The AANS recently updated its policy on harassment and offensive conduct. The policy covers both AANS employees and volunteers.
Harassment and Offensive Conduct Policy
Purpose and Scope. The AANS is disseminating this policy to reinforce its commitment to employees to provide a work environment free from sexual harassment and other forms of offensive conduct. This policy applies to all members, vendors, contractors or business visitors of AANS. The AANS will require strict adherence to this policy by all of its members, vendors, contractors and business visitors so that all employees of the AANS continue work in an environment free of any form of sexual harassment or any other offensive or intimidating conduct.
Offensive Conduct and Sexual Harassment Prohibited. Sexual advances, requests for sexual favors and other verbal or physical conduct of a sexual or offensive nature that has the purpose or effect of creating a hostile, intimidating or offensive work environment of any employee of the AANS is prohibited and will not be tolerated. This conduct violates the policy both where the perpetrator and the victim are of different genders and where they are of the same gender.
This kind of verbal or physical conduct by members, vendors, contractors or business visitors, if directed at an AANS employee, is completely unacceptable and will be met with prompt remedial action designed to eliminate this offensive conduct from the work environment of all AANS employees.
Reporting of Sexual Harassment Required. Any employee of AANS who believes that he or she has been subjected to words or conduct that violate this policy by any member, vendor, contractor or business visitor of AANS should report the incident as soon as possible to one of the following: Direct Supervisor, Associate Executive Directors or Executive Director.
Members, vendors, contractors and business visitors of the AANS do not have the authority to condition any tangible job benefit of an AANS employee’s employment upon acquiescence to any words or conduct that may violate this policy, and any threats to do so must be reported immediately. If any employee believes that he or she has been deprived of a tangible job benefit or threatened with being deprived of such a job benefit (such as a significant change of employment status, discharge, demotion or undesirable reassignment) because the employee has refused to cooperate with sexually offensive verbal or physical conduct, requests for sexual favors or sexual advances, or any other offensive conduct, it must be reported to one of the people listed above.
Managers and supervisors of all AANS employees must report any incidents that they hear or observe that may constitute a violation of this policy.
All complaints of violations of this policy will be promptly investigated, and swift corrective action will be taken as determined by the AANS to be appropriate under the circumstances.
All complaints under this policy are considered confidential and all employees or other individuals involved in the complaint or investigation are required to take reasonable steps to protect the privacy of the individuals involved.
Retaliation Prohibited. It is also a violation of this policy for any member, vendor, contractor or business visitor of AANS to retaliate in any way against any AANS employee who reports or cooperates in an investigation of an alleged violation of this policy. No member, vendor, contractor or business visitor of AANS has the authority to retaliate against any AANS employee in any way as a result of that person bringing a complaint under this policy or assisting in an investigation of a complaint under this policy. Any such retaliation, threat of retaliation or attempt to do so should be reported immediately as discussed in paragraph three above.
Penalties. Any member of the AANS found to be in violation of this policy will be subject to disciplinary action by AANS up to and including suspension or expulsion from the AANS. If any vendor or contractor is found to have violated this policy, AANS will take all the necessary steps to ensure future compliance with this policy by that vendor or contractor, or prohibiting the offending employee of the vendor or contractor from having any future business dealings with the AANS and its employees. Any business visitor found to be in violation of this policy will be subjected to whatever actions are appropriate under the circumstances, including being requested to leave AANS functions and/or being prohibited from participating in future AANS functions.