Workplace Harassment Prevention Policy

The Library seeks to provide a safe, secure, and welcoming environment for patrons and staff. Patrons and staff are expected to follow the Code of Conduct while on Library property. It is the Library’s goal to provide a work environment that promotes mutual respect. Harassment of any kind erodes mutual respect and thus damages the workplace and negatively affects morale, motivation, and job performance.

This policy affirms the Library’s commitment to the elimination of harassment which limits human potential, or impedes communication, understanding, or access to information. The Library complies with state and federal law.

The Library cannot address harassment unless it knows about it. It is the responsibility of all staff members to:

• Not engage in behavior that constitutes unlawful harassment.
• Fully cooperate in carrying out this policy.
• Communicate any concerns regarding harassment or retaliation to a supervisor.

This policy applies to all employees and covered individuals, such as contractors, subcontractors, vendors, consultants, or anyone providing services in the workplace, and all must follow and uphold this policy.

The Library is committed to maintaining a workplace free from harassment. The Library prohibits any form of workplace or sexual harassment that affects tangible job benefits, that interferes unreasonably with an individual’s work performance, or that creates an intimidating, hostile, or offensive work environment.

All employees are expected to act in a professional manner that acknowledges and respects diversity and maintains a harassment-free work environment. They should exercise good judgment and avoid engaging in conduct that could be reasonably perceived as harassment.

Examples of harassment include, but are not limited to:

• making repeated sexual comments or innuendoes, racial or sexual epithets, derogatory slurs, off-color jokes, propositions, threats, or suggestive or insulting sounds
• displaying derogatory posters, cartoons, drawings or emails; suggestive objects or pictures; making graphic commentaries; leering; or making obscene gestures
• making unwanted physical contact including touching, interfering with an individual’s normal work movement or assault
• making or threatening reprisals as a result of a negative response to other conduct
• engaging in a pattern of repeated and unwanted attention, contact, or any other course of conduct directed at a specific person that would cause a reasonable person to feel fear

This list is illustrative only, and not exhaustive. The Library’s Sexual Harassment and Discrimination Prevention Policy has further information on what constitutes sexual harassment.

Any employee who believes that they have experienced harassment should report it to their supervisor or the Director. The Library encourages employees to use this policy without worrying about whether the conduct involved is considered harassment in a legal sense. Any manager who receives such a complaint should report it to the Director immediately. Upon receipt of a complaint, the Library will investigate and take appropriate corrective action as may be warranted, up to and including termination. The Library prohibits retaliation or adverse action against employees because of their good faith report of harassment or participation in an investigation regarding the same.

PDF of policy includes fillable form 

Approved by the Tompkins County Public Library Board of Trustees 08/27/2024.