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<br />
<br />City of Little Canada Personnel Policy
<br /> SECTION 28 - HARASSMENT POLICY
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<br />The City is committed to providing a work environment that is free of discrimination. In keeping with
<br />this commitment, the City maintains a strict policy prohibiting unlawful harassment, including sexual
<br />harassment. This policy prohibits harassment in any form, including verbal and physical harassment.
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<br />Discriminatory behavior includes inappropriate remarks about, or conduct related to a person’s legally
<br />protected characteristic such as race (inclusive of traits associated with race, including hair texture and
<br />hair styles such as braids, locs, and twists), color, creed, religion, national origin, ethnicity, disability,
<br />sex (including pregnancy or childbirth and related disabilities), gender, pregnancy, marital status, age,
<br />sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression, familial status, marital status, genetic
<br />information, membership or activity in a city or county agency that addresses discrimination based on
<br />protected characteristics under the Minnesota Human Right Act, or status with regard to public
<br />assistance.
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<br />Harassing conduct could include epithets, slurs or negative stereotyping; threatening, intimidating or
<br />hostile acts; denigrating jokes; and written or graphic material that denigrates or shows hostility or
<br />aversion toward a protected class that is placed on walls or elsewhere on the employer’s premises or
<br />circulated in the workplace, on City time or using City equipment by e-mail, phone (including voice
<br />messages), text messages, social networking sites or other means.
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<br />Sexual Harassment
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<br />The City prohibits harassment of any employee by any supervisor, employee, member of the public, or
<br />vendor based on sex or gender. The purpose of this policy is to ensure that all employees at the City
<br />are free from sexual harassment. Although it can be challenging to define precisely what constitutes
<br />sexual harassment, examples of prohibited behavior include:
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<br /> Unwelcome sexual advances
<br /> Requests for sexual favors
<br /> Obscene gestures
<br /> Displaying sexually graphic materials such as magazines, calendars, or posters
<br /> Sending sexually explicit emails, text messages, or other communications
<br /> Verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature, such as uninvited touching or sexually related
<br />comments
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<br />For the purposes of this policy, "sexual harassment" is defined as per the Equal Employment
<br />Opportunity Commission Guidelines. It includes unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual
<br />favors, and other verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature when:
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<br />a) Submission to such conduct is made either explicitly or implicitly a term or condition of an
<br />individual’s employment. b) Submission to or rejection of such conduct by an individual is used as the
<br />basis for employment decisions affecting that individual. c) Such conduct has the purpose or effect of
<br />unreasonably interfering with an individual’s work performance or creating an intimidating, hostile, or
<br />offensive working environment.
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<br />Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 recognizes two types of sexual harassment: quid pro quo and
<br />hostile work environment. Sexual harassment can include a range of subtle and overt behaviors and
<br />may involve individuals of the same or different genders. Depending on the circumstances, these
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