Sexual Harassment
Manzil Home Health Services has a fundamental commitment to treating its employees with dignity and respect. The support of equal employment opportunity includes the recognition that all employees have the right to work in an environment free of harassment, whether on account of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, ancestry, age, sexual orientation, people with different abilities, any military service or application for military service, or any other category protected by the law. Harassment and discrimination, whether by management, supervisory personnel, or third parties with whom the Company does business is unlawful and will not be tolerated by Manzil. Accordingly, derogatory racial, ethnic, religious, age, sexual orientation, sexual or other inappropriate remarks, slurs or jokes based on any category protected by law will not be tolerated. Because Manzil Home Health Services take complaints of harassment and discrimination in the workplace seriously, the Company will respond promptly to all reported complaints. Where it is demonstrated to its satisfaction that harassment and/or discrimination did in fact occur, Manzil will respond promptly and impose such corrective action as is necessary, including disciplinary action where appropriate.
Please note that while this policy sets Manzil’s goals of promoting a workplace that is free of harassment and discrimination, the policy is not designed or intended to limit Manzil’s authority to discipline or take remedial action for unacceptable or inappropriate workplace conduct.
The responsibility to investigate complaints of harassment and discrimination in the workplace has been assigned to the Managing Director as applicable. Any employee who believes that he or she has been subject to harassment or discrimination should report the alleged act as soon as possible. If the employee would prefer to report the alleged act to his or her direct supervisor, the employee should feel free to do so. These individuals are available to discuss any concerns employees may have and to provide information about Manzil’s policy on harassment and the complaint process. Employees should not allow an inappropriate situation to continue by not reporting it, regardless of who is creating the situation. It is unlawful to retaliate against an employee for filing a complaint of harassment or for cooperating in an investigation of such a complaint. Any individual who has been found to have engaged in retaliation against a Manzil employee for filing a complaint or participating in the investigation of a complaint may be subject to appropriate sanctions, including counseling, verbal or written warning, transfer, suspension and/or discharge. If any employee believes that he or she has been subjected to retaliation for having brought or supported a complaint of harassment based on a protected class, that employee is encouraged to report the situation as soon as possible to the HR Department who in turn will refer it to the appropriate person. We trust that all managers, supervisory personnel and employees will continue to act responsibly to establish a pleasant working environment free of harassment and discrimination of any type.
All employees have the right to be free from sexual advances in the workplace or any other verbal or physical conduct that constitutes sexual harassment. Sexual harassment, whether by management, supervisory personnel, or non-supervisory personnel, is unlawful and will not be permitted.
Because Manzil takes allegations of sexual harassment seriously, the Company will respond promptly to complaints of sexual harassment. Where it is demonstrated to its satisfaction that such harassment occurred, the Company will act promptly to eliminate the harassment and impose such corrective action as is necessary, including disciplinary action where appropriate.
Please note that while this policy sets forth the Company’s goals of promoting a workplace that is free of sexual harassment, the policy is not designated or intended to limit the Company’s authority to discipline or to take remedial action for workplace conduct we deem unacceptable, regardless of whether that conduct satisfies the definition of sexual harassment.
Sexual harassment is defined as unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, and verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature where: (a) submission to or rejection of such advances, requests or conduct is made either explicitly or implicitly a term or condition of employment or as a basis for employment decisions or career opportunities; or (b) such advances, requests or conduct have the purpose or effect of unreasonably interfering with an individual’s work performance by creating an intimidating, hostile, humiliating or sexually offensive work environment.
These definitions include any direct or implied requests by a supervisor for sexual favors in exchange for actual or promised job benefits, such as favorable reviews, salary increases, promotions, increased benefits or continued employment, as well as any sexually-oriented conduct that is unwelcome and has the effect of creating a workplace environment that is hostile, offensive, intimidating, or humiliating to male or female workers.
Examples of conduct that, if unwelcome, may constitute sexual harassment depending upon the totality of the circumstances, including the severity of the conduct and its pervasiveness, include the following:
- either explicitly or implicitly conditioning any term of employment (e.g., continued employment, wages, evaluation, advancement, assigned duties or shifts) on the provision of sexual favors;
- touching a sexual part of an employee’s body;
- touching any part of an employee’s body after that person has indicated, or it is known, that such physical contact is unwelcome;
- continuing to ask an employee to socialize on or off-duty when that person has indicated she or he is not interested;
- displaying or transmitting sexually suggestive pictures, objects, cartoons, or posters if it is known or should be known that the behavior is unwelcome;
- regularly using sexually vulgar or explicit language in the presence of a person if it is known or should be known that the person does not welcome such behavior;
- derogatory or provoking remarks about or relating to an employee’s gender, sexual activity or sexual orientation;
- coerced sexual acts
The responsibility to investigate complaints of harassment has been assigned to the appropriate level of management who in turn will involve HR. Any employee who believes that he or she has been the subject of harassment should report the alleged act to the Managing Director as applicable, as soon as possible but no later than 180 days from the time such alleged harassment was deemed to occur. If the employee would prefer to report the alleged act to his or her direct supervisor, the employee should feel free to do so. These individuals are available to discuss any concerns employees may have and to provide information about the Company’s policy on sexual harassment and the complaint process. Employees should not allow an inappropriate situation to continue by not reporting it, regardless of who is creating the situation.
An investigation of any such complaint will be undertaken promptly. The investigation may include a private interview with the employee making the complaint, with witnesses, and with the person accused of sexual harassment. The investigation will be conducted in such a way as to maintain confidentiality to the extent practicable under the circumstances. After the Company has completed its investigation, it will, to the extent appropriate, inform the person filing the complaint and the person alleged to have committed the conduct of the results of the investigation. If the investigation reveals that sexual harassment did occur, the Company will act promptly to eliminate the offending conduct, and where it is appropriate, impose disciplinary action. Sanctions may include counseling, verbal or written warnings, transfer, suspension and/or discharge.
It is unlawful to victimize against an employee for filing a complaint of sexual harassment or for cooperating in an investigation of a complaint for sexual harassment. Any individual who has been found to engage in such victimization against another employee may be subject to appropriate sanctions, including counseling, verbal or written warnings, transfer, suspension and/or discharge. If any employee believes that she or he has been victimized for having brought or supported a complaint of harassment, that employee is encouraged to report the situation as soon as possible to the Managing Director as applicable, or his or her direct supervisor.
We trust that all managers, supervisory personnel and employees will continue to act responsibly to establish a pleasant working environment free of sexual harassment and discrimination of any type.