It is the policy and practice of Meltech Corporation, Inc. (Meltech) to maintain and foster a work environment in which all employees are treated with decency and respect. Accordingly, Meltech has adopted a zero-tolerance policy toward discrimination and all forms of unlawful harassment, including but not limited to sexual harassment.
This zero-tolerance policy means that no form of unlawful discriminatory or harassing conduct towards any employee, client, subcontractor, vendor, pedestrian, visitors or any other person in our workplace or jobsites, will be tolerated. Meltech is committed to enforcing its policy at all levels within Meltech, and any employee who engages in prohibited discrimination or harassment will be subject to discipline, up to and including immediate discharge from employment for a first offense.
Violations of this policy, regardless of whether an actual law has been violated, will not be tolerated. Meltech will promptly, thoroughly and fairly investigate every issue that is brought to its attention in this area and will take disciplinary action, when appropriate, up to and including termination of employment.
Meltech encourages employees to report all incidents of harassment to a member of management or the HR department. Meltech conducts harassment prevention training for all employees, and maintains and enforces a separate policy on harassment prevention, complaint procedures and penalties for violations. Meltech investigates all complaints of harassment promptly and fairly, and, when appropriate, takes immediate corrective action to stop the harassment and prevent it from recurring.
Conduct Covered by this Policy
Harassment is a form of unlawful discrimination and violates Meltech’s Zero Tolerance Harassment Policy. Prohibited sexual harassment, for example, is defined as unwelcome sexual advances, request for sexual favors and other verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature when:
- Submission to such conduct is made either explicitly or implicitly a term or condition of an individual’s employment.
- Submission to or rejection of such conduct by an individual is used as the basis for employment decisions affecting such individuals.
- Such conduct has the purpose or effect of substantially interfering with an individual’s work performance or creating an intimidating, hostile or offensive working environment.
Harassment includes offensive and unwelcome conduct of a sexual nature, including sexually-graphic spoken comments; offensive comments transmitted by e-mail or another messaging system; offensive or suggestive images or graphics whether physically present in the workplace or accessed over the Internet; or the discussion of possession of or use of sexually suggestive objects.
Harassment includes offensive and unwelcome physical contact of a sexual nature, including the touching of another’s body; the touching or display of one’s own body, or any similar contact.
Harassment also includes unwelcome conduct that is based on race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, pregnancy, age, national origin, disability status, genetic information, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law. Harassment becomes unlawful where:
- Enduring the offensive conduct becomes a condition of continued employment, or
- The conduct is severe or pervasive enough to create a work environment that a reasonable person would consider intimidating, hostile, or abusive.
Computer Messaging and Information Systems
Employees are particularly cautioned that the use of e-mail, voice mail, or other electronic messaging systems, or the Internet, may give rise to liability for harassment. Employees may not generate, should not receive, and must not forward, any message or graphic that might be taken as offensive based on sex, gender, or other protected characteristic. This includes, for example, the generation or forwarding of offensive “humor” which contains sexually-offensive terms, or terms which are offensive to any race, religion, national origin group, or other protected group.
Employees receiving offensive messages over Meltech’s computer equipment, or receiving other unlawfully offensive messages or graphics over Meltech’s computer equipment, should report those messages to their supervisor or other appropriate manager.
Employees are reminded that Meltech’s computers and the data generated on, stored in, or transmitted to or from Meltech’s computers remain the property of Meltech for all purposes. No employee is authorized to use any Meltech computer, computer system, network, or software for the preparation, transmission, or receipt of sexually offensive messages or graphics, or for other messages or graphics which might be taken as offensive based on any other protected characteristic.
Employees are reminded that Meltech retains the right to monitor its computers, computer systems, and networks to ensure compliance with this requirement.
Mandatory Procedures in Cases of Harassment:
Any Meltech employee who believes that she or he has been subjected to unlawful harassment of any kind has the responsibility to report the harassment immediately to her or his supervisor. If the employee is uncomfortable reporting the harassment to her or his immediate supervisor (whether because the supervisor has committed the harassment, or for any other reason whatsoever), the employee must report the harassment to the next higher level of management above the immediate supervisor or, if the employee prefers, to the Human Resources Director, Chief Operations Officer, or Chairman/CEO of Meltech.
Meltech is committed to taking all reasonable steps to prevent harassment, and will make every reasonable effort promptly and completely to address and correct any harassment that may occur. However, Meltech cannot take prompt and effective remedial action unless each employee assumes the responsibility of reporting any incident of harassment immediately to an appropriate supervisory employee.
Every report of harassment will be investigated promptly and impartially, with every effort to maintain employee confidentiality. The complainant and the accused will be informed of the results of the investigation. If Meltech finds that its policy has been violated, it will take appropriate corrective and remedial action, up to and including discharge.
Reporting Without Fear of Retaliation:
No Meltech employee will be retaliated against for reporting harassment. This no-retaliation policy applies whether a good faith complaint of harassment is well founded or ultimately determined to be unfounded.
No Meltech manager or supervisor is authorized, or permitted, to retaliate or to take any adverse employment action whatsoever against anyone for reporting unlawful harassment, or for opposing any other discriminatory practice in the workplace.
Any employee who feels he or she has been retaliated against in violation of this no-retaliation policy is responsible for reporting the retaliation to management, in the same manner as any other form of harassment or discrimination should be reported.
Questions About This Policy:
If you have any questions at all about this policy, about whether you should report an incident under this policy, or about Meltech’s commitment to a workplace free of discrimination and harassment, please speak to your supervisor. If you believe it is inappropriate for any reason to discuss the matter with your supervisor, please bring your questions to the Human Resources Director.