Employee Handbook 2022

• Making sexual or romantic advances toward an employee and persisting despite the employee’s rejection of such advances ;

• Offensive and unwelcome sexual or romantic invitations or advances, whether or not the employee submits to the invitation and particularly when a spoken or implied quid pro quo for sexual favors is a benefit of employment or continued employment;

• 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 possession of or use of sexually suggestive objects; and

• 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.

Sexual harassment need not be motivated by sexual desire to be unlawful and to be prohibited by this policy. Harassment because of an employee’s gend er (or because of any protected characteristic), even if completely unrelated to any sexual desire, is unlawful and prohibited. Harassers and victims can be of either gender, and harassment can occur between people of the same gender. A victim does not have to be the person to whom the behavior is directed, but anyone who is offended, such as someone overhearing offensive conversations or jokes. Merritt specifically prohibits each employee from insinuating or threatening, either implicitly or explicitly, that another officer’s, employee’s, or applicant’s refusal to submit to sexual advances will adversely affect that person’s employment, work status, or any other condition of employment or career development. Similarly, no employee shall imply, promise, or grant any preferential treatment in connection with another officer, employee, or applicant engaging in sexual conduct. Complaint Procedure: Merritt encourages the reporting of all incidents of discrimination or harassment regardless of who the offender may be. Individuals who believe they have witnessed or been subjected to discrimination or harassment, including conduct of the type listed above or of any other type of discrimination or harassment based on any Protected Category, by any officer, manager, employee, client, or any other person doing business with Merritt, should immediately bring the matter to the attention of Human Resources or any Team Leader of Merritt. It is very important that problems of this type be brought to the attention of these individuals as promptly as possible.

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