Anti-Harassment Policy template
An anti-harassment policy sets out {{org.name}}'s rules against harassment at work — what it is, the standard of behavior expected, how to report it through more than one channel, how complaints are handled, and the protection against retaliation for anyone who speaks up. It exists so that the person experiencing harassment knows exactly what to do, and the person handling the report knows exactly what happens next.
Harassment cases rarely fail on whether something happened; they fail on process — the complaint that went only to the manager causing the problem, the reporter whose shifts quietly got worse. A policy that fixes the process in advance is the strongest prevention tool an employer has, and the EEOC has said as much for years.
This template covers the definition, where the policy applies, the reporting channels, the complaint-handling procedure, the non-retaliation promise, and the training that keeps all of it real.
Full text, ready to adapt.
Highlighted fields are placeholders — replace them with your organisation's specifics. A starting point, not legal advice.
Anti-Harassment Policy
Policy · Company Policies
1. Purpose and scope
This policy applies to everyone at {{org.name}} — employees at every level, contractors, and agency staff — and covers conduct by and toward coworkers, managers, customers, vendors, and visitors. It applies at our premises, at client sites, at work events including social ones, and in calls, messages, email, and social media connected to work.
This policy is not a contract of employment and does not change the at-will nature of employment at {{org.name}}. It is the standard we enforce and the process we follow, whoever is involved.
2. Policy statement
{{org.name}} prohibits harassment based on any characteristic protected by federal, state, or local law — and we act on harassing behavior before it becomes severe or pervasive, not after. Anyone can report through any of the channels below, every report is looked into promptly, and retaliation against anyone who reports in good faith or participates in an investigation is itself a violation of this policy.
3. What harassment means
Harassment is unwelcome conduct based on a protected characteristic — the full list is in the EEO policy, plus any characteristic protected by [state/locality]. Sexual harassment includes unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, and conduct that conditions any aspect of the job on submitting to them — no manager may tie any employment decision to a personal or sexual relationship.
Examples of conduct this policy prohibits:
- Slurs, jokes, mimicry, or "banter" targeting a protected characteristic — intent does not cure impact.
- Unwelcome touching, blocking movement, leering, or gestures.
- Sexual comments, propositions, or repeated unwelcome romantic attention.
- Displaying or sending offensive images, memes, or messages — on paper, on screens, or in chat.
- Threats, intimidation, or sabotage of someone's work connected to a protected characteristic.
- The same conduct online or by message as in person — the screen changes nothing.
4. If it happens to you or near you
You are never required to confront the person or to handle it yourself, and you do not need to be the target to report — witnesses are often the ones who can act soonest. If you feel able to tell the person their behavior is unwelcome, that is your choice, not a precondition for reporting.
Managers do not have a choice: any manager who sees harassing conduct or receives a report of it — however informally — passes it to [named role] the same day. A manager who sits on a report puts the person and the company at risk.
5. How to report
- To your manager — or, if your manager is involved or you prefer not to go to them, directly to [named role] or [second named role].
- Through [reporting channel — e.g. HR email, hotline, or form], which reaches [role] directly.
- In any form: in person, by phone, in writing — no particular format is required, and a report on someone else's behalf is welcome.
- Nothing in this policy limits your right to contact the EEOC or your state or local fair employment agency — those routes have filing deadlines, so do not wait on our process to use them.
6. How complaints are handled
- 1[Named role] acknowledges the report within [number] days and agrees next steps, including any interim measures — schedule changes or reassignment are borne by the accused or arranged neutrally, not imposed on the reporter.
- 2A prompt, impartial inquiry follows: the reporter, the accused, and witnesses are interviewed, and messages and records reviewed. The investigator has no stake in the outcome — [external option if the named roles are conflicted].
- 3Information is shared only with those who need it; complete confidentiality cannot be promised, but discretion can, and gossip about an open investigation is itself a conduct issue.
- 4A conclusion is reached on the evidence and communicated to the reporter and the accused, in appropriate terms.
- 5Where the policy was violated, corrective action follows under the [progressive discipline policy] — proportionate to the conduct, up to and including termination, whoever the person is.
- 6[Named role] checks in with the reporter [interval] after closure — retaliation and recurrence show up in the weeks after, so we look for them.
7. No retaliation
Retaliation against anyone who reports harassment in good faith, or participates in an investigation, is prohibited by this policy and by federal law. That includes the quiet forms: worse shifts, lost hours, exclusion from meetings, sudden hyper-scrutiny. A good-faith report that turns out to be unfounded is not misconduct; a knowingly false accusation is — the two are nothing alike.
Report suspected retaliation through any channel above. It is investigated as a separate violation, with the same seriousness as the original complaint.
8. Training, records and review
Everyone receives harassment prevention training at hire and [frequency] after; managers receive additional training on receiving reports and their duty to escalate. Some states mandate harassment training and prescribe its content and frequency — [name/role] checks our state and local requirements and keeps the training plan current.
Reports, investigation records, and outcomes are kept confidentially in [system/location], separate from routine personnel files, with access limited to [roles]. This policy is reviewed [frequency, e.g. annually], after any investigation, and when state or local law changes. Owner: [name/role]. Next review: [date].
How to adapt this template.
Name at least two reporting routes, including one that goes around the line manager — a single-channel policy fails exactly when the manager is the problem.
Check your state and locality for mandatory harassment training and required policy contents before publishing; several states prescribe both.
Brief every manager on the same-day escalation duty — most employer liability grows in the gap between the first informal complaint and the first official one.
Decide who investigates when the named roles are conflicted, and line up an external option before you need it.
Align this policy with your EEO policy and complaint procedure so all three name the same channels.
Collect signed acknowledgments at hire and after each revision, and keep training records with them.
Turn this template into trained, proven behaviour
A policy in a drawer proves nothing. In TrainedTeam this template becomes assigned training with knowledge checks, e-signature acknowledgments, version history, and an audit-ready record of who completed what, when.
Anti-Harassment Policy template FAQs
What makes harassment unlawful rather than just unpleasant?
Under the federal framework, harassment is unlawful when it is based on a protected characteristic and either becomes a condition of employment or is severe or pervasive enough to create a hostile work environment. But an effective policy does not wait for that line — it prohibits and corrects harassing conduct early, which protects people and is precisely what the EEOC framework credits employers for.
Does a complaint have to be in writing?
No — and requiring writing would suppress reports. This template accepts reports in any form, from targets or witnesses. Whoever receives one writes down what they were told and when, and passes it to the named role the same day; documentation is the receiver's job, not the reporter's.
What should a manager do with an informal complaint?
Escalate it the same day, every time — "please don't make it official" does not change that, though the manager should say so kindly and explain why. Legally, a complaint to a manager can put the company on notice, so the gap between the informal complaint and action is where liability grows.
Can we keep a harassment investigation completely confidential?
You can promise discretion, not secrecy: the accused has to hear enough to respond, and witnesses have to be asked about something. Share information strictly on a need-to-know basis and tell both parties what to expect. Blanket gag instructions can raise labor law issues, so keep any confidentiality request narrow and case-specific.
Are we required to provide harassment training?
Several states mandate harassment prevention training — some prescribe content, duration, frequency, and who is covered — and the list changes, so check your state and local authority. Even where it is not required, trained managers and staff are the difference between a policy on paper and one that operates, and training records are evidence you took prevention seriously.
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