Harassment - Hostile Work Environment

1. Fire Department Harassment - Hostile Work Environment Disclaimer:  The content in this slide show has not been reviewed by the Department of Labor and Industries for accuracy and has been provided as “sample” curriculum only.   Each Authority Having Jurisdiction must design, take authority of, and responsibility for, the actual training done by the Department.  Local SOPs/SOGs, State regulations, and Federal laws may impact the material suggested.   The Department of Labor and Industries and Washington State Fire Chiefs Association takes no responsibility for the outcomes or use of these training samples.

2. Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 STANDARDS

3. Our Department SOP for Harassment is: SOPs

4. Ruins reputation of our Department Impacts Department Morale Subjects you personally to law suit Destroys teamwork WHY WE CARE

5. LEARNING OBJECTIVES • What is harassment? • Who is responsible? • How does a firefighter deal with harassment? • Understand the Harassment Policy of our department.

6. Harassment can be defined as any improper conduct by an individual, or towards an individual, which is unwelcome, offensive, demeaning, derogatory, is otherwise inappropriate or fails to respect the dignity of an individual. DEFINITIONS

7. Harassment is not just about sex and gender. It can also involve various cultural differences, race, religion, age, disabilities and other protected classes. Harassment can occur in any workforce, in any job situation, and any form of employee discrimination that falls within these categories is illegal. DEFINITIONS

8. Harassment takes many forms. Harassment is a form of unlawful discrimination. It includes all types of physical or verbal conduct which shows hostility toward a person because of that person's sex (including same sex harassment), race, color, religion, national origin, age, disability, or any other legally protected class. DEFINITIONS

9. FORMS OF HARASSMENT Examples of Physical Harassment include: • Unwelcome physical contact • Invading one's physical space • Damaging one's personal property • Offensive gestures • Any other offensive or demeaning act directed at someone because of his/her sex, race, color, religion, national origin, age, disability, or other legally protected characteristic.

10. FORMS OF HARASSMENT Examples of Verbal/Visual Harassment include: • Unwelcome comments • Name-calling. • Jokes • Epithets • Threats • Insults • Negative stereotyping • Possession or display of derogatory pictures or other graphic materials; and • Any other words or conduct that demean, stigmatize, intimidate, or single out a person because of his/her sex, race, color, religion, national origin, age, disability, or other legally protected characteristic

11. FORMS OF HARASSMENT Types of bullying includes: Threat to professional status: belittling opinions, public professional humiliation, accusations, intimidating use of discipline Threat to personal standing: undermining personal integrity, district to being you and doing sarcasm, inappropriate jokes, persistent teasing, name-calling, insults, intimidation Isolation: preventing access to opportunities, physical or social isolation, withholding necessary information, ignoring or excluding Overwork: impossible deadlines, undue pressure, and unnecessary distractions Destabilization: failure to at knowledge good work, meaningless tasks, removal of responsibility, setting target up to fail.

12. FORMS OF HARASSMENT • EXAMPLES OF SEXUAL HARASSMENT INCLUDE, BUT NOT LIMITED TO: • Sexual jokes/comments/gestures • Unwelcome staring at body parts • Using sexually degrading words to describe someone • Nude or suggestive, sexually-oriented pictures/graffiti • Gender based negative treatment

13. FORMS OF HARASSMENT • SEXUAL HARASSMENT ALSO MAY INCLUDE: • Demeaning comments about a woman’s pregnancy, or menstrual cycle/PMS, or female or male sexual organs • Unwelcome intimate questions about an employee’s private life • Unwanted touching; putting arm around waist or hips • Unwanted calls, messages, e-mails • Unwanted sexual compliments • Talking about someone and building a poisonous atmosphere based on their sex or sexual orientation

14. RESPONSIBILITY • Management ultimately responsible • All who supervise responsible • Power matters - creates an imbalance • Focus on impact, not intention • What you “know or ought reasonably to know” • Not enough to just to outline the policy (enforce it)

15. Consider your behavior Don’t take part in other’s inappropriate behavior Call others on inappropriate behavior Zero tolerance on harassment Let firefighters talk to you about issues or concerns confidentially OFFICER ROLE MODEL

16. All employees have a responsibility to understand the value and benefits of diversity and work in a way which demonstrates a commitment to diversity. Everyone has the responsibility to respect the dignity of others. We must all ensure that: • Our own behavior does not constitute harassment in any of its forms • We do not condone the unacceptable behavior of others • When we see unacceptable behavior taking place, we take action to stop it and inform the appropriate managers It is every employee's responsibility to understand and abide by the company's no harassment policy. It is also every employee's responsibility to inform the company about all incidents of harassment. The company cannot do anything to fix the situation if it does not know it exists. YOUR RESPONSIBILITY

17. • institute formal policies declaring intolerance of interpersonal mistreatment; • communicate repeatedly and publicly the organization’s commitment to eliminating workplace hostility; • careful selection and training strategies to promote a more hospitable work environment; • pre-employment screening and reference checks regarding problems with interpersonal behavior and relationships; STEPS TO TAKE

18. • training to enhance interpersonal skills and sensitivity to coworkers; • encourage employees to report hostile workplace interactions—whether experienced or observed—and have systems in place to handle such reports swiftly, thoroughly, and fairly; • have accessible and trustworthy reporting mechanisms in place; • protections against retaliation for employees who report hostile work behavior;’ • counseling and support programs for employees who experience or witness hostile behavior in the workplace STEPS TO TAKE

19. IF YOU ARE HARASSED • Follow Department SOP • Inform your Chief

20. RESOURCES AND CREDITS Vancouver Fire & Rescue Services, Vancouver BC Snohomish County Fire Chiefs Association