BOARD OF SUPERVISORS

County of Linn, Iowa

Directive Number:
Workplace Harassment Policy
Approval Date: Effective Date: Revision No: Policy Section & Number:

06/25/07 06/25/07 2 PM-003

Reference: BOS Minutse: 06/25/07 Distribution:

BOS Minutes: 06/15/1999 Elected Officials, Department Heads, County
Initially Adopted: 06/15/1999 Employee Handbook, Intranet

Linn County is committed to maintaining a work environment that is free of

discrimination. In keeping with this commitment, the Board of Supervisors will not
tolerate harassment of County employees by anyone, including any supervisors, co-
worker, vendor, client, or customer of the County or any third party.

Harassment consists of unwelcome conduct, whether verbal, physical or visual, that is

based upon a person’s protected status, such as sex, color, race, religion, national
origin, age, physical or mental disability or other protected group status. The County
will not tolerate harassing conduct that affects tangible job benefits, that interferes
unreasonably with an individual’s work performance, or that creates an intimidation,
hostile or offensive working environment. Such harassment may include, for example,
jokes about another person’s protected status, kidding, teasing or practical jokes
directed at a person based on his or her protected status.

Sexual harassment deserves special mention. Unwelcome sexual advances, requests

for sexual favors, and other physical, verbal, or visual conduct based on sex constitute
sexual harassment when (1) submission to the conduct is an explicit or implicit term or
condition of employment, (2) submission to or rejection of the conduct is used as the
basis for an employment decision, or (3) the conduct has the purpose or effect of
unreasonably interfering with an individual’s work performance or creating an
intimidating, hostile or offensive working environment. Sexual harassment is conduct
based on sex, whether directed towards a person of the opposite or same sex, and may
include explicit sexual propositions, sexual innuendo, suggestive comments, sexual
oriented “kidding” or “teasing”, ”practical jokes”, jokes about obscene printed or visual
material, and physical contact such as patting, pinching or brushing against another
person’s body.

All County employees are responsible to help assure that we avoid harassment. If you
feel that you have experienced or witnessed harassment, you are to notify the
Employment Relations Director, your department head or your supervisor. The County
forbids retaliation against anyone for reporting sexual harassment, assisting in making a
sexual harassment complaint or cooperating in a sexual harassment investigation. If
you feel you have been retaliated against, you are to notify the Employment Relations
Director, your department head or your supervisor.

The County’s policy is to investigate all such complaints thoroughly and promptly. To
the fullest extent practicable, the County will keep complaints and the terms of their
resolution confidential. If an investigation confirms that a violation of the policy has
occurred, the County will take corrective action, including discipline, up to and including
immediate termination of employment, as is appropriate.

Complaint Procedure
I. Purpose
To provide a County-level complaint procedure for any person who feels they
have been denied employment, participation, representation or services in any
program administered by the Linn County Board of Supervisors based on race,
creed, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, political affiliation or
citizenship. The procedure is not intended to replace other remedies, but is
available as an alternate local remedy.

II. Scope

The procedure is available to all Linn County employees, applicants and program
beneficiaries. County employees who are members of a bargaining unit and
covered by a labor agreement must file a grievance regarding promotion of
employment according to the appropriate labor agreement.

III. Procedure
A. Information relative to equal opportunity complaints shall be provided by
the Employment Relations Director, who may be contacted at the Linn
County Administrative Office Building, 930 First Street SW, Cedar Rapids,
Iowa 52404-2164 (319/892-5120) and is designated as the County's
Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA) Compliance Officer by the Board of
Supervisors to administer the County's Equal Opportunity Policy and
Affirmative Action Plan. The County's Administrative Services Director
serves as American with Disabilities Act (ADA) Compliance Officer with
regard to physical accessibility issues.
B. Any employee, applicant or program beneficiary may file a written
complaint according to the procedure listed below. The complaint must be
filed within 180 days of the alleged violation of the policy.
(1) Present and discuss the written complaint with the Director of the
department against which the complaint is made. The Department
Director will be allowed ten (10) working days to provide a written
response to the complaint.

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 (2) If the Department Director fails to respond to the complaint or the
complainant is not satisfied with the response, the complainant
may, within ten (10) working days, request that the Linn County
Board of Supervisors review the complaint.
(3) Upon receipt of the complaint the Linn County Board of Supervisors
will direct the Employment Relations Director to investigate and
review the complaint and assist the Board in providing a written
response to the complainant within thirty (30) days.
(4) If the Board of Supervisors fails to respond or the complainant is
not satisfied with the response, the complainant may proceed with
remedies available through the Cedar Rapids Civil Rights
Commission, the Iowa Civil Rights Commission and/or the federal
Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.

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