Page 56 - Comerford Employee Handbook 2018 v.1

PERSONAL HARASSMENT POLICY AND PROCEDURE

A) EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES POLICY
The company is committed to equality of opportunity for existing and potential employees,
and seeks to promote a work environment free from discrimination in the following areas:
gender, civil status, family status, race, religion, sexual orientation, disability, age and
membership of the Traveller Community.

The company will strive for recruitment, employment, training and promotion practices and
policies that are free of barriers that directly or indirectly discriminate against people. Training,
experience and promotional opportunities are open to all employees of the company. All
decisions made will be based on employees’ existing skills, knowledge and attitude required
to perform the job effectively and efficiently to the standards required by the company both
now and for the future.

It is the responsibility of every manager and director in this company to support and
communicate the Equal Opportunities Policy. All employees in turn must accept their personal
responsibility to comply with this policy. This includes maintaining acceptable standards of
behaviour at all times towards all colleagues and customers alike. Should an employee feel
that they have not been treated fairly with regard to employment equality, they may utilise the
grievance procedures. Should any employee(s) intentionally act in contravention of the
company’s employment equality policy, then they may be subject to disciplinary action under
the disciplinary procedure.

B) DIGNITY AND RESPECT
As part of our commitment to the fairness, dignity and respect to each staff member, any form
of bullying, harassment or sexual harassment will not be tolerated by this company. All
employees will be expected to comply with this policy and management will take appropriate
measures to ensure that bullying/harassment does not occur. Appropriate disciplinary action,
including dismissal for serious offences, will be taken against any employee who violates this
policy. This policy applies to all employees, regardless of the nature of their contract or length
of service, and to no-employees, such as contactors, clients and external service providers
both inside and outside the work environment. The policy applies both in the workplace and
at work associated events such as meetings, conferences and work related social events
whether on the premises or off site. Every staff member has an obligation to be aware of the
effects of their own behaviour on others and to respect the dignity of every colleague.

Please consider the multi-cultural beliefs of all of your colleagues regarding your code of
conduct, with particular reference to remarks, emails and anything which may cause offence
to a persons’ gender, civil status, race, religion, family status, age, sexual orientation,
membership of the Travelling Community and disability.

It is the duty of all employees to immediately report any incident of harassment, sexual
harassment or bullying by following the complaints procedure outlined in this policy. The
company reserves the right to investigate under this policy, irrespective of whether it has
received a complaint or not.

C) HARASSMENT
Harassment is any form of unwanted conduct, related to the following grounds – civil status,
family status, sexual orientation, religion, gender, age, disability, race, or Traveller community
ground, which has the purpose or effect of violating a person’s dignity and creating an
intimidating, hostile, degrading, humiliating or offensive environment for the person. It can be
a one-off event or persistent and repeated behaviour. It can be:

• Non-verbal - Looks, gestures, isolation, exclusion, refusing to listen to a point of view
• Verbal - Spoken words, shouting, unfair and excessive criticism

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