Policy on Harassment and Sexual Harassment

FJMC International (FJMC) is committed to maintaining a work/social environment that is free of discrimination. In keeping with this commitment, we will not tolerate harassment of FJMC employees, FJMC members, or FJMC Volunteers by anyone, including any supervisor, manager, co-worker, vendor, client, contractor, customer, Officer, Board Member, Committee Member, FJMC Member, FJMC Volunteer, or other regular visitor to the FJMC.

Harassment consists of unwelcome conduct, whether verbal, physical, or visual, that is based upon a person’s protected status, such as sex, sexual orientation, color, race, ancestry, religion, age, disability, or other legally protected group status. FJMC will not tolerate harassing conduct that affects tangible job benefits, that interferes unreasonably with an individual’s work performance, or that creates an intimidating, hostile, or offensive working environment. Such harassment may include, for example, jokes about another person’s protected status, or kidding, teasing, or practical jokes directed at a person based on his or her protected status.

The prohibited conduct also includes: (a) epithets, slurs, negative stereotyping, or intimidating acts that are based on a person’s protected status; and (b) written or graphic material circulated within or posted within the workplace that shows hostility toward a person or persons because of their protected status. The term “workplace” includes any location where FJMC employees, FJMC members, FJMC Volunteers, Officers, Board Members, Committee Members, or other regular visitors of the FJMC are engaged in FJMC business.

Sexual harassment deserves special attention. Unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, or other physical, verbal, or visual conduct based on sex, constitute sexual harassment when (1) submission to the conduct is an explicit or implicit term or condition of employment, (2) submission to or rejection of the conduct is used as the basis for an employment decision, or (3) the conduct has the purpose or effect of unreasonably interfering with an individual’s work performance or creating an intimidating, hostile, or offensive working environment. Sexual harassment is conduct based on sex or sexual orientation, whether directed towards a person of the opposite or same sex, and may include explicit sexual propositions, sexual innuendo, suggestive comments, sexually oriented “kidding” or “teasing”, “practical jokes”, jokes about obscene printed or visual material, and physical conduct such as patting, pinching or brushing against another person’s body.

All FJMC employees, Officers, Board and Committee Member, Members, and Volunteers are responsible to help assure that we avoid harassment. If you feel that you have experienced or witnessed harassment, you are to immediately notify the FJMC Administrator and President. The FJMC forbids retaliation against anyone for reporting harassment, assisting in making a harassment complaint, or cooperating in a harassment investigation. If you feel you have been retaliated against, you are to immediately notify the FJMC Administrator and President.

It must be understood that our FJMC not only has employees, but it also receives the benefit of the many hours that our Volunteers, Members, Committee Members, Officers, aid Directors devote to our programs. Harassment of any type by one Member or Volunteer, when directed toward another Member or Volunteer in the setting of FJMC work, be it a committee meeting, at a FJMC event, or in any other FJMC-sponsored activity, whether formal or informal, in any location whatsoever, is similarly offensive, and is similarly prohibited.

FJMC will investigate all complaints of harassment thoroughly and promptly. To the fullest extent practicable, FJMC will keep complaints and the terms of their resolution confidential. If an investigation confirms that a violation of this policy has occurred, FJMC will take appropriate, corrective action, including discipline up to and including immediate termination of employment, or termination of FJMC Membership, Committee Assignment, Board Position, or Volunteer status. In some cases, a thorough investigation can take several weeks. You may, at any time, ask the person you complained or reported to about the status of the investigation.

LIABILITY FOR HARASSMENT

Any employee, member or volunteer of FJMC, whether a coworker or manager, who is found to have engaged in prohibited harassment is subject to disciplinary action, up to and including termination of employment for employees and expulsion from membership for volunteers. FJMC does not consider conduct in violation of this policy to be within the course and scope of employment or the direct consequence of the discharge of one’s duties. Accordingly, to the extent permitted by law, FJMC reserves the right not to provide defense or pay damages against employees for conduct in violation of this policy.