Non-Discrimination and Anti-Harassment Policy
Section Name: Employee Relations Effective Date: January 11, 1993
Section Number: 400 Date of Revision: December 4, 2017
Policy Number: 25
Page: 1 of 3
Subject: Non-discrimination and Anti-harassment
1. Purpose: The City of Monroe 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 employment opportunities and prohibits
unlawful discriminatory practices, including harassment.
2. Definitions:
2.1 Equal Employment Opportunity is defined as freedom from discrimination on the
basis of protected classes such as an individual’s age, race, color, gender, sex,
sexual orientation, genetic information, gender identity or expression, height,
weight, national origin, religion, marital status, domestic partner relationship,
physical characteristics, veteran status, disability, or other protected characteristic
under applicable federal, state or local laws or ordinances.
The City will make reasonable efforts to accommodate the known disabilities of
employees who are otherwise qualified to perform the essential functions of the
jobs involved.
Every individual involved with personnel actions, including management,
supervision, recruiting, compensation, benefits, promotions, work assignments
and training, must ensure that these activities are administered consistent with the
City’s goal of furthering the principle of equal employment opportunity.
2.2 Discrimination is defined as treating, or proposing to treat, someone unfavorably
because of a personal characteristic as protected by law. Prohibited
discrimination is defined in Sections 2.1, 3.1, and 3.2.
2.3 Harassment is defined as any verbal or physical conduct designed to threaten,
intimidate or coerce an employee, co-worker or any person working for or on
behalf of the City of Monroe. 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.
2.4 Sexual harassment is defined as “unwelcome sexual advances, requests for
sexual favors, and other verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature when
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submission to or rejection of such conduct is used as the basis for employment
decisions or such conduct has the purpose or effect of creating an intimidating,
hostile or offensive working environment."
Prohibited harassment may take different forms including, but not limited to:
Verbal harassment includes innuendoes, suggestive comments, jokes
of a sexual nature, sexual propositions, lewd remarks and threats;
requests for any type of sexual favor (this includes repeated,
unwelcome requests for dates); and verbal abuse or “kidding” that is
oriented toward a prohibitive form of harassment, including that which
is sexual in nature and unwelcome.
Nonverbal harassment includes the distribution, display or discussion
of any written or graphic material, including calendars, posters and
cartoons that are sexually suggestive or show hostility toward an
individual or group because of sex; suggestive or insulting sounds;
leering; staring; whistling; obscene gestures; content in letters and
notes, facsimiles, e-mail, photos, text messages, tweets and Internet
postings; or other form of communication that is sexual in nature and
offensive.
Physical harassment includes unwelcome, unwanted physical contact,
including touching, tickling, pinching, patting, brushing up against,
hugging, cornering, kissing, fondling and forced sexual intercourse or
assault.
3. Statement of Policy:
3.1 It is the policy of the City of Monroe that all applicants and employees shall not
be discriminated against or harassed on the basis of an individual’s age, race,
color, gender, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, height,
weight, national origin, religion, marital status, domestic partner relationship,
physical characteristics, veteran status, disability, or other protected characteristic
under applicable federal, state or local laws or ordinances.
3.2 For purposes of this policy, prohibited discrimination and harassment includes
any unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, or other verbal or
physical conduct relating to any individual’s age, race, color, gender, sex, sexual
orientation, gender identity or expression, height, weight, national origin, religion,
marital status, domestic partner relationship, physical characteristics, veteran
status, disability, or other protected characteristic under applicable federal, state
or local laws or ordinances when:
submission to the conduct is made either an explicit or implicit condition of
employment;
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submission to or rejection of the conduct is used as the basis for an
employment decision affecting the harassed employee; or
the harassment substantially interferes with an employee’s work
performance; creates an intimidating, hostile, offensive or abusive work
environment; or otherwise adversely affects an individual’s employment.
4. Applications: This policy shall apply to all employees (including full-time, temporary or
part-time), applicants, visitors, customers and/or contractors as referenced in this policy.
5. Responsibility: The City Manager and/or his designee shall be responsible for
implementing and overseeing this policy.
6. Administrative Procedures:
In order to permit the City to take appropriate action to enforce this policy, employees are
encouraged to immediately bring complaints of discrimination or harassment to the
attention of the Director of Human Resources. Once made aware of the complaint, the
City is committed to commencing a prompt investigation of the allegations. If after the
completion of the investigation the City determines that an individual has engaged in
discriminatory or harassing behavior, appropriate remedial action will be taken.
7. Legislative History of Authority for Creation or Revision:
Adopted pursuant to action of the Monroe City Council, dated January 11, 1993.
Revised pursuant to action of the Monroe City Council, dated December 4, 2017.