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FOCUSfish is committed to a work environment in which all individuals are treated with respect and dignity. Each individual has the right to work in a professional atmosphere that promotes equal opportunities and prohibits discriminatory practices, including harassment. Therefore, FOCUSfish expects that all relationships among persons in the workplace will be business-like and free of bias, prejudice, discrimination, and harassment.

In order to keep this commitment, FOCUSfish maintains a strict policy of prohibiting unlawful harassment of any kind, including sexual harassment and harassment based on race, color, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, sex, age, physical or mental disability or any other characteristic protected by state, federal or local employment discrimination laws. This policy applies to all FOCUSfish agents and specialists, including supervisors and non-supervisory employees, and to independent contractors who engage in unlawful harassment in the workplace.

Sexual harassment includes, but is not limited to, making unwanted sexual advances and requests for sexual favors where either:

Submission to such conduct is made an explicit or implicit term or condition of employment; or
Submission to or rejection of such conduct by an individual is used as the basis of employment decisions affecting such individual; or
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.

Employees who violate this policy are subject to discipline up to and including the possibility of immediate discharge. Examples of unlawful harassment include, but are not limited to:

Verbal conduct such as epithets, derogatory jokes or comments, slurs or unwanted sexual advances, invitations or comments.
Visual conduct such as derogatory and/or sexually oriented posters, photography, cartoons, drawings, e-mail and faxes or gestures.
Physical conduct such as assault, unwanted touching, blocking normal movement or interfering with work directed at an employee because of the employee’s sex or other protected characteristic.
Threats and demands to submit to sexual requests in order keep one’s job or avoid some other loss, and offers of employment benefits in return for sexual favors.
Retaliation for having reported or threatened to report unlawful harassment.

Any employee or other person who believes they have been harassed by a co-worker, supervisor, or agent of FOCUSfish or by a non-employee should promptly report the facts of the incident or incidents and the names of the individual(s) involved to their program coordinator or advisory council contact, or in the alternative, to a board member. Upon receipt of a complaint, FOCUSfish will undertake a prompt, thorough, objective and good faith investigation of the harassment allegations.

If the organization determines that harassment has occurred, effective remedial action will be taken in accordance with the circumstances involved. Any employee determined by the FOCUSfish to be responsible for harassment will be subject to appropriate disciplinary action, up to and including termination.

Employees will not be retaliated against for filing a complaint and/or assisting in a complaint or investigation process. Further, we will not tolerate or permit retaliation by supervisors or co-workers against any complainant or anyone assisting in a harassment investigation.