Sexual Harassment Policy
Sexual harassment violates Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. It is unlawful to harass a person (an applicant, employee, vendor, or customer) because of that person's sex. Harassment can include "sexual harassment" or unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, and other verbal or physical harassment of a sexual nature.
Harassment does not have to be of a sexual nature, however, and can include offensive remarks about a person's sex. For example, it is illegal to harass a woman by making offensive comments about women in general.
Both victim and the harasser can be either a woman or a man, and the victim and harasser can be the same sex.
Although the law doesn't prohibit simple teasing, offhand comments, or isolated incidents that are not very serious, harassment is illegal when it is so frequent or severe that it creates a hostile or offensive work environment or when it results in an adverse employment decision (such as the victim being fired or demoted).
The harasser can be the victim's supervisor, a supervisor in another area, a co-worker, or someone who is not an employee of the employer, such as a client or customer.
What’s the difference between sexual harassment, sexual assault, and sexual misconduct?
Sexual harassment is a broad term, including many types of unwelcome verbal and physical sexual attention. Sexual assault refers to sexual contact or behavior, often physical, that occurs without the consent of the victim. Sexual harassment generally violates civil laws—you have a right to work or learn without being harassed—but in many cases is not a criminal act, while sexual assault usually refers to acts that are criminal.
Some forms of sexual assault include:
Sexual misconduct is a non-legal term used informally to describe a broad range of behaviors, which may or may not involve harassment. For example, some companies prohibit sexual relationships between coworkers, or between an employee and their boss, even if the relationship is consensual.
There are two forms of sexual harassment that we are going to address specifically, Economic Sexual Harassment and Environmental Sexual Harassment, however as mentioned above, sexual harassment can occur in a variety of other circumstances.
Economic Sexual Harassment involves a threat of adverse employment action or a promise of job benefit that results in some form of tangible employment action, resulting in a monetary loss for an employee or significant change in workload or work assignment.
Economic sexual harassment focuses on the harm to the impacted employee rather than the conduct of the harasser.
Examples of economic sexual harassment may include but are not limited to:
Environmental sexual harassment focuses on the conduct of the harasser.
Examples of environmental sexual harassment may include but are not limited to:
Experiencing sexual harassment may cause some survivors to face emotional, physical, or mental health concerns.
Some of them might include:
Emotional effects:
Report to an authority. Please report all sexual harassment, sexual assault, and sexual misconduct to an authority figure. You can talk to your supervisor (unless they are the harasser), to the owner (unless they are the harasser), or to another authority figure within the company. Please refrain from discussing the harassment with anyone that was not the person being harassed, or another bystander that witness the harassment, as this is considered gossip and is not helpful.
Please be aware that there will not be any type of retaliation for reporting sexual harassment.
If you do not feel comfortable reporting in person you can report anonymously by completing the form below.
What can I do if I witness sexual harassment?
You may have heard the term bystander intervention to describe stepping in to help if you see someone who might be in danger or at risk for sexual assault. Bystander intervention can also be a helpful strategy if you witness sexual harassment. You do not have to be a hero to make a positive impact in someone’s life, and you can intervene in a way that fits your comfort level and is appropriate for the situation. If you choose to step in, you may be able to give the person being harassed a chance to get to a safe place or leave the situation. Below are some of the steps you can take if you see someone being sexually harassed, just remember to always keep your own safety in mind.
Create a distraction. Do what you can to interrupt the harassment or distract those taking part in the harassment. But remember to make sure that you are not putting yourself in danger by doing this. If someone seems like they could become violent, do not draw their attention.
Ask directly. Talk directly with the person who is being harassed. If they are being harassed, offer to accompany them anytime they must meet with the harasser. If a friend is worried about walking alone to their car at night, offer to walk with them.
Report to an authority. Please report all sexual harassment, sexual assault, and sexual misconduct to an authority figure. You can talk to your supervisor (unless they are the harasser), to the owner (unless they are the harasser), or to another authority figure within the company. Please refrain from discussing the harassment with anyone that was not the person being harassed, or another bystander that witness the harassment, as this is considered gossip and is not helpful.
Please be aware that there will not be any type of retaliation for reporting sexual harassment.
If you do not feel comfortable reporting in person you can report anonymously by completing the form below.
What happens after sexual harassment has been reported?
Step 1. Immediately following a report of sexual harassment an investigation will be opened.
Step 2. Old World Foods, LLC will speak with the victim(s), harasser(s), and or any bystanders or witnesses.
Step 3. There will be an adjustment made to the schedule to ensure the victim(s), and or bystanders or witnesses’ safety. This change could include simply changing the schedule so that the victim(s), harasser(s), bystanders, and or witnesses do not work during the same times. Or depending on the allegations made, it is possible that the harasser(s) or bystanders will be put on unpaid leave until the investigation is completed.
Step 4. If Old World Foods, LLC finds that the reported allegations of sexual harassment are valid, the harasser(s) and or bystanders will then be dealt with accordingly. And depending on the type of sexual harassment, termination may be the only solution.
Step 5 (if applicable). Please also note that if any laws were broken a police report will also be completed.
Sexual harassment violates Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. It is unlawful to harass a person (an applicant, employee, vendor, or customer) because of that person's sex. Harassment can include "sexual harassment" or unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, and other verbal or physical harassment of a sexual nature.
Harassment does not have to be of a sexual nature, however, and can include offensive remarks about a person's sex. For example, it is illegal to harass a woman by making offensive comments about women in general.
Both victim and the harasser can be either a woman or a man, and the victim and harasser can be the same sex.
Although the law doesn't prohibit simple teasing, offhand comments, or isolated incidents that are not very serious, harassment is illegal when it is so frequent or severe that it creates a hostile or offensive work environment or when it results in an adverse employment decision (such as the victim being fired or demoted).
