Page Title

PALS
Rescue, Inc.

PIKE ANIMAL LEAGUE, SHELTER, & RESCUE

                                 PALS Rescue
NON-DISCRIMINATION AND ANTI-HARASSMENT POLICY

SEXUAL AND DISCRIMINATORY HARASSMENT
PALS Rescue is committed to maintaining a fair and respectful environment
for volunteers and staff to work. To that end, and in accordance with federal
and state law, Board of Directors policy prohibits any member of the staff,
administration, volunteer, or visitors, whether they be guests, patrons,
independent contractors, or clients, from harassing and/or discriminating
against any other member of PALS Rescue community because of that
person’s race, sex (including sexual harassment), sexual orientation, ethnic
or national origin, religion, age, disabled status, or status as a disabled
veteran. Incidents of harassment and discrimination will be met with
appropriate disciplinary action, up to and including dismissal from PALS
Rescue.

NON-DISCRIMINATION AND EQUAL OPPORTUNITY
Consistent with federal and state law and PALS Rescue policy, the league
restates its commitment to the concepts of affirmative action and equal
opportunity.
Neither employment, volunteer services, programs, and activities should be
hindered by such prohibited bias factors as race, color, religion, national
origin, sex, sexual orientation, age, veteran status, or disability. Prohibited
bias factors will not be permitted to have an adverse influence upon
decisions regarding employees, applicants for employment, contractors,
volunteers or participants in and/or users of institutional programs, services,
and activities. PALS Rescue will continue in its efforts to maintain an
environment free of such bias and restates its policy prohibiting the
interference of such bias factors in its processes.
Every member of the PALS Rescue community is expected to uphold this
policy as a matter of mutual respect and fundamental fairness in human
relations. Every person of this league has a responsibility to conduct
himself/herself in accordance with this policy as a condition of involvement.
Further, every employee has an obligation to observe policies in
implementation of federal and state law as a term of employment. In
addition, one aspect of performance appraisal for our personnel at all levels
of supervision and administration will include the qualitative evaluation of
their leadership in implementing this non-discrimination policy and in
seeking resolution of problems in this area at the point nearest their origin.

Merit and productivity, free from prohibited bias, will continue to guide
decisions relating to employment and enrollment. No person will be
penalized for good faith utilization of channels available for resolving
concerns dealing with prohibited bias. Within any limits imposed by
concurrent jurisdiction of Pals Rescue no internal procedure or process for
resolution of such concerns will be used for the purpose of abridging the
access of any member of this community to the courts or to compliance
agencies.
DEFINITIONS
SEXUAL HARASSMENT
Pursuant to Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and Title IX of the
Educational Amendments of 1972, "sexual harassment" is defined as:
Unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, and other verbal or
physical conduct of a sexual nature, when:
1.        Submission to such conduct is made either implicitly or explicitly a
term or condition of an individual's employment or status in a course,
program or activity;
2.        Submission or rejection of such conduct by an individual is used as
the basis for employment or volunteer decisions affecting such individual; or
3.        Such conduct has the purpose or effect of interfering with the
individual's work or educational performance; of creating an intimidating,
hostile, or offensive working and/or volunteer environment; or of interfering
with one's ability to participate in or benefit from a program or activity.
Examples of sexual harassment may include, but are not limited to the
following:
1.        Physical Assault.
2.        Direct or implied threats that submission to sexual advances will be a
condition of employment, work status, compensation, promotion, grades, or
letters of recommendation.
3.        Sexual advances, physical or implied, or direct propositions of a
sexual nature. This activity may include inappropriate/unnecessary touching
or rubbing against another, sexually suggestive or degrading jokes or
comments, remarks of a sexual nature about one's clothing and/or body,
preferential treatment in exchange for sexual activity, and the inappropriate
display of sexually explicit pictures, text, printed materials, or objects that do
not serve an academic purpose.
4.        A pattern of conduct, which can be subtle in nature that has sexual
overtones and is intended to create or has the effect of creating discomfort
and/or that, humiliates another.
5.        Remarks speculating about a person's sexual activities or sexual
history, or remarks about one's own sexual activities or sexual history that do
not serve a medical or academic purpose.
Sexual harassment can occur regardless of the relationship, position or
respective sex of the parties. Same sex harassment violates this policy as
does harassment by a member or a subordinate employee of his/her
supervisor.

DISCRIMINATORY HARASSMENT

At PALS Rescue, discriminatory harassment is defined as:
Unwelcome verbal or physical conduct which is directed at a person
because of their race, color, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation,
age, veteran status, or disability, when:
1.        Such conduct has the purpose or effect of unreasonably interfering
with the individual’s work or performance;
2.        Such conduct creates or has the intention of creating an intimidating,
hostile, or offensive working environment; or
3.        Such conduct unreasonably interferes with one’s ability to participate
in or benefit from a program or activity.
SCOPE
APPLICABILITY
PALS Rescue’s Non-Discrimination and Anti-Harassment Policy applies to
all staff, administration, the volunteers, and visitors. This includes guests,
patrons, independent contractors, or clients of PALS Rescue.
PALS Rescue’s visitors, guests, patrons, independent contractors or clients
who fail to address discrimination and/or harassment of which they know or
should have known (by their personnel on premises under their control)
volunteers or employees may be subjected to whatever sanctions the
relationship with the organization permits.
This policy is not meant to address differences in opinion regarding validity
of employment determinations such as salary recommendations, promotion
and tenure decisions, performance evaluations, hiring decisions, job
classification decisions, transfers or reassignments, termination or layoff
because of lack of work or elimination of a position, and normal supervisory
counseling. Furthermore, this policy does not intend to address behaviors
that do not constitute discriminatory harassment. Offensive workplace
behavior that does not violate this policy should be addressed to the
appropriate supervisor.
RESPONSIBILITY OF VOLUNTEERS AND EMPLOYEES
All Volunteers and employees should report any discrimination and/or
harassment that they experience and/or observe. No volunteer or employee
should assume that an official of PALS Rescue knows about his or her
particular situation. We encourage any person who feels he or she has
been discriminated against or harassed to report the incident.
INVESTIGATION AND RESOLUTION
Pals Rescue complaint process, outlined herein, is the procedure used to
end inappropriate behavior; to investigate the factual situation; and to
facilitate resolution of complaints involving allegations of discrimination.
PALS Rescue reserves the right to investigate and resolve a complaint or
report of discrimination and/or harassment regardless of whether the
complainant pursues the complaint. In such cases, the respondent shall be
informed of the status of the investigation at reasonable times until final
disposition of the complaint and will be given an opportunity to respond to
the substance of the complaint.
These procedures do not replace the right of complainant to pursue other
options or remedies available under the law.
PROCEDURES
If a complainant is able and feels safe, he or she should clearly explain to
the alleged offender that the behavior is objectionable and request that it
cease. If the complainant is not able or does not feel safe confronting the
alleged offender, or the behavior does not stop, or if the complainant
believes some adverse employment consequences may result from the
discussion, he or she should go to the a higher level of supervision to
document the complaint. The supervisor must report the complaint to PALS
Rescue Board of Directors. When deemed appropriate, the Board will work
with the supervisor to facilitate a resolution of discrimination and/or
harassment complaints at any level.
Effective: July 13, 2006
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