Human Resources

Equal Employment Opportunity

PSC EEO Diversity Guidelines and Directives

Sexual Harassment Policy Statement

September 29, 2004

MEMORANDUM TO ALL EMPLOYEES

SUBJECT: Sexual Harassment Policy Statement

The Program Support Center (PSC) is committed to maintaining a high standard of conduct in the work place and providing a work environment free from sexually harassing activity.

Sexual harassment is a form of sex discrimination prohibited by Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, as amended. It involves unwanted and unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, and other verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature when:

• They are made explicitly or implicitly a condition of an individual's employment;
  
• Employment decisions (promotions, work assignments, etc.) are based on whether the victim submits to or rejects these sexual advances; or
  
• They unreasonably interfere with an individual's work performance or create an intimidating, hostile, or offensive work environment.

Each PSC employee bears the legal and ethical responsibility to refrain from such unacceptable conduct in the work place. Managers and supervisors bear the additional responsibility for taking immediate and effective action to enforce this policy when they become aware of or should have been aware of sexually harassing activity.

Depending on the severity of the circumstances, effective action may entail removing the harasser from the work environment and imposing some form of discipline ranging from a written reprimand to removal from the Federal service. Disciplinary action may also be taken against a manager/supervisor who fails to take immediate and effective action to end the sexually harassing activity.

Any employee who believes he or she has been subjected to sexual harassment should immediately report this to a supervisor or manager for corrective action. If the supervisor/manager does not take immediate action to stop the harassing activity, the employee may then bring the matter to the attention of the Office of Equal Employment Opportunity, Human Resources Service.

This policy also applies to incidents of sexual harassment committed at any PSC facility by employees of private contractors against PSC employees and anywhere by PSC employees against employees of private contractors. Victims of such harassment must immediately report these incidents to their immediate supervisor/manager or someone above in their supervisory chain who must take immediate and corrective action to stop the harassment. The employee/victim may at any time after reporting the harassing incident (s), seek counseling with an EEO Counselor in order to file a complaint of discrimination with the Office of Equal Employment Opportunity.

Any comments or questions related to this policy should be addressed to the Director, Office of Equal Employment Opportunity, (301) 443-1144.

/s/
J. Philip VanLandingham
Deputy Assistant Secretary for Program Support