MEMORANDUM

SUBJECT: Anti-Harassment Policy Statement

FROM: Gina McCarthy

TO: All Employees

On December 2, 2015, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency celebrated 45 years as a federal agency. There could not be a more timely and appropriate opportunity to restate our commitment to a workplace that ensures employees are not subjected to harassment. I am pleased to share with you this Policy Statement and EPA’s Procedure for Addressing Allegations of Workplace Harassment (EPA Order 4711).

This Anti-Harassment Policy and Procedure serve to reaffirm that EPA will not tolerate harassment in the workplace. Harassment based on race, color, sex, whether sexual or non-sexual (including pregnancy, gender stereotyping, gender identity or expression), national origin, religion, age, disability, prior protected Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) activity, sexual orientation, status as a parent, marital status, political affiliation, and protected genetic information, is unlawful and is prohibited. In addition, harassment based on other conduct that is threatening, intimidating, and/or bullying, is also harmful to our workplace environment and will not be tolerated.

Harassment of any kind should be reported immediately by the affected individual to a first line supervisor, or, if the first line supervisor is the alleged harasser, then to a second line supervisor in his or her chain of command, a higher level supervisor or an agency human resource official. The Agency will conduct a prompt, thorough, and impartial inquiry into the allegation(s) of harassment in accordance with the procedures contained in the Order.

It should be noted that, irrespective of whether an allegation of harassment is raised under this Order, EPA employees or applicants for employment may use the EEO employment discrimination complaint process provided under 29 CFR Part 1614 to file a complaint of harassment based on race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy, sex stereotyping, gender identity or gender expression), national origin, and/or retaliation based on previous EEO activity. To invoke that process, EPA employees and applicants must contact an EEO counselor within 45 days of an alleged incident of harassment. Should you have any questions related to the EEO complaint process, please contact the EPA Office of Civil Rights at (202) 564-7272.  

• Signed 2016 Anti-Harassment Policy Statement (PDF)(1 pp, 2 MB, About PDF) 
• Order 4711 Workplace Harassment Procedures (PDF)(17 pp, 107 K, About PDF)