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Kitchener Waterloo Community Orchestra
Harassment Prevention Policy
Updated May 2019

Purpose

 

Sexual harassment, bullying and discrimination issues in organizations and within our society as a whole are major issues. KWCO is committed to core values that include respect and dignity for all people in all interactions, and KWCO promotes a itself as an organization where discrimination, bullying and harassment of any kind is not tolerated. KWCO members, volunteers, consultants or employees must, through their words and actions, always embody the highest standards of conduct, mutual respect and integrity. Each individual has the right to participate in a KWCO activity, whether as an employee, a member, a consultant or as a volunteer, in a courteous and professional atmosphere that promotes equal opportunities and prohibits discriminatory practices, including harassment and bullying. Therefore, KWCO expects that all relationships among persons in all KWCO activities will be friendly and courteous and free of bias, prejudice, discrimination, and harassment.

 

In order to keep this commitment, KWCO maintains a strict policy of prohibiting unlawful harassment of any kind. Such prohibited harassment includes discriminatory verbal, written, or physical conduct that denigrates or shows hostility, aversion, or favoritism toward a person because of race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, pregnancy, genetic information or marital status, and  has the purpose or effect of creating an intimidating, hostile, or offensive environment.

 

Sexual harassment includes at a minimum, but is not limited to, making unwanted sexual advances and requests for sexual favors, and other verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature, where either:

  1. Submission to such conduct is made an explicit or implicit term or condition of participation; or

  2. Submission to or rejection of such conduct by an individual is used as the basis of participation decisions affecting such individual; or

  3. Such conduct has the purpose or effect of substantially interfering with an individual’s performance or creating an intimidating, hostile, or offensive environment.

KWCO members, volunteers, consultants or employees who violate this policy are subject to discipline up to and including the possibility of termination by KWCO.

 

Examples of unlawful harassment include, but are not limited to:

  1. Verbal conduct such as epithets, derogatory jokes or comments, slurs or unwanted sexual advances, invitations or comments.

  2. Visual conduct such as derogatory and/or sexually oriented posters, photography, cartoons, drawings, e-mail and faxes or gestures.

  3. Physical conduct such as assault, unwanted touching, blocking normal movement or interference KWCO activities, any of which is directed at a member, volunteer, consultant or employee, because of the person’s sex or other protected characteristic.

  4. Threats and demands to submit to sexual requests in order to maintain one’s participation in or with KWCO, or to avoid some other loss, or the making of offers of benefits in return for sexual favors.

  5. Retaliation for having reported or threatened to report unlawful harassment.

 

Any employee or other person who believes he or she has been harassed by any person affiliated or connected with KWCO in any role, or any person who has witnessed what he or she believes is an act of harassment, should promptly report the facts of the incident or incidents and  the names of the individual(s) involved to the board of directors, or to an individual member of the board. Upon  receipt of a complaint, KWCO will undertake a prompt, thorough, objective and good faith investigation of the harassment allegations. Issues and incidents may also be reported anonymously. In any resulting investigation, interviews with the parties involved may be conducted, as well as interviews with persons who may have observed the alleged conduct or may have other relevant knowledge. Confidentiality will be maintained throughout the investigatory process to the extent consistent with adequate investigation practices, appropriate corrective action, and protection of the safety of the individuals involved. KWCO is not restricted or limited in any way to involve the police if that is deemed appropriate or required by law.

 

If KWCO determines that harassment has occurred, effective remedial action will be taken in  accordance with the circumstances involved. Any person determined by KWCO to be responsible  for harassment will be subject to appropriate disciplinary action, up to and including termination of his or her relationship with KWCO.

 

Retaliation against the complainant is strictly prohibited and will result in appropriate disciplinary action. Retaliation by the respondent, or anyone acting on behalf of the respondent, against any complainant or witness providing information about an allegation of harassment report, is also strictly prohibited. Acts of retaliation include (but are not limited to) interference, coercion, threats, and restraint.

 

This Policy shall not be used to bring fraudulent or malicious complaints against any person. Any complaint or report made against another which is in bad faith, if demonstrated as being such through convincing evidence, will result in disciplinary action being taken against the individual lodging the fraudulent or malicious complaint or report.

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