United Professionals for Project Management (UP-PMC)

Policy: Anti-Harassment and Non-Discrimination

Date: Dec 2017

POLICY PURPOSE & SCOPE. 3

POLICY INCLUSION.. 3

PREVENTING, REPORTING, AND INVESTIGATING HARASSMENT. 4

ENCOURAGING DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION.. 4

IMPLEMENTATION RESPONSIBILITY OF THIS POLICY. 5

INDIVIDUALS AND CONDUCT COVERED.. 5

GENERAL PRINCIPLES. 5

COMPLAINT AND INVESTIGATION.. 6

Anti-Harassment and Non-Discrimination Policy

POLICY PURPOSE & SCOPE

We at United Professionals for Project Management (UP-PMC) in association with Integrated Professionals Est. aim at continuous improvement in institutions. Adopting and implementing internationally recognized policies is a major pillar in our endeavor for enhancement. Through this policy of Anti-Harassment and Non-Discrimination we commit to making available a workplace free from discrimination and harassment to all our full-time and/or on project bases employees.

We shall work to prevent any discrimination or harassment action in any form as prohibited by local laws and regulations. Among which we shall work to prevent discrimination against or any form of harassment of any employee based on her/his religion, nationality, gender, age, ethnicity, and color. We also encourage people with disabilities to take part in our work.

This policy covers not tolerating discrimination and/or harassment that might be committed by a supervisor, officer, co-worker, it extends to any third-party employee who may be working with us. It aims to detail our commitment to ensure a workplace free of harassment, violence & discrimination and that tries for inclusive diversity.

This Policy shall increase awareness and understanding of all our employees of workplace harassment, violence & discrimination and provide them with a framework to identify, prevent and manage allegations of harassment, violence and discrimination at work.

POLICY INCLUSION

Discrimination: The policy covers all types and forms of discrimination as defined by regulations; this implies providing equality to all our employees. All decisions regarding recruitment, hiring, promotion, compensation, employee development decisions such as training, and all other terms and conditions of employment, will be made without regard to religion, nationality, gender, age, ethnicity, and color or any other prohibited grounds of discrimination under local laws and regulations.
harassment/violence: Harassment consists of inappropriate, un-acceptable verbal, or physical action based on another person’s religion, nationality, gender, age, ethnicity, and color, or any other characteristic protected by law.
Sexual Harassment: by this policy, we prohibit any kind of sexual harassment towards any of our employee or from an employee towards a third- party. This include unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, engaging in annoying comments or conduct against a person, making a sexual solicitation or advance. This type of harassment includes (but not limited to) words, signs, jokes, physical violence which are of a sexual nature, or which are directed at an individual because of that individual’s sex, sharing sexual photos, posting sexual posters, inappropriate touching/Inappropriate sexual gesture, Invading personal space in an unwanted way.
4. All types of annoying harassment: Sexual, Physical /violence, Discriminatory, Psychological is considered a violation of our rules and thus requires action from our management.

PREVENTING, REPORTING, AND INVESTIGATING HARASSMENT

Although our procedure for preventing, reporting and investigating harassment actions depends on:

Type of project under implementation and
Composition of activities involved
Place of intervention
The composition of the involved personnel in activities implementation

United Professionals for Project Management (UP-PMC) procedure involves at least the following actions for preventing harassment:

Awareness: United Professionals for Project Management (UP-PMC) will inform all employees in any project under implementation of the existence of this policy and the consequences of committing any action that is considered harassment
Appoint an officer (female officer) who will be responsible for dealing with female complaints
Assigning a female supervisor for and group of workers who have a majority of female workers
The above applies on the CFW project
Discussing the concerns of any individuals thinking he is a victim of prohibited conduct with his immediate supervisor may help before putting it in writing.
We at United Professionals for Project Management (UP-PMC) encourages you to report any incident as soon after it happens to your direct supervisor as possible, or any other supervisor or manager as available. If you think that your supervisor is involved in the violation in any way you can refer your complaint to the top management. This means that you are not required under this procedure to complain directly to the offending individual..

Reporting any harassment action will be according to the following section of this policy

The following sections also details the procedure United Professionals for Project Management (UP-PMC) adopted for investigating any harassment incidence.

ENCOURAGING DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION

Jordan labor market include workers from different nationality and ethnicity. This diversity made it rich in values of respecting all without regard to any differences. Female labor also emerged in the market and proved to have important role in the economy. Similar to other sectors, the construction witnessed enhancement in inclusion and diversity of workers and employees.

Our experience gained during the past years proved that diversity and inclusion as a principle suits and matches our company and management vision.

Implementing Cash for Work (CFW) project in Jordan requirements also encouraged the diversity in labor force and proves the important role of female and disabled workers in the works.

Our policy in United Professionals for Project Management (UP-PMC) encourages the diversity in the entire universe of work, in the course of, linked with or arising out of work, including but not limited to

Work-related communications, including those enabled by information and communication technologies
Workplace including public and private spaces where they are used as a place of work
Places where the employee is paid, takes a rest break or a meal, or uses sanitary, washing and changing facilities
Work-related assignments, trips, travel, training, events, or social activities
Employer-provided accommodation
Social media

IMPLEMENTATION RESPONSIBILITY OF THIS POLICY

It is the responsibility of the United Professionals for Project Management (UP-PMC) top management to put in place the needed procedure for implementing this policy.

