A. Respectful Workplace
Miami Waterkeeper believes in treating all people with respect and dignity. We strive to create and foster a supportive, inclusive, and understanding environment in which all individuals realize their maximum potential within Miami Waterkeeper. We recognize the importance of reflecting diversity in our workforce and Miami Waterkeeper also aims to fulfill its mandate in a manner that makes our programs accessible to diverse people and communities. We believe that the wide array of perspectives that result from diversity promotes innovation.
Miami Waterkeeper is committed to providing a work environment that promotes respect and dignity. Miami Waterkeeper has zero tolerance for all forms of bullying, harassment, sexual harassment, discrimination, and workplace violence and is supportive of the dignity, self-esteem, and productivity of every employee. This applies to communications and interactions between employees and between employees and external stakeholders.
B. Equal Opportunity Policy
Miami Waterkeeper will endeavor to provide equal opportunity to all qualified employees and applicants for employment. All aspects of employment will be governed on the basis of merit, competence, and qualifications and will not be influenced in any manner by race, color, religion, sex,
age, national origin, disability, marital status, sexual orientation, political affiliation, or any other basis prohibited by law. All decisions made with respect to recruiting, hiring and promotions for all job classifications will be based on individual qualifications related to the requirements of the position and the sole discretion of Miami Waterkeeper. Additionally, Miami Waterkeeper makes reasonable accommodation for qualified individuals with disabilities, unless it would be an undue hardship to the organization.
This policy applies to all employment practices and personnel actions including advertising, recruitment, testing, screening, hiring, selection for training, upgrading, transfer, demotion, layoff, termination, rates of pay, and other forms of compensation or overtime.
C. Discrimination
It is the policy of Miami Waterkeeper that all employees are able to work in a setting free from all forms of unlawful discrimination, including harassment on the basis of race, color, religion, gender, national origin, age, or disability.
Workplace discrimination occurs when an employer's rules, policies, procedures, or working conditions adversely affect an employee because of the employee's membership in a protected group. It may be intentional or unintentional. It may involve direct actions that are discriminatory on their face, or it may involve rules, practices, or procedures that appear neutral, but have the effect of disadvantaging different groups of people. Discrimination may take obvious forms or it may occur in very subtle forms. In any case, even if there are many factors affecting a decision or action, if discrimination is one factor, that is a violation of this policy.
Miami Waterkeeper shall not discriminate in the matters of hiring, training, promotion, transfer, layoff, discharge, or otherwise based upon characteristics protected under the applicable human rights legislation. However, the protection from discrimination in this policy is not limited to the enumerated grounds in human rights legislation. Discrimination or harassment of any kind is prohibited and will be investigated in a fair, timely, and confidential manner.
D. Harassment
Harassment is severe and pervasive verbal or physical conduct that denigrates or shows hostility or aversion toward an individual because of his/her race, color, religion, gender, national origin, age, or disability, or that of his/her relatives, friends, or associates, and that:
- has the purpose or effect of creating an intimidating, hostile, or offensive working environment;
- has the purpose or effect of unreasonably interfering with an individual's work performance; or
- otherwise adversely affects an individual's employment opportunities.
Any form of these behaviors will not be tolerated by employees, customers, students, contractors, or other individuals associated with Miami Waterkeeper while engaged in activities pertaining to the workplace. Engaging in these behaviors may result in immediate termination.
For purposes of this policy, “workplace” is defined broadly and includes, but is not limited to, the actual work site (i.e. offices), work-related social functions, work-related assignments, conferences, training sessions and travel, and other work-related events. This applies to our team and all external partners, including in-person and digital communication.
Harassing conduct includes, but is not limited to, the following 1) epithets, slurs, negative stereotyping, or threatening, intimidating, or hostile acts that relate to race, color, religion, gender, national origin, age, sexual orientation, or disability and 2) written or graphic material that denigrates or shows hostility or aversion toward an individual or group because of race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, national origin, age, or disability and that is placed on walls, bulletin boards, or elsewhere on the employer's premises, or circulated in the workplace.
E. Sexual Harassment
Sexual harassment includes 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 explicitly or implicitly a term or condition of an individual's employment, (2) submission to or rejection of such conduct by an individual is used as the basis for employment decisions affecting such individual, or (3) such conduct has the purpose or effect of unreasonably interfering with an individual's work performance or creating an intimidating, hostile, or offensive working environment. Engaging in these behaviors may result in immediate termination.
F. Preventing Harassment
Miami Waterkeeper has a policy of not only prohibiting but also endeavoring to prevent, harassment. Any employee who feels that a violation of this policy has occurred should immediately report the matter to his or her supervisor. If that person is unavailable or the employee believes it would be inappropriate to contact her or his supervisor, the employee should contact the Executive Director or other appropriate management staff. In the case of perceived harassment from the Executive Director, an employee should contact the Chairman of the Board of Directors.
Miami Waterkeeper will promptly investigate all complaints of harassment. When harassment is found to have occurred, timely remedial action will be taken, up to and including termination. Employees should report any complaints to their supervisor or to the Executive Director. Where that is a conflict, reports should be made to the Chief of Staff.
G. Retaliation Prohibited
Miami Waterkeeper will not tolerate retaliation against an individual for reporting any good faith claim, including harassment or discrimination, or assisting in providing information relevant to a claim of harassment or discrimination. Retaliation is a serious violation of this policy and will be treated the same strict discipline as is discrimination and harassment. Acts of retaliation should be reported immediately. All reports of retaliation will be promptly investigated in accordance with this policy.
H. False Complaints Subject to Discipline
False and malicious complaints of harassment, as opposed to complaints which, even if erroneous, are made in good faith, may be the subject of appropriate disciplinary action up to and including termination.