Policy brief & purpose

Our anti-discrimination policy explains how we prevent discrimination and protect our employees, customers and stakeholders from offensive and harmful behaviors. This policy supports our overall commitment to create a safe and happy workplace for everyone.

Our company complies with all anti-discrimination laws, including Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA.) We explicitly prohibit offensive behavior (e.g. derogatory comments towards colleagues of a specific gender or ethnicity.)

Scope

This policy applies to all employees, contractors, interns, volunteers and stakeholders.

Policy elements

Discrimination is any negative action or attitude directed toward someone because of protected characteristics, like race and gender. Other protected characteristics are:

• Age
• Religion
• Ethnicity/ nationality
• Disability/ medical history
• Marriage / civil partnership
• Pregnancy / maternity/ paternity
• Gender identity/ sexual orientation

Discrimination and harassment

We will not tolerate any kind of discrimination that creates a hostile and unpleasant environment for employees, interns or volunteers.

Employees who harass their colleagues will go through our disciplinary process and we may reprimand, demote or terminate them depending on the severity of their offence.

We recognize that sometimes discrimination is unintentional, as we may all have unconscious biases that could be difficult to identify and overcome. In case we conclude that an employee unconsciously discriminates, we will support them through training and counseling and implement processes that mitigate biases. But, if this person shows unwillingness to change their behavior, we may demote or terminate them.

We will not be lenient in cases of assault, sexual harassment or workplace violence, whether physical or psychological. Employees who behave like this may be terminated.

What to do in cases of discrimination

If you are the victim of discriminatory behavior (or if you suspect that others are being discriminated against,) please talk to the CEO (or your manager) as soon as possible. The CEO is responsible for hearing your claim, investigating the issue and determining punishment.

Punishment for discriminatory behavior depends on the severity of the offence. For example, inadvertently offending someone might warrant a reprimand. Conversely, willfully bypassing employees for promotion because of a protected characteristic can result in termination.

If you decide to make a claim to a regulatory body (e.g. the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission) we are committed and bound by law not to retaliate against you.

How we address discrimination complaints

We will investigate all claims discreetly. We will never disclose who made a complaint to anyone or give out information that may help others identify that person (e.g. which department or role they work in.)

We should all strive to prevent and address discrimination. Be aware of your implicit biases and speak up whenever you or your colleagues are discriminated against. If you have any ideas on how we can ensure fairness and equality in our workplace, we are happy to hear them.