Policy O-07 B
Issued: 27 Jan 2017
Revised: 17 May 2019
Prohibition on Harassment
1.0 Purpose
To specify ASNT’s policy against harassment.
2.0 Scope
This policy applies to all ASNT Board members, officers, members, other volunteers, and vendors.
3.0 Policy
3.1 Prohibition on Harassment
It is ASNT’s policy to maintain a working environment free from hostile or offensive behavior. Accordingly, ASNT expressly disapproves of and prohibits any form of unlawful harassment based on a person’s race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, genetic information characteristics, military status, veteran status, or any other legally protected category or characteristic. Harassment is prohibited wherever and whenever ASNT work is being performed, whether at ASNT’s offices, in another location during a business meeting or trip, or at an ASNT-sponsored social event or meeting.
3.2 Harassment
3.2.1 Harassment can take many forms, including, but not limited to verbal, physical or visual conduct that denigrates or shows hostility or aversion to an ASNT employee or volunteer based on the person’s race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, genetic information characteristics, military status, or veteran status, or any other legally protected category or characteristic when such conduct has the purpose or effect of unreasonably interfering with an employee or volunteer’s work performance, creating an intimidating, hostile or offensive work environment, or otherwise adversely affecting an individual’s ASNT employment or volunteer opportunities. ASNT will not tolerate any form of such harassment.
3.2.2 Determining what constitutes harassment depends upon the specific facts and the context in which the conduct occurs. Harassment may take many forms—from subtle and indirect to blatant and overt. Some examples of harassment include:
a. Epithets, slurs, or stereotyping, that relate to the employee or volunteer’s protected characteristic(s).
b. Written or graphic material that denigrates or shows hostility or aversion to an employee or volunteer’s protected characteristic(s).
c. Jokes or teasing related to an employee or volunteer’s protected characteristic(s).
3.3 Sexual Harassment
3.3.1 Sometimes the word “harassment” is used to describe conduct far beyond what is covered under this or any other ASNT policy, such as personality conflicts or general disagreements. However, “harassment” – and, in particular, the term “sexual harassment” – has a specific meaning and is not intended to describe all workplace conflicts or disagreements. Because sexual harassment involves a specific type of unacceptable conduct, this policy includes the following additional explanation of sexual harassment.
3.3.2 Sexual harassment consists of unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors or other verbal and physical acts of a sexual nature where:
a. Submission to such conduct is made either explicitly or implicitly a term or a condition of an individual’s employment or volunteer status.
b. An employment decision or status within the organization is based on an individual’s acceptance or rejection of such conduct.
c. Such conduct interferes with an individual’s work performance, volunteer performance or creates an intimidating, hostile, or offensive working environment.
3.3.3. Determining what constitutes sexual harassment depends upon the specific facts and the context in which the conduct occurs. Sexual harassment may take many forms—from subtle and indirect to blatant and overt. Some examples of sexual harassment include:
a. Promising an employee or volunteer a reward if the employee or volunteer complies with a sexually-oriented request.
b. Denying an employee an employment-related opportunity or volunteer a volunteer opportunity if that individual refuses to comply with a sexually-oriented request.
c. Engaging in sexually suggestive physical contact or touching another employee or volunteer in a way that is unwelcome.
d. Displaying, storing, or transmitting pornographic or sexually oriented materials or objects using ASNT equipment and/or in ASNT facilities.
e. Making unwanted or unwelcome sexual or romantic advances.
f. Verbal abuse of a sexual nature, graphic verbal commentaries about an individual’s body, sexually degrading words used to describe an individual, jokes, and suggestive or obscene letters, notes or invitations, including those communicated by text message, email or other electronic media.
3.3.4. Sexual harassment may consist of repeated actions or may arise from a single serious incident. Sexual harassment can occur between individuals of the opposite sex or same sex, and it can occur between peers or between individuals in a reporting relationship.
4.0 Complaint Procedure
4.1 Employees and volunteers should not assume that ASNT knows about their situation. Any employee or volunteer who feels he or she has experienced any harassment prohibited by this policy or has knowledge of any harassment should report it promptly to the Executive Director. If the Executive Director is the source of the perceived harassment, then the complaint should be made to the Chairperson of the Board.
5.0 Investigation And Disciplinary Action
5.1 Investigation of Complaints
5.1.1 All complaints will be investigated promptly and fairly under the direction of the ASNT Oversight Committee, with every effort to maintain confidentiality. While ASNT strives to keep the information gathered in the complaint and investigation process as confidential, confidentiality is not guaranteed. Complaining parties should be aware that ASNT’s obligation to investigate may require interviews with the alleged offender(s) and/or other witnesses to the alleged misconduct. The complainant and the accused will be informed of the results of the investigation to the extent permitted under applicable laws.
5.2 Disciplinary Action
5.2.1 If, at the completion of the investigation, ASNT concludes that an individual covered under this policy has engaged in harassment that violates this policy, appropriate disciplinary action will be taken, such as a written or verbal warning, up to and including revocation of membership and certification. (subject to any applicable requirements under ASNT’s Bylaws).
6.0 Retaliation Prohibited
6.1 ASNT prohibits retaliation against anyone who has, in good faith, reported harassment or discrimination, or assisted in the investigation of such issues. If an employee or volunteer feels he/she has experienced retaliation, the employee or volunteer should follow the procedure described in Section 4.0 of this policy to report the conduct immediately.
7.0 False Complaints
7.1 If an employee or volunteer purposefully lodges a knowingly false harassment claim or deliberately gives untrue information about a complaint of harassment, ASNT will take appropriate corrective action, up to and including termination or removal, against that employee or volunteer who filed the false claim or provided false information about a complaint.