those guidelines as follows:
Unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, and other verbal or physical misconduct of a sexual nature constitutes sexual harassment when
It shall be a violation of BANK policy to harass another employee sexually or to permit the sexual harassment of an employee by a non-employee. Sexual harassment may take many forms, including, but not limited to:
The BANK can be held responsible for acts of sexual harassment by supervisors and agents regardless of whether their supervisors knew or should have known of the harassment. The BANK can be held responsible for acts of sexual harassment between co-worker when supervisors knew or should have known of the misconduct. The BANK can also be held responsible for sexual harassment of employees by non-employees when supervisors or agents knew or should have known of the misconduct and failed to take immediate and appropriate corrective action.
Supervisors must be especially alert to actions which may constitute sexual misconduct, whether such actions are complained of or not. Such misconduct and allegations of sexual harassment shall be fully investigated and corrective or disciplinary action taken, up to and including dismissal from employment.
In meetings with employees or counseling sessions with individuals relating to sexual harassment, the supervisor should state that an employee who believes that harassment exists or has a grievance or a question is free and, in fact encouraged, to discuss the matter with or report the complaint to his or her supervisor or any other supervisor. If the supervisor is the offending person, the aggrieved person should report to the next higher level of management.