The harasser can be the victim's supervisor, a supervisor in another area, a co-worker, or someone who is not an employee of the employer, such as a client or customer.
What’s the difference between sexual harassment, sexual assault, and sexual misconduct?
Sexual harassment is a broad term, including many types of unwelcome verbal and physical sexual attention. Sexual assault refers to sexual contact or behavior, often physical, that occurs without the consent of the victim. Sexual harassment generally violates civil laws—you have a right to work or learn without being harassed—but in many cases is not a criminal act, while sexual assault usually refers to acts that are criminal.
Some forms of sexual assault include:
- Penetration of the victim’s body, also known as rape.
- Attempted rape.
- Forcing a victim to perform sexual acts, such as oral sex or penetration of the perpetrator’s body.
- Fondling or unwanted sexual touching.
Sexual misconduct is a non-legal term used informally to describe a broad range of behaviors, which may or may not involve harassment. For example, some companies prohibit sexual relationships between coworkers, or between an employee and their boss, even if the relationship is consensual.
There are two forms of sexual harassment that we are going to address specifically, Economic Sexual Harassment and Environmental Sexual Harassment, however as mentioned above, sexual harassment can occur in a variety of other circumstances.
Economic Sexual Harassment involves a threat of adverse employment action or a promise of job benefit that results in some form of tangible employment action, resulting in a monetary loss for an employee or significant change in workload or work assignment.
Economic sexual harassment focuses on the harm to the impacted employee rather than the conduct of the harasser.
Examples of economic sexual harassment may include but are not limited to:
- Offers of promotion in exchange for sexual favors
- Poor performance reviews, demotions, or termination for refusing sexual advances
- Retaliation for reporting or threatening to report harassment, by terminating or demoting the impacted employee
Environmental sexual harassment focuses on the conduct of the harasser.
Examples of environmental sexual harassment may include but are not limited to:
- Jokes, graffiti, comments, stories, photographs, gestures, emails, notes, invitations, or written materials that interfere with an employee’s work performance
- Visual conduct such as staring at sexual body parts, making gestures, or displaying offensive pictures, cartoons, calendars, posters, or drawings
- Physical conduct such as touching or blocking movements
- Written communications, distributed in hardcopy or over the computer network, that are offensive or stereotypical based on gender
Experiencing sexual harassment may cause some survivors to face emotional, physical, or mental health concerns.
Some of them might include:
Emotional effects:
- Anger
- Fear
- Humiliation
- Shame
- Guilt
- Betrayal
- Violation
- Powerlessness and loss of control
- Anxiety
- Depression
- Panic attacks
- PTSD
- Difficulty concentrating
- Loss of motivation
- Substance abuse
- Suicidal ideation
- Increased stress levels
- Headaches
- Fatigue
- Sleep disturbances
- Eating disturbances
Report to an authority. Please report all sexual harassment, sexual assault, and sexual misconduct to an authority figure. You can talk to your supervisor (unless they are the harasser), to the owner (unless they are the harasser), or to another authority figure within the company. Please refrain from discussing the harassment with anyone that was not the person being harassed, or another bystander that witness the harassment, as this is considered gossip and is not helpful.
Please be aware that there will not be any type of retaliation for reporting sexual harassment.
If you do not feel comfortable reporting in person you can report anonymously by completing the form below.
What can I do if I witness sexual harassment?
You may have heard the term bystander intervention to describe stepping in to help if you see someone who might be in danger or at risk for sexual assault. Bystander intervention can also be a helpful strategy if you witness sexual harassment. You do not have to be a hero to make a positive impact in someone’s life, and you can intervene in a way that fits your comfort level and is appropriate for the situation. If you choose to step in, you may be able to give the person being harassed a chance to get to a safe place or leave the situation. Below are some of the steps you can take if you see someone being sexually harassed, just remember to always keep your own safety in mind.
Create a distraction. Do what you can to interrupt the harassment or distract those taking part in the harassment. But remember to make sure that you are not putting yourself in danger by doing this. If someone seems like they could become violent, do not draw their attention.
Ask directly. Talk directly with the person who is being harassed. If they are being harassed, offer to accompany them anytime they must meet with the harasser. If a friend is worried about walking alone to their car at night, offer to walk with them.
Report to an authority. Please report all sexual harassment, sexual assault, and sexual misconduct to an authority figure. You can talk to your supervisor (unless they are the harasser), to the owner (unless they are the harasser), or to another authority figure within the company. Please refrain from discussing the harassment with anyone that was not the person being harassed, or another bystander that witness the harassment, as this is considered gossip and is not helpful.
Please be aware that there will not be any type of retaliation for reporting sexual harassment.
If you do not feel comfortable reporting in person you can report anonymously by completing the form below.
What happens after sexual harassment has been reported?
Step 1. Immediately following a report of sexual harassment an investigation will be opened.
Step 2. Old World Foods, LLC will speak with the victim(s), harasser(s), and or any bystanders or witnesses.
Step 3. There will be an adjustment made to the schedule to ensure the victim(s), and or bystanders or witnesses’ safety. This change could include simply changing the schedule so that the victim(s), harasser(s), bystanders, and or witnesses do not work during the same times. Or depending on the allegations made, it is possible that the harasser(s) or bystanders will be put on unpaid leave until the investigation is completed.
Step 4. If Old World Foods, LLC finds that the reported allegations of sexual harassment are valid, the harasser(s) and or bystanders will then be dealt with accordingly. And depending on the type of sexual harassment, termination may be the only solution.
Step 5 (if applicable). Please also note that if any laws were broken a police report will also be completed.