PURPOSE

It is public policy in Canada to recognize the dignity and worth of every person and to provide for equal rights and opportunities without discrimination.

SearchCo is committed to building and preserving a safe, productive, and healthy working environment for its employees based on mutual respect. In pursuit of this goal, SearchCo does not condone and will not tolerate acts of harassment against or by any SearchCo employee.

Every employee has a right to freedom from:

1. Harassment in the workplace by the employer or agent of the employer or by another employee because of age, ancestry, citizenship, colour, creed, disability, ethnic origin, family status, marital status, place of origin, race, record of offences for which a pardon has been granted and not revoked, sex or sexual orientation;
2. A sexual solicitation or advance made by a person in a position to confer, grant or deny a benefit or advancement to the person where the person making the solicitation or advance knows or ought reasonably to know that it is unwelcome;
3. A reprisal or a threat of reprisal for the rejection of a sexual solicitation or advance where the reprisal is made or threatened by a person in a position to confer, grant or deny a benefit or advancement to the person. It is also a violation of SearchCo’s Anti-Harassment Policy for anyone to knowingly make a false complaint of harassment or to provide false information about a complaint. Individuals who violate this policy are subject to disciplinary and/or corrective action, up to and including termination of employment.

Our workplace harassment policy is not meant to stop free speech or to interfere with everyday interactions. However, what one person finds offensive, others may not. Generally, harassment is considered to have taken place if the person knows, or should know, that the behaviour is unwelcome.

Harassment is often defined as ”engaging in a course of vexatious comment or conduct that is known or ought reasonably to be known to be unwelcome.” (Vexatious means that it provokes, irritates, threatens, annoys, insults, demeans, or results in some other form of discomfort)

Sexual or racial harassment can be defined as any behaviour, in the form of words, gestures, or actions, generally repeated, that has undesired sexual or racial connotations that has a negative impact on a person’s dignity or physical or psychological integrity, or that results in the person being subjected to unfavourable working conditions. (Connotations means significance)

Usually, harassment can be distinguished from normal, mutually acceptable socializing. It is the perception of the receiver of the potentially offensive message be it spoken, a gesture, a picture or some other form of communication which may be deemed objectionable or unwelcome that determines whether something is acceptable or not.

Harassment is offensive, insulting, intimidating, and hurtful. It creates an uncomfortable work environment and has no place in employee relationships.

APPLICATION OF THIS POLICY

This policy applies to all individuals working for SearchCo including front line employees, temporary employees, contract service providers, contractors, all supervisory personnel, managers, officers, or directors. SearchCo will not tolerate personal harassment whether engaged in by fellow employees, managers, officers, directors, visitors or contract service providers of SearchCo. SearchCo will not tolerate any form of harassment or discrimination against job candidates or employees on any grounds mentioned above, whether during the hiring process or during employment. This commitment applies to such areas as training, performance, assessment, promotions, transfers, layoffs, remuneration, and all other employment practices and working conditions.

All SearchCo employees are personally accountable and responsible for complying with this policy and must make every effort to prevent discrimination or harassing behaviour and to intervene appropriately if they observe a problem or if a problem is reported to them.

WORKPLACE ANTI-VIOLENCE POLICY

PURPOSE

SearchCo is committed to building and preserving a safe working environment for its employees. In pursuit of this goal, SearchCo does not condone and will not tolerate acts of violence against or by any SearchCo employee. SearchCo will take every reasonable precaution and implement measures to prevent violence and protect all employees from potentially violent situations. As such, this policy prohibits physical or verbal threats — with or without the use of weapons- intimidation, or violence in the workplace to minimize risk of injury or harm resulting from violence to SearchCo employees.

Specifically, if the company is aware that domestic violence is likely to expose an employee to a workplace physical injury, every reasonable precaution will be implemented to protect the individual. It is also a violation of SearchCo policy for anyone to knowingly made a false complaint of violence, or to provide false information about a complaint. Individuals who violate this policy are subject to disciplinary and/or corrective action, up to and including termination of employment.

SearchCo strictly prohibits violence in the workplace. We are committed to providing a safe and healthy work environment free from violence, threats of violence, harassment, intimidation and disruptive behaviour for all our employees. Weapons are strictly prohibited from all company property; violators are subject to discipline and may be reported directly to the police. SearchCo firmly believes that by working together with our employees, the risk of workplace violence can be minimized.

APPLICATION OF THIS POLICY

This policy applies to all those working for the company including front line employees, contract service providers, managers, officers or directors. The organization will not tolerate violence whether engaged in by fellow employees, managers, officers, directors, or contract service providers of the organization.

All SearchCo employees are personally accountable and responsible for enforcing this policy and must make every effort to prevent and eliminate violence in the work environment and to intervene immediately by advising a member of management if they observe a problem or if a problem is reported to them.

This policy prohibits reprisals against individuals, acting in good faith, who report incidents of workplace violence or act as witnesses. Management will take all reasonable and practical measures to prevent reprisals, threats of reprisals, or further violence. (Reprisal is defined as any act of retaliation, either direct or indirect.)

DISCIPLINARY MEASURES

• If it is determined by the company that any employee has been involved in a violent behaviour or unacceptable conduct related to another employee, immediate disciplinary action will be taken. Such disciplinary action may involve counselling, a formal warning and could result in immediate dismissal without further notice.
• This Anti-Violence policy must never be used to bring fraudulent or malicious complaints against employees. It is important to realize that unfounded/frivolous allegations may cause both the accused person and the company significant damage. If it is determined by the company that the employee has knowingly made false statements regarding an allegation related to violence, immediate disciplinary action will be taken. As with any case of dishonesty, disciplinary action may include immediate dismissal without further notice.

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