This standard sexual harassment policy protects veterinary practices

The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission offers a template for veterinary practices' handbooks.

Read about one experience that demonstrates why every practice needs a sexual harrasment policy in its handbook.

Harassment and Discrimination

Our practice is committed to providing a work environment that is free of sexual harassment and other harassment, discrimination, or intimidation, whether based on gender, race, sexual orientation, color, religion, national origin, age, or disability.

The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) defines sexual harassment as follows:

Quid Pro Quo-Unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, and other verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature when (1) submission to such conduct is made either explicitly or implicitly a term or condition of an individual's employment and/or (2) submission or rejection of such conduct by an individual is used as the basis for employment decisions affecting another individual

Hostile Work Environment-A workplace in which unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, and verbal or other conduct of a physical nature occur and when such conduct has the purpose or effect of unreasonably interfering with an individual's work performance or creating an intimidating, hostile, or offensive work environment

Examples of sexual harassment include but are not limited to the following:

• Unwanted sexual advances

• Offering employment benefits in exchange for sexual favors

• Making threatening reprisals after a negative response to sexual advances

• Visual conduct such as leering; making sexual gestures; or displaying sexually suggestive objects, pictures, cartoons, or posters

• Verbal conduct such as making derogatory remarks, epithets, slurs, sexually explicit jokes, or comments about an employee's body or dress

• Verbal sexual advances or propositions

• Verbal abuse of a sexual nature; graphic verbal commentary about an individual's body; sexually degrading words to describe an individual; or suggestive or obscene letters, notes, or invitations

• Physical conduct such as touching, assault or impeding or blocking movement

• Retaliation for reporting harassment or threatening to report harassment

Any employee who believes he or she has experienced such conduct by anyone- including a supervisor, co-worker, or persons doing business with or for [Practice Name]-should tell the offender that such conduct is unwelcome and unacceptable. If the offensive behavior does not stop, or if the employee is uncomfortable confronting the offender, the employee must immediately report such conduct to his or her supervisor, the practice manager, or the practice owner. All harassment or discrimination complaints should be made in writing. Sexual harassment or any other form of harassment, intimidation, or discrimination is a violation of [Practice Name]'s policy and will not be tolerated.

The practice manager or practice owner will oversee an investigation of any harassment or discrimination complaints in a confidential and timely manner. [Practice Name] prohibits retaliation against any employee who complains of harassment or discrimination or who participates in an investigation. All aspects of the complaint-handling procedure will be handled discreetly. However, it may be necessary to include others on a need-to-know basis. The investigation will be completed as quickly as practicable and a determination regarding the reported harassment or discrimination will be made and communicated to the employee who complained and to the accused harasser. Employees who engage in any form of harassment, discrimination, or intimidation will be subject to disciplinary action up to and including termination of employment. It is important that our work environment be conducive to effective job performance and free of harassment, discrimination, and intimidation.

Any employee who believes he or she has been subjected to illegal harassment or discrimination by a co-worker, manager, or agent of the employer is to immediately report any such incident to the employer. The employer will investigate and take appropriate action.