It is the policy of the Town of Manchester to provide public programs
and services and to hire and promote employees to deliver those programs and
services on a nondiscriminatory basis. Underlying this policy is the belief
that fair and meritorious treatment of people is at the heart of a free society,
and the government has a primary responsibility to lead by example in such
treatment. Title VII of the Federal Civil Rights Act of 1964 makes it "an
unlawful employment practice for an employer to discriminate against any individual
with respect to his compensation, terms, conditions, or privileges of employment,
because of such individual's sex." Such discrimination is also made unlawful
by state law (Executive Law, Article 15, Human Rights Law). One form of such
discrimination is sexual harassment, which undermines the integrity of the
employment relationship and the dignity of individual employees, impairs the
efficiency and productivity of employees in delivering Town programs and services
and erodes public confidence in government. The purpose of this statement
is to set forth the policy prohibiting sexual harassment and also to set forth
the procedures for handling complaints of sexual harassment.
As used in this chapter, the following terms shall have the meanings
indicated:
DISCIPLINE
Any of the following penalties: a written reprimand, suspension without
pay, fine, loss of accrued leave credit, demotion or termination.
EMPLOYEE
All paid full-time, part-time and seasonal employees of the Town
of Manchester, including employees performing managerial, supervisory or operational
functions, including elective officers.
SEXUAL HARASSMENT
Conduct directed at a particular person consisting of unwelcome words
or actions of a sexual nature, such as sexual advances, requests for sexual
favors or gender-specific expressions of disrespect or disparagement, when
submission to such conduct is made either explicitly or implicitly a condition
of an individual's securing or continuing employment, submission to or rejection
of such conduct by an individual is used as the basis for employment decisions
affecting such individual or such conduct, provided that it is sufficiently
severe or pervasive, has the purpose or effect of unreasonably interfering
with an individual's work performance or creating an intimidating, hostile
or offensive working environment.
The Town Board shall coordinate periodical training programs for all
personnel regarding what constitutes sexual harassment as well as the implementation
of this policy and its procedures.