Anti-Harassment Policy

What is an Anti-Harassment Policy?

Harassment is a form of employment discrimination that violates Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967, (ADEA), and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA). Harassment, as defined by this policy, is any unwelcome conduct that is based on race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy), national origin, age (40 or older), disability or genetic information. Any harassment based on protected characteristics will not be tolerated in this workplace.

Unlawful harassment may include offensive jokes, slurs, epithets, physical assaults or threats, intimidation, ridicule, mockery, insults, offensive objects or photographs, or interference with work performance. Employees who are affected by offensive conduct are considered the victims of harassment.

An anti-harassment policy is an employee policy prohibiting harassment, outlining the procedure for reporting complaints, and prohibiting retaliation for harassment complaints. This anti-harassment policy can be incorporated into an employee handbook or used as a stand-alone policy document.

Why is an Anti-Harassment Policy necessary?

A strong anti-harassment policy acts as a deterrent by clearly outlining in a written policy that forbids any type of inappropriate harassment. It helps to identify the behavior that would constitute harassment, and provides employees with methods by which they can report harassment, you’re raising awareness and communicating that the practice will not be tolerated.

By having a comprehensive written policy it prevents your company from potentially being open to liability. It allows you to follow up complaints correctly as well as preventing people in their defences finding holes in the complaints.

What's included in an Anti-Harassment Policy?

The PeopleGoal Anti-Harassment Policy describes terms for anti-harassment as per the law and company-specific regulation. Simply adjust the information in the brackets to suit your company’s needs.

Use this customizable PeopleGoal Anti-Harassment Policy template as an outline for your company’s anti-harassment policies.

Disclaimer: The PeopleGoal Policies are general templates and should only be used as a basis for company policies. Please take into account all local, state, and federal laws when drafting your company’s final policies. This is not a legal document or a contract, and PeopleGoal will not assume any legal liability associated with the use of this document. *