This policy is a dynamic document and shall be updated as necessary to suit any contractual obligation that may arise in lieu of United Professionals for Project Management (UP-PMC) contractual engagement

INDIVIDUALS AND CONDUCT COVERED

This policy applies to all applicants and employees, whether full time, part time or third-party employees or workers.
Conduct prohibited by these policies is unacceptable in the workplace and in any work-related setting outside the workplace, such as during business trips, business meetings and business-related social events.

GENERAL PRINCIPLES

United Professionals for Project Management (UP-PMC) management strongly encourages any employee to come forward with a complaint at the earliest possible point. He should not wait to report harassment until it becomes severe and spread. United Professionals for Project Management (UP-PMC) top management is committed to stopping discrimination and harassment even if the conduct has not risen to the level of a violation of law.
If any employee feels comfortable doing so, he should respond to the discriminatory or harassing conduct in a way that demonstrates that the conduct is unwelcome. However, he is not required to complain directly to the offending individual.
Efforts will be made to investigate and resolve complaints promptly, thoroughly, impartially and in as confidential a manner as is possible, consistent with proper investigation of the complaint.
If a person is accused of discrimination or harassment, he or she shall not play any role in administering or making decisions under this procedure.
If an individual is determined to have engaged in discrimination or harassment, appropriate corrective action will be taken promptly, and appropriate sanctions will be imposed, up to and including termination.
There will be no retaliation or other adverse action taken against any individual who makes a complaint, reports an incident of apparent discrimination or harassment, or provides information in the course of the investigation of such a complaint or report. Any such retaliation also can be the subject of a complaint under this procedure. If retaliation in fact occurred, prompt and appropriate corrective action will be taken and appropriate sanctions imposed, up to and including termination.

COMPLAINT AND INVESTIGATION

Below is our established formal procedure for the handling of discrimination or harassment complaints. This procedure supplement but do not replace or supersede any the other procedures available to employees under the applicable local laws and regulations

Reporting an Incident of Harassment, Discrimination or Retaliation

United Professionals for Project Management (UP-PMC) encourages reporting of all perceived incidents of discrimination, harassment or retaliation, regardless of the offender’s identity or position. Individuals who believe that they have been the victim of such conduct should discuss their concerns with their immediate supervisor, any member of the personnel practices committee, human resources or any ombudsman. See the complaint procedure described below.

In addition, United Professionals for Project Management (UP-PMC) encourages individuals who believe they are being subjected to such conduct to promptly advise the offender that his or her behavior is unwelcome and to request that it be discontinued. Often this action alone will resolve the problem. United Professionals for Project Management (UP-PMC) recognizes, however, that an individual may prefer to pursue the matter through complaint procedures.

Complaint Procedure

We at United Professionals for Project Management (UP-PMC) encourages you to report any incident as soon after it happens to your direct supervisor as possible, or any other supervisor or manager as available. If you think that your supervisor is involved in the violation in any way you can refer your complaint to the top management. This means that you are not required under this procedure to complain directly to the offending individual.

Discussing the concerns of any individuals thinking he is a victim of prohibited conduct with his immediate supervisor may help before putting it in writing.

United Professionals for Project Management (UP-PMC) encourages the prompt reporting of complaints or concerns so that rapid and constructive action can be taken before relationships become irreversible. We believe that early reporting and intervention have proven to be the most effective method of resolving actual or perceived incidents of harassment.

It is the responsibility of any manager or supervisor who receives a complaint to inform the top management of the allegations so that a prompt investigation may be conducted as needed.

Any reported allegations of harassment, discrimination or retaliation will be investigated promptly. The investigation may include individual interviews with the parties involved and, where necessary, with individuals who may have observed the alleged conduct or may have relevant knowledge.

United Professionals for Project Management (UP-PMC) will maintain confidentiality throughout the investigatory process to the extent consistent with adequate investigation and appropriate corrective action.

Retaliation against an individual for reporting harassment or discrimination or for participating in an investigation of a claim of harassment or discrimination is considered a serious violation and will be subject to disciplinary action. Acts of retaliation should be reported immediately and will be promptly investigated and addressed.

Any violation to this policy will be dealt with appropriately. Responsive action may include, for example, training, referral to counseling or disciplinary action such as a warning, reprimand, withholding of a promotion or pay increase, reassignment, temporary suspension without pay, or termination.

If a party to a complaint does not agree with its resolution, that party may appeal to United Professionals for Project Management (UP-PMC)’s director.

False and malicious complaints of harassment, discrimination or retaliation (as opposed to complaints that, even if erroneous, are made in good faith) may be the subject of appropriate disciplinary action.

We encourage any person having a complaint to provide his supervisor with a description of the alleged discrimination or harassment in as much detail as possible, including a description of what occurred and the date, time and place of the incident. We encourage providing the names of individuals who he or she believes have information relevant to the investigation