We are committed to transparency and believe our workplace policies should be as transparent as our values. For that purpose only, below you will find our current workplace policy statements. 

Please note: These policies and the information provided on our website do not, and are not intended to, constitute legal advice, nor are they intended to be duplicated for use by other organizations. All information, content, and materials available on this site are for general informational purposes only.

Right To Be seeks to actively and affirmatively build a qualified pool of applicants that includes representation from groups who have traditionally been excluded, underrepresented, or discriminated against. The entire Right To Be community benefits from an organizational culture that respects human rights, values the inclusion of a broad range of perspectives, and supports the full participation of people with diverse life experiences. 

It has been, and will continue to be, a fundamental policy of Right To Be to base employment upon personal qualifications without discrimination because of actual or perceived race, color, national origin, religion, sex, pregnancy, childbirth or related medical conditions, age, disability, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity and expression, partnership status, size, ancestry, or citizenship status, creed, marital status, family care status, experience of domestic violence, genetic predisposition or carrier status, matriculation, political activities, veteran status, observance of religious holidays or practices, use of service dog, prior arrests, criminal accusation, or prior convictions (unless certain requirements have been met), reproductive decisionmaking, or any other protected characteristic as established by federal, state or local law. This policy of equal employment opportunity applies to all policies and procedures relating to recruitment and hiring, training, promotion, compensation, benefits, leaves of absence, discipline, demotion, transfer, termination, and all other terms and conditions of employment. This policy is designed to affect all employment practices. The Executive Director has the responsibility for administering this policy. 

All Right To Be employees, other workers and representatives are prohibited from engaging in unlawful discrimination. Appropriate disciplinary action may be taken against anyone violating this policy up to and including termination. 

Right To Be (the “Company”) is committed to a work environment for all employees, paid or unpaid interns, contractors, and individuals who are in any way conducting business with it, that is free of bias, prejudice, discrimination and harassment of any kind and in which all individuals are treated with respect and dignity. Each employee has the right to work in a professional atmosphere that promotes equal employment opportunities and prohibits discriminatory practices, including harassment. Therefore, Right To Be expects that all relationships among persons in the workplace will be businesslike and free of bias, prejudice, and harassment. 

Harassment is prohibited both at the workplace and at employer-sponsored events, such as business trips, business meetings, and business-related social events, and parties. Calls, texts, emails, and social media usage by employees can constitute unlawful workplace harassment, even if they occur away from the workplace premises, on personal devices, or during non-work hours. 

Any employee violating this policy will be subject to remedial and/or disciplinary action, up to and including separation of employment. Likewise, any manager or supervisor who knowingly permits harassing behavior to continue or fails to report suspected harassment shall be subject to discipline, up to and including separation of employment.

Harassment is verbal or physical conduct that denigrates or shows hostility or aversion toward an individual because of that individual’s protected characteristics including, but not limited to, race, color, national origin, religion, sex, pregnancy, childbirth or related medical conditions, age, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, partnership status, size, ancestry, or citizenship status, creed, marital status, family care status, experience of domestic violence, genetic predisposition or carrier status, matriculation, political activities, veteran status, observance of religious holidays or practices, use of service dog, prior arrests, criminal accusation, or prior convictions (unless certain requirements have been met), or any other classification protected by federal, state or local law, because he/she is associated with a person in a protected category, or is perceived as being in any of these protected categories. Harassment is prohibited against employees, paid or unpaid interns, contractors, and individuals who are in any way conducting business with the Company. 

Unlawful harassment is conduct that may include, but is not limited to, the following: verbal, visual or physical conduct that denigrates or shows hostility or aversion toward an individual because of a legally protected category, and that: (i) has the purpose or effect of creating an intimidating, hostile or offensive work environment; (ii) has the purpose or effect of unreasonably interfering with an individual’s work performance; or (iii) otherwise adversely affects an individual’s employment opportunities. 

Examples of harassing conduct includes, but is not limited to: epithets, slurs, or negative stereotyping; threatening, intimidating or hostile acts; denigrating jokes and display or circulation in the workplace of written or graphic material that denigrates or shows hostility or aversion toward an individual or group (including through e­mail, social media and other forms of communication). 

Sexual harassment is a form of workplace discrimination and harassment and is unlawful under federal, state, and (where applicable) local law. Sexual harassment includes harassment on the basis of sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, and the status of being transgender. Sexual harassment is prohibited against employees, paid or unpaid interns, contractors, and individuals who are in any way conducting business with the Company. 

