Let’s Talk Coffee® Anti-Harassment, Inappropriate Conduct and Bullying Policy
Harassment, inappropriate conduct and bullying are inconsistent with Sustainable Harvest’s philosophy and will not be tolerated at Let’s Talk Coffee. Sustainable Harvest is committed to providing an environment that is free of verbal, physical and visual forms of harassment and other inappropriate conduct so that all attendees can work in a productive, respectful and professional environment. Harassment, inappropriate conduct and bullying, whether or not based on an individual’s legally protected status, is strictly prohibited. Sustainable Harvest will not tolerate inappropriate behavior by anyone. This policy prohibits inappropriate conduct even if it does not rise to the level of actionable unlawful harassment. Anyone who violates this policy will face non refundable expulsion from the event.
In addition to a prohibition against harassment and inappropriate conduct in general, this Policy also specifically prohibits bullying and violence, sexual harassment, and other forms of prohibited harassment and discrimination, which are discussed in greater detail below.
1. Bullying and Violence
Bullying and violence, including physical violence, intimidation, threats, vandalism, unsafe behavior or any conduct that threatens or causes employees, clients or vendors to feel unsafe will not be tolerated. Any attendee who violates this policy will face expulsion from the event. Additionally, the individual may be subject to criminal prosecution.
2. Duty to Report and Investigation
Employees of Sustainable Harvest have a duty to report any safety or security concern or threat. This includes responsibility for immediately reporting any behavior an employee witnesses or has been told about which might reasonably be regarded as threatening or violent toward an attendee while participating in Let’s Talk Coffee. Sustainable Harvest will undertake a prompt, thorough investigation of any report of any alleged action or behavior that may be in violation of this policy in as confidential a manner as possible. Sustainable Harvest may also make a report to law enforcement.
3. Sexual Harassment
Sustainable Harvest will not tolerate sexual harassment. Sexual harassment is generally defined as unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, or conduct of a sexual nature (verbal, physical or visual) that is directed toward an individual. It can also include conduct that is not sexual in nature but is related to one’s sexual orientation. Oregon state law, where Sustainable Harvest is headquartered and derives its standards for this event, expansively defines “sexual orientation” to include “actual or perceived heterosexuality, homosexuality, bisexuality or gender identity, regardless of whether the individual’s gender identity, appearance, expression or behavior differs from that traditionally associated with the individual’s sex at birth.”
Sexual harassment includes requests for sexual favors or other visual, verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature when:
• Submission to or rejection of such conduct affects employment opportunities or participation in event activities; or
• The conduct interferes with an attendee’s work or creates an intimidating, hostile or offensive event environment.
Conduct that violates this policy is strictly prohibited regardless of the speaker’s or actor’s intent.
Examples of sexual harassment include, but are not limited to, the following types of behavior. Attendees should understand these are only examples. There may be other forms of harassment and inappropriate conduct that violate this policy.
• Excessive, one-sided, romantic attention in the form of requests for dates, love letters, telephone calls, emails, text messages or gifts;
• Visual or physical conduct, such as leering, making sexual gestures or displaying sexually suggestive objects or images at the event;
• Verbal conduct, such as making or using derogatory comments or those of a sexual nature;
• Graphic verbal or written comments (including emails or other electronic documents) about an individual’s sex life or body;
• Sexually degrading words used to describe an individual;
• Suggestive or obscene letters, emails, notes or invitations;
• Unwelcome physical contact, including pats, hugs, brushes, touches or impeding movements which block an individual’s entrance or exit from a space or room;
4. Other Forms of Prohibited Harassment and Discrimination
This Policy covers other forms of prohibited harassment and discrimination as well. Other forms of prohibited harassment include harassment against an individual due to the individual’s age, color, disability, marital status, national origin, race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, or any other protected status.
Harassment or discrimination may include verbal or physical conduct that denigrates or shows hostility or aversion toward an individual because of any protected classification including his/her age, color, disability, marital status, national origin, race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, or that of his/her relatives, friends, or associates, and that: (1) has the purpose or effect of creating an intimidating, hostile, or offensive event environment; (2) has the purpose or effect of unreasonably interfering with an individual’s participation; or (3) otherwise adversely affects an individual’s ability to participate at Let’s Talk Coffee.
Harassing conduct includes, but is not limited to, the following: (1) epithets, slurs, negative stereotyping, and threatening, intimidating, or hostile acts that relate to a protected class and (2) written or graphic material that denigrates or shows hostility or aversion toward an individual or group. If you have any questions about this Policy or about practices that concern you, please contact Liam Brody, President, or David Betts, Chief Financial Officer, of Sustainable Harvest.
5. What to Do if You Believe Harassment or Other Inappropriate Behavior Has Occurred – Reporting Harassment or Other Inappropriate Behavior
No attendee should tolerate inappropriate behavior. Attendees are strongly encouraged to report concerns about harassment or other inappropriate behavior, including bullying, before behaviors become severe or pervasive. Sustainable Harvest urges any attendee who is concerned about, the recipient of or the witness to harassment, including sexual harassment or other inappropriate conduct to promptly discuss the issue with Sustainable Harvest.
Sustainable Harvest staff members who know of or receive reports or complaints of allegedly offending behavior must promptly notify the President or CFO.
6. Investigation of Complaints/Concerns
All reports of alleged harassment or other inappropriate behavior will be promptly and thoroughly investigated. Complaints will be handled with sensitivity, discretion and confidentiality to the extent allowed by the circumstances and the law. Generally this means Sustainable Harvest would limit knowledge of the complaint and subsequent investigation to those who have a strict need to know. Any employee or attendee who is asked to participate in a complaint investigation or otherwise provide information concerning a complaint is expected to fully cooperate, including responding truthfully and in a timely manner to the investigator’s questions, allowing access to documents and computer files, and responding in a timely and cooperative manner to any other requests for information made by the investigator. Employees and attendees are also expected to maintain confidentiality to the extent allowed by the circumstances and the law.
If the investigation of the alleged harassment or other inappropriate behavior indicates that behavior in violation of Sustainable Harvest policy occurred, prompt and effective corrective action will be taken. This may include the immediate, non-refundable expulsion from Let’s Talk Coffee.
7. No Retaliation for Raising Concerns/Making Complaints
Sustainable Harvest will not retaliate against any attendee who makes a good faith complaint of harassment or other inappropriate behavior or who participates in good faith an investigation of such complaint. Any attendee who believes they have been retaliated against for reporting a suspected policy violation or for participating in a complaint investigation should immediately report the concern to Sustainable Harvest. Sustainable Harvest will then undertake a prompt and thorough investigation of the alleged retaliation. Appropriate corrective measures will be taken if allegations of retaliation are substantiated through an investigation, up to and including immediate expulsion of the offending party.