Kindness Policy
CascadiaNow! (CN!) believes that everyone deserves to be treated with kindness and compassion. CN! is dedicated to providing a safe working environment, free of harassment, for each and every employee, contractor, board member, volunteer, chapter member, project leader, and supporter.
CN! considers harassment as unacceptable behaviour and it will not be tolerated under any circumstances. Reports of harassment will be investigated promptly and confidentially. This policy is applicable to CN! in all its operations and functions including those situations where employees are required to work off site.
CN! COMMITMENT
CN! is responsible for creating a culture that encourages kindness and compassion and recognizes harassment as unacceptable behavior. As such, CN! is committed to:
● Ensuring a supportive, comfortable and productive working environment free of harassment
● Ensuring compliance with legislative requirements
● Providing information, instruction, training and supervision to employees where necessary
● Ensuring that employees are aware of the acceptable standard of behaviour at work
● Ensuring that employees are aware of their rights and responsibilities regarding harassment
● Taking early action to deal with behaviour which may be offensive or intimidatory
● Intervening if employee conduct creates an intimidating, hostile or offensive working environment; adversely affects an individual’s work performance, health or job satisfaction; or if employee actions result in resignation
● Handling complaints immediately, seriously and confidentially with due sensitivity
● Preventing any form of retaliation against an individual who submits a harassment complaint
EMPLOYEE COMMITMENT
CN! aims to foster a culture of gratitude, teamwork and respect among all of its employees. To further this aim, CN! requires all employees to:
● Treat their colleagues with respect and dignity
● Ensure their behaviour does not constitute harassment or condone circumstances that may allow such to happen
● Ensure individuals do not suffer from harassment
● Ensure they do not act in an inappropriate manner towards board members, contractors, volunteers, chapter members, project leaders, or any member of the public
● Report all known or observed harassment to their immediate supervisor, the Executive Director, or any Board Officer
● Actively contribute to a harassment-free working environment
PROCEDURES
● Any observed contravention of this policy should be immediately reported to a supervisor, the Executive Director, or any Board Officer.
● All reports of harassment will be kept confidential to the full extent possible and investigated without delay.
● When appropriate, a conciliation process between the relevant parties may be initiated.
● Any employee found to have been the cause of harassment can expect to face disciplinary action up to and including termination of employment.
DEFINITIONS
Harassment
Any form of behavior that:
● Is uninvited or unwelcome
● Involves abuse of power
● Jeopardizes any individual’s physical or emotional well-being
● Ridicules any individual for cultural differences
● Is likely to cause hostility or discomfort by humiliating, offending or intimidating someone
Sexual harassment
May consist of one or a combination of the following:
● Jokes, suggestions or comments of a sexual nature
● Offensive hand or body gestures
● Offensive staring or leering
● Distribution of material, telephone calls, emails, screen savers, images from the internet, photographs or other objects which may be offensive
● Unwelcome physical contact such as brushing against a person, patting, touching or fondling
● Unwanted advances, interest, propositions or demands
● Intimidation, abuse or assault
● Unwelcome comments about a person’s sex life or physical appearance
● Indecent assault or rape (also a criminal offence)
● Offers of job benefits, including employment, promotion, salary increases, shift or work assignments, performance expectations and other conditions of employment, which are contingent on the provision of sexual favors; or a retaliatory response to the rejection of a sexual advance or request for sexual favors which results in a tangible employment detriment or loss of a job benefit as described above