Equal Employment Opportunity Program

Anti-Harassment Program

Anti-Harassment Policy Statement

The Anti-Harassment Program ensures a safe place for our workforce where employees can report harassing conduct and inappropriate behavior. The purpose of the program is to provide an expedited process for reviewing allegations of harassing conduct, stopping further incidents of harassment, and providing recommendations for taking corrective action, where appropriate.

Our Commitment

NARA is committed to maintaining a work environment that is courteous, respectful, and free from harassing behaviors for its employees, contractors, volunteers, visitors, interns and customers. NARA will not tolerate harassment of any kind.

Harassment

Unlawful harassment is defined as any unwelcome verbal, non-verbal, or physical conduct based on race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy and gender identity), national origin, age (40 or older), disability (mental or physical), genetic information, sexual orientation, marital status, political affiliation, status as a parent, or retaliation when:

  • An employee actually suffers a personal loss or harm with regard to a term, privilege, or condition of employment relating to any of the protected bases; or
  • The behavior can reasonably be considered severe or pervasive creating an intimidating, hostile, or offensive work environment.

Harassment undermines the integrity of employment relationships and interferes with work productivity.  Harassing conduct includes, but is not limited to: bullying, slurs, derogatory or disrespectful remarks, spreading rumors, swearing, jokes, obscenities, incessant teasing, expressing or insinuating threats, threatened assault, hitting, punching, other unwanted touching, and malicious or insulting gestures.

NARA has appropriate measures to prevent harassment (sexual or non-sexual) in the workplace and to correct harassing behavior before it becomes severe or pervasive. Harassing behavior by a NARA employee does not need to rise to the level of unlawful harassment in order for it to constitute misconduct. Violations of policy may result in administrative or disciplinary actions against offenders.

Sexual Harassment

Sexual harassment is a form of sex discrimination that involves unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, and other verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature when:

  • Submission to or rejection of such conduct is made either explicitly or implicitly a term or condition of a person’s job, pay or career, or
  • Submission to or rejection of such conduct by a person is used as a basis for career or employment decisions affecting that person, or
  • Such conduct interferes with an individual’s work performance or creates an intimidating, hostile, or offensive environment. 

Retaliation

In addition, NARA prohibits any retaliation against an employee who reports a concern about workplace harassment, other inappropriate behavior or assists in any inquiry about such a report.

Training

All managers and supervisors are required to take the anti-harassment training every two years through NARA’s Learning Management System (LMS). A NARA Notice will announce the mandatory training.

Reporting Violations

All NARA employees are strongly encouraged to report misconduct, including discrimination or harassing behavior. Supervisors, volunteer coordinators, CORs, and management officials must immediately report (usually within 48 hours of becoming aware of it) harassing conduct, or allegations of harassing conduct by others to any member of the Ad Hoc Committee on Harassment or directly to the Anti-Harassment Program Manager directly. Failure to report an incident of harassment may result in administrative action, including disciplinary action.

Report Incidents to Any of the Following Offices

Employees who believe they have been subjected to harassment should report the incident(s) to their supervisor or a manager in their chain of command or one of the members of the Ad Hoc Committee on Harassment comprised of officials from Human Capital (HC); Office of General Counsel (NGC); and Office of Equal Employment Opportunity (NEEO). Employees can contact the Anti-Harassment Program Manager directly. See NARA 396 Anti-Harassment Policy for guidance

You may submit incidents to Human Capital by:

You may also submit an incident to NGC by:

You may also submit an incident to the Anti-Harassment Program Manager by:

You may also submit an incident to the Office of the Inspector General (OIG) by:

  • Calling the OIG Hotline:
  • 301-837-3500 (Washington, DC metro area)
  • 800-786-2551 (toll-free and outside the Washington, DC metro area)
     

Sending a document to:

  • OIG Hotline
  • NARA
  • P.O. Box 1821
  • Hyattsville, MD 20788-0821
     

Confidentially reporting online at:

Time Frames and Contacts for Filing an EEO Complaint

Employees who wish to file an EEO complaint alleging discrimination and/or harassment should file a complaint within 45 calendar days of the date of the incident(s) to the Office of Equal Employment Opportunity (NEEO). See NARA 395 EEO Complaints Program for guidance or you may initiate an informal EEO complaint by:

  • Calling 301-837-0939;
  • Sending a fax to 301-837-0869; or
  • Sending an email to NEEO@nara.gov.

If all or part of the complaint is pursued under the negotiated grievance procedure covering bargaining unit employees, a grievance must be filed within 20 days of the alleged incident, or 20 days after the grievant becomes aware of the alleged incident. Personnel may contact their union representative at any time regarding discrimination and/or harassment.

DAVID S. FERRIERO
Archivist of the United States

NARA 396

If you have any questions or would like more information, e-mail NEEO@nara.gov

Anti-Harassment Pamphlets

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