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FOCUS CAMERA CLUB DISCRIMINATION AND HARASSMENT POLICY

Purpose

It is Club policy that each member will treat everyone with whom they come into contact with by conducting themselves with dignity and respect while engaged in club activities.  Respect for the individual is the foundation for co-operation and understanding.

The Club also recognizes that everyone has the right to participate in an environment that is free from harassment, bullying and discrimination. Harassment whether by a fellow club member, member of the executive or committee heads, or any partner or guests will not be tolerated.

The Focus Camera Club recognizes the importance of dealing with harassment issues promptly so that they do not lead to incidents of violence or threats of violence.

Definitions

“Discrimination” or “Harassment based on Prohibited Grounds” is:

1.  Any action, inaction or behavior which negatively affects the status of a member or anyone with whom we come into contact with at The Focus Camera Club or during events organized by the club.

2.  Treating anyone unequally, on the basis of any prohibited ground under federal or provincial human rights legislation, such as gender, race, color, creed, language, religion, national or ethnic origin, age, disability, family or marital status, political conviction, receipt of public assistance or sexual orientation.

3.  This definition also includes harassment of a sexual nature and is prohibited if the impact of such conduct substantially interferes with the affected individual’s environment or creates an intimidating, hostile, or offensive environment.

4.  “Personal Harassment” is another type of harassment. It is defined as any vexatious behavior in the form of repeated and hostile or unwanted conduct, verbal comments, displays, actions or gestures that adversely affect a member’s dignity, psychological or physical wellbeing, and that result in a harmful environment for the member. It can involve repeated conduct or a single serious incidence of such behavior that has a lasting harmful effect on the member.

Some examples of prohibited personal harassment include (but are not limited to) the following:

  • Communicating or displaying racist or offensive slurs, jokes, cartoons or email messages and quotes.

  • Making someone feel uncomfortable because of a physical characteristic.

  • Participating in practical jokes which cause awkwardness, insult or embarrassment.

  • Engaging in verbal or written behavior that is abusive, bullying, threatening or intimidating.

  • Making rude, insulting, degrading or offensive remarks or gestures.

  • Preventing a person from expressing themselves, yelling, threatening, constantly interrupting, prohibiting the person from speaking to others.

  • Isolating the person, no longer talking to the person at all, denying their presence, distancing them from others.

  • Unjustifiable interference with another’s work or work sabotage.

  • Discrediting the person, spreading rumors and malicious gossip, ridiculing, humiliating, calling into question their convictions or private life, shouting abuse.

  • Making gestures that seek to intimidate.

  • Engaging in threats or reprisals or implied threats or reprisals.

  • Interference with or vandalizing personal property.

The Focus Camera Club will not tolerate discrimination, harassment or bullying within the club activities or functions.  Any club member that experiences discrimination, harassment or bullying must report the activity to the President or to any executive member of the Focus Camera Club.  All complaints shall be taken seriously resulting in possible dismissal at the Executive’s discretion.  Club members who submit a report or complaint of discrimination, harassment or bullying shall not be subject to and from reprisal or retaliation as a result of the complaint.

Each club member has a shared duty to ensure a club environment free from discrimination, harassment and/or bullying.

 

Oct 1, 2012

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