Checklist for an an Anti-Harassment Policy: Medium and Large Organizations
Developing a policy
Consultation with unions, employee representatives or employees about content of policy, penalties and remedies, identity of anti-harassment counsellors
Content of the policy
Policy statement–management supports a harassment-free workplace
The law
Employees' responsibilities and rights
- the right to a harassment-free workplace
- the responsibility to treat other employees with respect
- the responsibility to speak up when harassment occurs
- the responsibility to report harassment to the appropriate person
- confidentiality
Supervisors', managers', and employers' responsibilities
- treat all employees, clients, suppliers, contractors with respect
- report or investigate all complaints
- set a good example
- refuse to tolerate harassment
An undertaking that allegations of harassment will be dealt with seriously, speedily and confidentially
Descriptions of harassing behaviour
Procedures
- practical guidelines for employees and management
- informal and formal ways of proceeding
- encourage employees to choose the informal approach first
- mediation
- detailed steps to be taken in complaints
- time frames
- who is responsible for decisions
- appeals
- information about other agencies that deal with harassment
Remedies, corrective action, and safeguards
- possible remedies
- the range of penalties for a harasser
- whether information about the complaint will be included in a harasser's file
- information about the complaint will not be put in the complainant's personnel file, when complaint is in good faith
Protection against victimization or retaliation for employees who complain of harassment, or who testify in an investigation
Selection of counsellors and investigators
The following issues should be considered during the selection of anti-harassment counsellors, mediators and investigators
- are trusted by employees
- are outside chain-of-command or line management
- whether they are employees or outside contractors
- have appropriate experience and training
- will ensure confidentiality
- can be reached easily by employees
- whether they will deal with informal or formal complaints
- whether they will mediate
- whether they will investigate
- to whom they report
- whether they will advise management
- whether they will educate employees
- what their role is in advising management about specific cases of harassment
- do not fulfill double roles, e.g. do not do both mediation and investigation; do not represent the organization at a human rights hearing
Education
Communication and circulation of the policy to all employees and managers, current and new, through
- orientation or information session
- staff meetings
- memos or e-mail
- pay slip notices
- films
- posters
- videos
- brochures
Education of all staff
- training managers to react appropriately, handle cases of harassment appropriately, maintain the anti-harassment atmosphere
- training employees to respect each other, maintain the anti-harassment atmosphere
- training harassment counsellors and investigators to perform their respective roles
- make ongoing anti-harassment training part of other training sessions, such as: management training, induction programmes for new employees, courses for union-management committees, social skills training for employees, assertiveness training for women employees or others
Monitoring
A commitment to periodic review of the policy
- openness to employee comments
- solicitation of feedback from counsellors, managers, and employees
- exit interviews with personnel leaving the organization
- make necessary adjustments to policy and procedures