GigHound is committed to providing a safe and healthy workplace free from workplace violence and harassment. GigHound has adopted a zero tolerance policy. All employees have the right to expect a place of employment that is free from behaviour that can be considered harassing, abusive, disruptive or disorderly. Any form of behaviour that creates a climate of violence, hostility, or intimidation will not be tolerated.
This policy includes, but not limited to the following behaviours or situations:
- Violent or threatening physical contact;
- Threatening language or harassing comments;
- Possession of weapons on company property;
- Bullying, teasing, intimidating or offensive behaviour;
- Threatening acts of intimidation or abusive language that leads to tension in the workplace;
- Any vexatious comment or conduct against a worker in a workplace that is known or ought to be reasonably known to be unwelcome, because of sex, sexual orientation, gender or gender expression.
- Making a sexual solicitation or advance where the person making the solicitation or advance is in a position to confer, grant or deny a benefit or advancement to the worker and the person knows or ought to reasonably know that the solicitation or advance is unwelcome.
GigHound’s workplace violence & harassment policy applies to all people involved in its operations and prohibits any such actions by a worker, customer or vendor of the company. Any employee of GigHound who violates this policy will be subject to disciplinary action up to and including termination.
GigHound recognizes that workplace violence and harassment is a health and safety and human resources issue and will take every reasonable precaution to protect employees at the workplace. The company has developed reporting procedures to encourage early reporting as well as prevention of violence and harassment. Any employee can report concerns or incidents to any GigHound representative.
Purpose of Policy
The intended purpose and goal of the workplace violence and harassment policy is to:
- Create and foster a workplace free from workplace violence and harassment;
- Provide a clear definition of workplace violence and harassment for the purpose of this policy;
- Provide information to all employees regarding workplace violence and harassment;
- Outline and detail the responsibilities of all individuals in the workplace in order to maintain a workplace free from violence and harassment;
- Provide incidents or complaints of workplace harassment will be will be investigated and dealt with;
- Ensure that all incidents of workplace violence and harassment are reported to a GigHound’s Representative;
- Create and communicate a thorough reporting system to ensure that all complaints and/or concerns related to workplace violence and harassment are handled in a professional, timely and equitable manner as established by the company.
Definitions
Workplace: For the purpose of this policy, the “workplace” is defined as any and all places where company business is conducted. This includes but is not limited to:
- Company property, whether leased or owned, including buildings, and surrounding areas including: parking lots, sidewalks, and driveways;
- All off-site locations where company business occurs;
- Company sponsored functions; Any location of travel for business purposes.
Workplace Violence: For the purpose of this policy, “workplace violence” includes, but not limited to:
- The exercise of physical force by a person against a worker that causes or could cause physical injury to the worker. This can include physical injury to the worker; physical acts such as pushing hitting, kicking or throwing objects;
- An attempt to exercise physical force against a worker, in a workplace that could cause physical injury to a worker;
- A statement or behaviour that is reasonable for a worker to interpret as a threat to exercise physical force against a worker in a workplace that could cause physical injury to the worker;
- Bringing a weapon of any sort to a company workplace or possessing a weapon of any kind while carrying out company business, or threatening to bring a weapon to the workplace.
Workplace Sexual Harassment: For the purpose of this policy, “workplace sexual harassment” is defined as engaging in a course of vexatious comment or conduct against a worker in a workplace because of sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or gender expression, where the course of comment or conduct is known or ought to be unwelcome; or making a sexual solicitation or advance where the person making the solicitation or advance is in a position to confer, grant or deny a benefit or advancement to the worker and the person knows or ought to know that the solicitation or advance is unwelcome.
This includes conduct that demeans, embarrasses or humiliates an employee. Workplace harassment does not include:
- Legitimate performance management;
- Application or delegation of management authority;
- Transfers, demotions and job assignments during the course of employment; Management mistakes;
- Basic operations management during the normal course of business;
- Any single action is not considered harassment unless it involves a lasting impact on the employee.
Zero Tolerance
GigHound is committed to the values of providing a safe workplace for all employees. The company strictly prohibits all incidents of workplace violence and harassment. GigHound has a “zero tolerance” policy against such behaviours by any employee, vendor, contractor, visitor, client or any other person at a company workplace that is involved in company business.
The company may, where appropriate take any/all of the following actions where acts of workplace violence and harassment have been committed as defined by the policy:
- Remove the perpetrator from a company workplace by security or local authorities;
- Discipline any employee who violates this policy, up to and including termination;
- Report the conduct of any other person to their employer, supervisor and/or local authorities.
- Information obtained about an incident or complaint of workplace harassment, including identifying information about any individuals involved will not be disclosed unless the disclosure is necessary for the investigation or corrective action or is required by law.
- Once the investigation is complete any worker who has allegedly experienced workplace violence and harassment and the alleged harasser will be informed of the results of the investigation and of any corrective action taken.