October 1996

Objective

Citizens for Safe Cycling is committed to providing its employees and volunteers with a harassment-free work environment. To this end, the Board of Directors has adopted the following policy

Definitions

Harassment means any improper behaviour by a person(s) employed by or volunteering with Citizens for Safe Cycling that is directed at and/or directly experienced by any employee or volunteer as offensive and which that person(s) knew or ought reasonably to have known would be unwelcome and unwarranted. It comprises objectionable conduct, comment or display made on either a one-time or continuous basis that demeans, belittles, causes personal humiliation or embarrassment to an employee or volunteer.

Responsibilities

All employees and volunteers, including the Board of Directors, have a responsibility to keep our organization harassment-free.

Procedures

If an employee of or volunteer with Citizens for Safe Cycling feels harassed, an attempt should be made, if possible, to immediately advise the respondent that the conduct is unacceptable and should cease. This can be done verbally or in writing.

If this has no effect, or is not possible, the complainant should speak with a member of the Board of Directors. A written record of dates, times, nature of the behaviour, names of witnesses (if any) and locations should be kept by the complainant.

The member of the Board of Directors will notify the executive committee of the Board, comprised of the President, Vice-President, Secretary and Treasurer, which will meet confidentially to hear the complaint.

The complainant can be accompanied by the person of his or her choice when presenting the complaint to the Board's executive committee.

A member of the executive committee or its designate will approach the subject(s) of the complaint and request a written response to the allegations.

The executive committee will be given the freedom to deal with the complaint in the way it feels best given the circumstances.