FCCC Anti-Harassment Policy

1. Statement of Philosophy

The FCCC is a professional club with a strong social element. We are committed to maintaining a harassment-free environment for all participants in our activities.

The FCCC expects all participants in FCCC-related activities to engage in consensual and respectful behaviour. The purpose of the Policy set forth below is not to regulate the personal morality of FCCC administrators, members, or participants in FCCC-related activities, but rather to foster an environment that is free from all forms of harassment and discriminatory harassment.

The FCCC Board of Directors takes allegations of harassment during FCCC activities seriously and encourages anyone exposed to, or witnessing harassing behaviour, to report violations of this policy.

Although the Board has limited means, the Board will endeavor to do its best to process those allegations with respect to the confidentiality of those involved.

2. Scope of the policy

This policy pertains to people participating in official FCCC activities while they are taking part in those activities.

Examples of FCCC activities include, but are not limited to: parties, happy hours, excursions, speaker’s events, meetings, club organizational work and posting on online official club chat groups.

Examples of people covered by this document include, but are not limited to: members, administrators, guests, vendors, contractors and speakers.

3. Definition of Harassment

Harassment includes, but is not limited to, bullying and generally abusive behaviour, including physical assault and threats.

Discriminatory harassment includes any unwelcome conduct, comment or display that demeans, humiliates or threatens an individual on the basis of their race, national origin, citizenship, ethnicity, age, religion, disability, medical condition, pregnancy, appearance, weight, sex, sexual orientation, gender expression, marital/domestic partner status, or status as a victim of domestic violence, sexual assault, or stalking.

Examples of harassment include but are not limited to:

Physical assault, blocking normal movement, or unwanted touching;
Threats and demands to submit to certain conduct or to perform actions in order to keep or get a professional reward, and/or to avoid reprisal or denial of opportunity for refusing to comply.
Displays of derogatory images, drawings or gestures;
The use of racial, ethnic slurs or derogatory sexual terms.
Taunts based on race, gender, sexual orientation or disability.
Bullying, which can include offensive, malicious, insulting or humiliating behaviour, often through the use of superior strength or influence to intimidate and to force someone to do what one wants

4. Definition of sexual harassment

Sexual harassment is a subcategory of harassment.

Examples include but are not limited to:

Persistent unwelcome invitations or requests of a sexual or romantic nature, including unwelcome staring, leering or suggestive or insulting sounds;
Sexual assault (non-consensual contact of a sexual nature)
Indecent exposure
Unwelcome questions about a person’s sexuality activity or sexual orientation
Promises or threats in return for sexual favors

5. Reporting Policy Violations

The FCCC strongly encourages the prompt reporting of all incidents of harassment and retaliation.

If you believe that you have been subjected to any conduct that violates this Policy, or are aware of any violation of this Policy, FCCC encourages you to promptly notify fcccadmin@nullgmail.com.

If, at any time, an individual believes it would be unreasonable to use this procedure to report a potential violation of this Policy, FCCC encourages such individual to address their concerns with fccc.ombud@nullgmail.com, (an email run by the head of the Advisory Committee). Harassment reports can also be submitted in writing to individual board members, for consideration by the Board.

6. Handling the allegation

After receiving a report of a violation of this Policy, FCCC will take necessary steps to assist the complainant to ensure their report is addressed. Where possible and if appropriate, the FCCC will as an initial step engage the advice of external experts through the Advisory Committee. However, FCCC is not an investigative organization and it is not equipped to investigate complaints in the first instance.

Accordingly, the FCCC recognizes that there may be other organizations with greater investigatory powers that are better suited to investigate alleged instances of sexual harassment, such as the employer of an alleged harasser. If an alleged victim chooses to pursue another avenue of redress, the FCCC will, when possible and appropriate, provide assistance and support. For example, the FCCC will assist the alleged victim in determining whether the employer of the alleged harasser has a reporting procedure that covers the behaviour described.

If the alleged harasser’s organization(s) initiates an investigation into the alleged conduct, the FCCC will, where necessary and to the greatest extent possible, cooperate with the investigation(s) by the foreign organization(s).

The FCCC reserves the right to temporarily bar an alleged harasser from FCCC events, including online FCCC groups, during the period of time when investigations are underway, before resolving the matter.

7. Resolving the matter

If the alleged harasser is not affiliated to an organization that is willing to investigate the matter, or if for other reasons the complainant is unable to report the harassment to the alleged harasser’s organization, the Board will use the advice of the Advisory Committee as well as the Articles of Association to determine the correct course of action for resolving the matter.

If the alleged harasser’s employer or affiliated organization agrees to take on an investigation, the Board will be guided by those findings, provided they are made available , in its resolution of the matter based on the options below:

If the alleged harasser is a vendor or an outside supplier, the Board upholds the right to blacklist said vendor or supplier;
If the alleged harasser is a guest or participant, the Board upholds the right to bar the individual from future events.
If the alleged harasser is an FCCC member, the Board has a range of options available to it from demanding an official apology to barring the individual from certain or all events, to suspension or expulsion under Article 16 of the Articles of Association. If the alleged harasser is an FCCC member and is affiliated to an organization which is willing to investigate the allegation, the Board will use that organization’s finding as a guide when deciding on the appropriate punishment;
If the alleged harasser is an FCCC administrator, the Board has a range of options available to it, from demanding an official apology to suspension to removing that person from his/her position.

8. Non-retaliation

Any individual who reports incidents that they believe to be violations of this Policy, or who is involved in or participates in any investigation of a potential violation of this Policy, will not be subject in any way to reprisal or retaliation whose purpose is to harm them because of their involvement.

Such retaliation is a serious violation of this Policy and any FCCC administrator, member, or participant in FCCC-related activity should report it immediately to fcccadmin@nullgmail.com.

9. Confidentiality

FCCC will maintain the confidentiality of the involved parties and the underlying facts regarding the alleged conduct through the investigative or deliberative process to the greatest extent possible, but cannot maintain complete confidentiality, consistent with FCCC’s need to comply with applicable law.