2000-38RESOLUTION NO. 2000 - 38
WHEREAS, on June 18, 1984 the Buffalo Grove Board of Trustees adopted personnel
policies and procedures by Resolution No. 84 -43 and amended same in 1988, 1990, 1993, 1996,
and 1998; and,
WHEREAS, in order to reflect current trends in personnel administration, occasional
amendments to the Personnel Rules are necessary; and,
WHEREAS, attached hereto as Exhibit A is the Village's Sexual Harassment and Anti-
Harassment Policy.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE PRESIDENT AND BOARD OF
TRUSTEES of the Village of Buffalo Grove, Cook and Lake Counties, Illinois that the changes
to the Personnel Rules that are contained in Exhibit A attached hereto are adopted by the Village
of Buffalo Grove amending the personnel policies and procedures adopted by Resolution No. 84-
43; and,
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the amendments hereto referenced shall be in full
force upon their passage and approval and,
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that all Village employees and all Village elected and
appointed officials are required to review and sign a copy of the Village of Buffalo Grove Sexual
Harassment and Anti- Harassment Policy as set forth in Exhibit A.
AYES: 4 - Marienthal, Braiman, Glover, Berman
NAYES: 0 - None ABSENT: n - Nnnt,
PASSED: June 19 2000 APPROVED: .tint, 199 9000
... •
ELLIOTT HARTSTEIN, Village President
ATTEST:
Village .lerk,,
Exhibit A
VILLAGE OF BUFFALO GROVE
SEXUAL HARASSMENT AND ANTI- HARASSMENT POLICY
The Village of Buffalo Grove is committed to providing its employees, vendors and
visitors with a productive environment which is free of intimidation and harassment,
whether based on race, color, gender, marital or parental status, age, religion, disability,
national origin, ancestry or sexual orientation. Harassment is a violation of federal, state
and local laws. The Village will not tolerate harassment of any kind in the workplace.
To ensure that no employee, vendor or visitor is subjected to such harassment, the Village
strictly prohibits any offensive or unwelcome, physical, written, or spoken conduct
regarding any person's race, color, gender, marital or parental status, age, religion,
disability, national origin, ancestry, or sexual orientation. It is the policy of the Village
that all employees avoid offensive or inappropriate behavior at work, including behavior
among employees and between employees and visitors. All employees must continue to
act responsibly to help maintain a comfortable working environment free from
harassment and intimidation. Any Village employee who violates this policy will be
subject to disciplinary action, including termination.
Sexual Harassment means any unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors
and other verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature when:
a. Submission to such conduct is made either explicitly or implicitly a term or
condition of an individual's employment or receipt of Village services; or
b. Submission to or rejection of such conduct by an individual is used as the
basis of any employment or service decision affecting the individual; or
Such conduct has the purpose or effect of substantially interfering with the
work performance of an employee or creating an intimidating, hostile or
offensive environment for employees, vendors or visitors.
No Village manager, director, supervisor, or other employee has the authority to engage
in such conduct or to alter another employee's terms or conditions of employment based
on the employee's refusal to submit to such conduct. The Village strictly prohibits its
managers, directors, supervisors and other employees from implying or suggesting that an
applicant or employee's submission to or refusal to submit to sexual advances or
participation in such sexual conduct is a condition of continued employment or receipt of
any job benefit (including job assignment, compensation advancement, career
development, or any other term or condition of employment).
Examples of Sexual Harassment Include:
a. Pressure for sexual activity (subtle or overt);
b. Unwelcome touching or intimacy, including pinching, patting or hugging;
Insulting, degrading or obscene sexual remarks, innuendoes, jokes or
conduct;
d. Posting or display of sexually offensive or degrading materials in the
workplace such as pictures or cartoons;
e. Epithets, slurs, derogatory remarks or negative stereotyping based on
gender;
f. Comments about sex life or body parts; and
g. Repeatedly asking out for a date someone who has refused.
Factors that Establish Hostile Work Environment include Sexual Conduct which is:
a. Frequent and severe; or
b. Physically threatening or humiliating; or
C. Interferes with job performance; or
d. Discourages employee(s) from remaining on the job, or keeps employee(s)
from advancing in their career.
Furthermore, the following behaviors, if based on race, color, gender, marital status, age,
religion, disability, national origin, ancestry or sexual orientation, are improper and
against the policies of the Village:
a. Use of epithets, slurs, derogatory remarks, negative stereotyping, or other
threatening, intimidating or hostile acts that relate to such status; or
b. Posting, displaying or circulating written or graphic material that
denigrates or shows hostility or aversion to an individual because of such
status.
