Respectful Workplace and Violence Prevention   Email     Print   PDF

Policy Information

• Issue Date: August 3, 2000
• Revision Date: July 5, 2012
• Primary Contact: Director of Human Resources
• Responsible Member of Directorate: President and Director
• Responsible Office: Human Resources

Policy Statement

Reason for Policy

Contents

Overview

Prohibited Conduct
The Institution will not tolerate threats, threatening conduct, or any other acts of aggression or violence in the workplace. This policy covers employees, postdocs, students, guests, and other individuals who have a relationship with the Institution which enables the Institution to exercise some control over their conduct in places and activities that relate to the Institution's business (e.g., Trustees, Corporation members, contractors, vendors, customers, etc.)In addition, this policy applies to all work-related settings and activities, whether inside or outside the workplace, and includes time at sea or in the field, business trips and business-related social events.

This list of behaviors, while not inclusive, provides examples of conduct that is prohibited.

• Causing physical injury to another person;
• Making threatening remarks;
• Behaving in an aggressive or hostile manner that creates a reasonable fear of injury to another person or subjects another individual to emotional distress;
• Intentionally damaging Institution property or property of another employee;
• Possessing (whether or not the individual is licensed) firearms, weapons, and other dangerous or hazardous devices or substances* while on Institution property or while on Institution business (except as expressly authorized on Institution vessels by the Ship Operations Manager);
• Committing acts of harassment including, but not limited to, harassment that is based on an individual's gender, race, color, national origin, age, sexual orientation, religion, disability or any characteristic protected by federal, state or local law.

*Legal, chemical dispensing devices sold commercially for personal protection (i.e. pepper sprays) are not prohibited by this policy provided they are being carried for the express purpose of self-defense and are not being used in an instigative, aggressive or threatening manner.

Responsibilities & Reporting
Individuals are responsible for: 

• refraining from acts of violence or threatening behavior and seeking assistance to resolve personal issues that may lead to acts of violence in the workplace; and
• reporting to the appropriate Institution authority (i.e., immediate supervisor, department head, /EEO Officer/Title IX Coordinator, Security) any dangerous or potentially dangerous or threatening situations that occur at the Institution. No one should attempt to handle a dangerous situation alone.
• In non-immediately threatening situations where individuals may prefer to place an anonymous report in confidence, they are encouraged to use the WHOI Ethics Hotline, hosted by a third party provider, EthicsPoint.

WHOI Hotline: 1-866-868-0920

Website: www.whoi.ethicspoint.com

The information provided through the WHOI Ethics Hotline noted above will be shared with the Institution’s EEO Officer/Title IX Coordinator by EthicsPoint on a completely confidential and anonymous basis.  Unless the individual allows differently, personal contact information will not be shared. Means of communication between individual filing a report and the Institution’s EEO Officer/Title IX Coordinator will facilitated entirely through EthicsPoint.