WORKPLACE HARASSMENT AND DISCRIMINATION
It is the policy of the West Baton Rouge Parish Assessor’s Office (WBRPAO) that all employees have a right to work in an environment free of any form of harassment. WBRPAO strictly prohibits harassment of employees in the workplace. For purposes of this policy, harassment is defined as inappropriate conduct, either real or perceived, of a verbal or physical nature, based on a person’s sex, age, race, color, national origin, religion, veteran status, citizenship, disability, or protected genetic information, union affiliation, or any other classification protected by law.
Sexual harassment has been defined as follows:
Unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, or other verbal, physical, or inappropriate conduct of a sexual nature constitutes sexual harassment when (1) such conduct either explicitly or implicitly affects a term or condition of an individual’s employment, (2) submission to or rejection of such conduct by an individual is used as the basis for employment decisions affecting such individual, or (3) such conduct has the purpose or effect of unreasonably interfering with an individual’s work performance or creating an intimidating, hostile or offensive working environment.
Sexual harassment is strictly prohibited. WBRPAO also strictly prohibits harassment of employees on the basis of age, race, color, national origin, religion, marital status, veteran status, citizenship, disability or union affiliation. Verbal or physical conduct that creates an intimidating, hostile, or offensive work environment is the type of conduct which is prohibited by this policy.
Examples of actions that may constitute harassment in violation of this policy include:
Unwelcome actions such as the following are inappropriate and, depending on the circumstances, may in and of themselves meet the definition of sexual harassment or contribute to a hostile work environment:
- Sexual pranks, or repeated sexual teasing, jokes, or innuendo, in person or via e-mail;
- Verbal abuse of a sexual nature;
- Sexual Assault;
- Intentional physical conduct that is sexual in nature, such as touching, pinching, patting, grabbing, brushing against another employee’s body or poking another employee’s body;
- Unwelcome sexual advances, propositions or other sexual comments, such as sexually oriented gestures, noises, remarks, jokes, or comments about a person’s sexuality or sexual experience;
- Preferential treatment or promises of preferential treatment to an employee for submitting to sexual conduct, including soliciting or attempting to solicit any employee to engage in sexual activity for compensation or reward;
- Making or posting sexually demeaning or offensive pictures, cartoons or other materials in the workplace;
- Epithets, slurs, or negative stereotyping; and
- Written materials in the workplace showing hostility toward an employee because of the employee’s sex, age, race, color, national origin, religion, veteran status, citizenship, disability, protected genetic information, or union affiliation are also prohibited.
All complaints regarding harassment must be immediately communicated to the Assessor or Chief Deputy Assessor. Each employee has not only a right, but a duty, to report conduct which he or she believes may constitute harassment. WBRPAO will not condone or authorize any kind of retaliation against an employee who has made a good faith report of conduct which he or she believes may constitute harassment in violation of this policy. WBRPAO will thoroughly investigate any allegations of harassment and maintain confidentiality to the extent consistent with a thorough investigation. Any employee at any level found to have engaged in the harassment of another in violation of this policy will be subject to appropriate disciplinary action, up to and including termination of employment.