A) Introduction
1) Harassment or victimisation on the grounds of age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy or maternity, race, religion or belief, sex or sexual orientation is unacceptable.
2) Personal harassment takes many forms but whatever form it takes, personal harassment is always
serious and is totally unacceptable.
B) Policy
We deplore all forms of personal harassment and seek to ensure that the working environment is sympathetic to all our employees.
C) Complaining about personal harassment
1) Informal complaint
If you are the victim of minor harassment you should make it clear to the harasser on an informal basis that their behaviour is unwelcome and ask the harasser to stop. If you feel unable to do this verbally then you should hand a written request to the harasser.
2) Formal complaint
Where the informal approach fails or if the harassment is more serious, you should bring the matter to the attention of the Managing Director as a formal written complaint.
The person dealing with the complaint will invite you to attend a meeting, at a reasonable time and location, to discuss the matter and carry out a thorough investigation. You have the right to be
accompanied at such a meeting by your confidential helper or another work colleague of your choice and you must take all reasonable steps to attend. Those involved in the investigation will be expected to act in confidence and any breach of confidence will be a disciplinary matter.
On conclusion of the investigation, which will normally be within ten working days of the meeting with you, the decision of the investigator, detailing the findings, will be sent in writing to you.
You have the right to appeal against the findings of the investigator in accordance with the appeal provisions of the grievance procedure.
D) General notes
1) If the decision is that the allegation is well founded, the harasser will be liable to disciplinary action in accordance with our disciplinary procedure. An employee who receives a formal warning or who is dismissed for harassment may appeal by using our capability/disciplinary appeal procedure.
2) If you bring a complaint of harassment you will not be victimised for having brought the complaint.
However, if it is concluded that the complaint is both untrue and has been brought with malicious intent, disciplinary action will be taken against you.
