The City of Hoboken (hereinafter referred to as the "City" has
a strong commitment to provide a work environment free from unlawful
harassment based on sex, race, color, religion, national origin, age,
disability, ancestry, atypical hereditary cellular or blood trait
(AHCBT), liability for service in the Armed Forces of the United States,
creed, handicap, marital status, nationality, genetic information,
refusal to submit to genetic testing, refusal to provide genetic information,
or race of that person, or of that person's spouse, partners, members,
stockholders, directors, officers, managers, superintendents, agents,
employees, business associates, suppliers, or customers (collectively
the "protected classifications"). The City will not tolerate unlawful
harassment. Acts or incidents of unlawful harassment should be promptly
reported in accordance with the procedures outlined below. The City
will promptly investigate all reports of unlawful harassment. Employees
who violate this policy will be subject to disciplinary action up
to and including termination from employment. Employees who violate
this policy also risk personal legal liability.
To ensure all employees of the City of Hoboken a work environment
free of any type of unlawful discrimination, including freedom from
harassment on the basis of any protected classification.
Conduct that may violate this policy and result in disciplinary
action includes the following:
A. Unwelcome remarks and actions based on the protected classifications.
This may include, but is not limited to, inappropriate jokes, comments
or posted materials.
B. Threats or suggestions that an employee's employment work status
will be adversely affected based upon the protected classifications.
C. Affecting or denying employment opportunities or benefits to an employee
based upon the protected classifications.
D. Engaging in a negative tangible employment action based upon the
protected classifications.
E. Retaliation against an employee who has reported any alleged violation
of this policy or participated in an investigation related to this
policy.
Any employee who feels he or she has been subject to harassment
or has knowledge of a violation of this policy should report the incident
directly to the employee's direct supervisor or department director
or corporation counsel. The employee should complete a harassment
complaint form. Employees, however, are not required to complete the
complaint form to initiate a harassment complaint under this policy.
The supervisor, director or corporation counsel must be promptly advised
of such complaint. If the complaint involves a direct supervisor,
the employee is not required to complain to the direct supervisor.
The complaint should then be made to any of the other above mentioned
individuals.
The City of Hoboken encourages victims of harassment to bring
their complaints to management by ensuring that no reprisals or retaliation
will result against such complaining individual as a result of the
good faith reporting of harassment. In addition, anyone who assists
in the filing of a complaint or in the investigation of a claim of
harassment will be protected from reprisals and retaliation. Reprisal
or retaliation may be the basis of a separate complaint, even if the
complaint of harassment may be found to be without merit.
To the fullest extent possible and so long as it does not inhibit
the conducting of an investigation, all persons involved with a harassment
complaint will be given the utmost protection of privacy.
Because the City of Hoboken prohibits harassment of its employees
in any form, any individual charged with harassment in a civil action
or by way of an administrative complaint shall be solely responsible
for paying all costs of defense and/or any damages resulting therefrom
which shall be awarded by proper court of law or by an administrative
hearing.
Any employee with questions regarding the City's policy against
harassment may contact the supervisor, director or corporation counsel.