All employees are encouraged to raise questions that they may have regarding these
issues with his or her Department Director, the Director of Human Resources or the
Assistant Village Manager(s). Any Village employee who feels he or she has been the
victim of any type of harassment from anyone, including supervisors, staff, co- workers,
or in some cases non - employees such as vendors or visitors, should report the matter
immediately to his or her Department Director, the Director of Human Resources, or the
Assistant Village Manager(s). Likewise, any employee who believes he or she is being
discriminated against because other employees are receiving favored treatment in
exchange for sexual favors, should bring this to the attention of his or her Department
Director, the Director of Human Resources or the Assistant Village Manager(s). This is
the proper and required course. The very nature of harassment and discrimination make it
virtually impossible to detect unless the employee being harassed registers a complaint
with an appropriate Village representative.
All complaints of harassment are serious. Thorough and appropriate investigations of
complaints will be conducted promptly. Appropriate measures will be taken to keep the
complaint as confidential as possible. There will be no retaliation or reprisals of any kind
against any person for having made a good faith inquiry, complaint or report of sexual
harassment or discrimination, or for participating in an investigation of sexual harassment
or discrimination.
If You Believe You Are a Victim of Harassment:
a. Tell the harasser to stop, that his or her conduct is unwelcome and that you
will not tolerate the behavior;
b. REPORT the incident or situation to your Department Director, Director
of Human Resources or Assistant Village Manager(s);
C. If your Department Director is the harasser, report the behavior to the
Director of Human Resources or the Assistant Village Manager(s);
d. Regardless of who receives the initial report, the matter will be promptly
addressed and handled as appropriate.
Village Procedure for Reporting Harassment:
1) An employee who believes he or she has been the subject of any form of
harassment or discrimination should immediately make a complaint to his or her
Department Director, Director of Human Resources or Assistant Village
Manager(s).
2) The Department Director or Assistant Village Manager(s) will document any
reported incident and promptly forward the complaint to the Director of Human
Resources. The Director of Human Resources will notify the Village Manager that
a complaint has been made.
3) A prompt and thorough investigation of all allegations will be conducted and all
persons will be treated respectfully. The investigation will be coordinated by the
Director of Human Resources.
a. The complaining employee, the alleged wrongdoer and any witnesses, as
appropriate will be interviewed as part of the investigation;
b. A record of the complaint and findings will be prepared and become part
of the complaint investigation file;
C. The complaint investigation file will be maintained separately from any
employee's personnel file;
d. Registering a complaint will in no way be used against an employee, nor
will it have any adverse impact on the complaining individual's
employment.
4) The Village Manager, the Assistant Village Manager(s), the Department Director
and the Director of Human Resources will review the results of the investigation,
unless one of them happens to be the alleged harasser. Any Village employee who
is found after appropriate investigation to have violated this policy will be subject
to corrective action, including disciplinary action, up to and including termination.
Disciplinary actions can range from issuance of a documented warning up to and
including termination of employment, depending on the evidence uncovered in
the investigation and the nature and severity of the offense. A written record of
each action taken pursuant to this policy will be maintained separately from any
employee's personnel file. The record will reflect the conduct or alleged conduct
and the disciplinary measure(s), if any, imposed. The complaining employee and
alleged wrongdoer will receive written notification regarding the outcome of the
investigation upon its completion.
An effective sexual harassment and anti - harassment policy requires the support and
example of Village personnel in positions of authority. Employees, officials or agents of
the Village who engage in harassment or retaliation or who fail to cooperate with a
Village sponsored investigation of harassment or retaliation will be subject to disciplinary
measures. Likewise, employees, officials or agents of the Village who refuse to
implement remedial measures, obstruct remedial efforts of other Village employees
and/or retaliate against complainants or witnesses will be subject to disciplinary
measures.
All employees and other personnel, including elected and appointed officials, are required
to review and sign a copy of this Village Sexual Harassment and Anti- Harassment Policy
and return a copy to the Director of Human Resources. By signing a copy of this policy,
each person acknowledges its receipt, and his or her agreement to act in accordance with
the guidelines set forth above and as they may from time to time be modified by the
Village.
An employee who believes that he or she has been the subject of harassment or retaliation
for complaining about harassment may also contact the Illinois Department of Human
Rights. For further information, contact the Illinois Department of Human Rights at (312)
814 -6200.
Prepared: June 19, 2000
VILLAGE OF BUFFALO GROVE
SEXUAL HARASSMENT AND ANTI- HARASSMENT POLICY
ACKNOWLEDGMENT FORM
I hereby acknowledge receipt of the Village of Buffalo Grove Sexual Harassment and
Anti- Harassment Policy. I agree and represent that I have read this Policy in its entirety.
I understand and will comply with the Village of Buffalo Grove Sexual Harassment and
Anti- Harassment Policy.
Signature Date
Print Name
Department