Merritt Employee Handbook 2023

• Directly or indirectly promising an employee a reward based on compliance with a sexually oriented request; directly or indirectly threatening to retaliate against an employee if the employee or third-party refuses to comply with a sexually-oriented request; or directly or indirectly denying an employee or applicant an employment related opportunity if the employee or applicant refused to comply with a sexually oriented request;

• 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 gender (or because of any Protected Category), 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 emplo yment, 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.

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