Sexual Harassment Policy
The Laboratory is committed to creating and
maintaining a community in which all persons who participate in Laboratory
programs and activities can work together in an atmosphere free from all
forms of harassment, exploitation, or intimidation, including sexual.
Specifically, every member of the Laboratory community should be aware that
the Laboratory is strongly opposed to sexual harassment and that such
behavior is prohibited by law and by Laboratory policy. It is the intention
of the Laboratory to take whatever action may be needed to prevent, correct,
and, if necessary, discipline behavior that violates this policy.
Definition of Sexual
Harassment
Sexual harassment is unwelcome sexual
advances, requests for sexual favors, and other verbal or physical conduct of
a sexual nature; and when submission to or rejection of this conduct
explicitly or implicitly affects a person’s employment or education,
unreasonably interferes with a person’s work or educational performance, or
creates an intimidating, hostile, or offensive working or learning
environment. In the interest of preventing sexual harassment, the Laboratory
will respond to reports of any such conduct.
Sexual harassment may include incidents
between any members of the Laboratory community, including faculty or
nonemployee participants in Laboratory programs, such as vendors,
contractors, and visitors. Sexual harassment may occur in hierarchical
relationships or between peers, or between persons of the same sex or
opposite sex.
In determining whether the reported conduct
constitutes sexual harassment, consideration will be given to the record of
the conduct as a whole and to the totality of the circumstances, including
the context in which the conduct occurred.
This policy covers unwelcome conduct of a
sexual nature. While romantic relationships between members of the Laboratory
community may begin as consensual, they may evolve into situations that lead
to charges of sexual harassment, subject to this policy.
Harassment that is not sexual in nature but is
based on gender, sex stereotyping, or sexual orientation also is prohibited
by the University’s nondiscrimination policies[3] if it is sufficiently
severe to deny or limit a person’s ability to participate in or benefit from
Laboratory programs, employment, or services. While discrimination based on
these factors may be distinguished from sexual harassment, these types of
discrimination may contribute to the creation of a hostile work environment.
Thus, in determining whether a hostile environment due to sexual harassment
exists, the Laboratory may take into account acts of discrimination based on
gender, sex stereotyping, or sexual orientation.
Retaliation
This policy also prohibits retaliation against
a person who reports sexual harassment, assists someone with a report of
sexual harassment, or participates in any manner in an investigation or
resolution of a sexual harassment report. Retaliation includes threats,
intimidation, reprisals, and/or adverse actions related to employment or
education.
Dissemination of the
Nondiscrimination and Harassment Policy, Educational Programs, and Employee
Training
As part of the Laboratory’s commitment to
providing a harassment-free working and learning environment, the
Nondiscrimination and Harassment Policy will be disseminated widely to the
Laboratory community through publications, Web sites, new employee
orientations, and other appropriate channels of communication. Educational
materials will be available to all members of the Laboratory community, to
promote compliance with this policy and familiarity with Laboratory reporting
procedures. In addition, the Laboratory has designated employees responsible
for reporting sexual harassment and will provide training to those designated
employees. Generally, such persons include supervisors, managers, and HR staff.
The Laboratory has posted a copy of this policy in a prominent place on its
Web site.