Sexual harassment includes unwelcome conduct which is either of a sexual nature or which is directed at an individual because of that individual’s sex when: (i) submission to such conduct is made either explicitly or implicitly a term or condition of an individual’s employment; (ii) submission to or rejection of such conduct by an individual is used as the basis for employment decisions affecting such individual; or (iii) 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 even if the complaining individual is not the intended target of the sexual harassment. 

A sexually harassing hostile work environment includes, but is not limited to, words, signs, jokes, pranks, intimidation, or physical violence which are of a sexual nature or which are directed at an individual because of that individual’s sex. Sexual harassment may also consist of unwanted verbal or physical advances, sexually explicit derogatory statements, or sexually discriminatory remarks. Sexual harassment also occurs when a person in authority tries to trade job benefits for sexual favors. This can include hiring, promotion, continued employment, or any other terms, conditions, or privileges of employment. 

Sexual harassment may include a range of subtle and not so subtle behaviors and may involve individuals of the same or different gender identity. The following describes some of the types of acts that may be unlawful sexual harassment and that are strictly prohibited: 

– Physical assaults of a sexual nature, such as: 

1. Unwanted touching, pinching, patting, kissing, hugging, grabbing, or brushing against another employee’s body or poking another employees’ body; and 

2. Rape, sexual battery, molestation, or attempts to commit these assaults. 

– Unwanted sexual advances or propositions, such as:

1. Requests for sexual favors accompanied by implied or overt threats concerning the target’s job performance evaluation, a promotion, or other job benefits or detriments; and 

2. Subtle or obvious pressure for unwelcome sexual activities.

– Sexually oriented gestures, noises, remarks, jokes, or comments about a person’s sexuality or sexual experience, which create a hostile work environment. 

– Sex stereotyping, which occurs when an individual singles out a person or group of people on the basis of not conforming to that individual’s ideas or perceptions as to how that person or group should act, look, talk, dress, etc. based on their sex. 

– Sexual or discriminatory displays or publications anywhere in the workplace, such as: 

1. Displaying pictures, posters, calendars, graffiti, objects, promotional material, reading materials, or other materials that are sexually demeaning or pornographic. This includes such sexual displays on workplace computers or cell phones and sharing such displays while in the workplace. 

– Hostile actions taken against an individual because of that individual’s sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, and/or the status of being transgender, such as: 

1. Interfering with, destroying, or damaging a person’s workstation, tools, or equipment, or otherwise interfering with the individual’s ability to perform the job;

2. Sabotaging an individual’s work; and 

3. Bullying, yelling, or name calling. 

Sexual harassment can occur between any individuals, regardless of their sex or gender. A person who harasses can be a superior, a subordinate, a coworker, or anyone in the workplace, including an independent contractor, contract worker, vendor, client, customer, or visitor. 

All Company employees and fellows will be required to participate in an annual sexual harassment prevention training. 

The Company strongly encourages the prompt reporting of all incidents of discrimination or harassment. The Company cannot prevent or remedy discrimination or harassment unless it knows about it. Any employee who has been subjected to behavior that may constitute discrimination or harassment, or becomes aware of discrimination or harassment, is encouraged to report such behavior to a supervisor, manager, or Executive Director. Supervisors or managers who receive a report of harassment, or believe they observed harassment are required to report such suspected harassment to the Executive Director. 

There is no requirement for the form or content of a harassment complaint. However, to allow us to take steps to prevent harassment in our workplace, please provide as much information as possible regarding the offending incident(s) or conduct, such as what happened or is continuing to happen, the person(s) causing the harassment, the time(s) and place(s) that the incident(s) occurred, and the names of any others who witnessed the event. For your convenience, a form for submission of a written harassment complaint is attached to this policy, and all employees are encouraged to use this complaint form for harassment complaints. Employees who are reporting harassment on behalf of other employees may use the complaint form and note that it is on another employee’s behalf. 

All complaints of discrimination and/or harassment will be promptly and thoroughly investigated and will be afforded the greatest confidentiality possible, consistent with the need to investigate and/or unless otherwise required by law, but confidentiality cannot be guaranteed. All decisions regarding the scope and duration of the investigation, who is interviewed, what materials are reviewed, etc., are at the sole discretion of the Company. All persons involved, including people who have reported harm, witnesses, and people who have been alleged to have caused harm, will be accorded due process to protect their rights to a fair and impartial investigation. Generally speaking the investigation will include: an immediate review of the allegations made and any interim actions, as appropriate; additionally, the Company may review any relevant documents and may interview all parties involved, including any relevant witnesses. The Company will promptly notify the individual who complained and the individual(s) about whom the complaint was made of the final determination and will implement corrective action, if any.

Harassment is also prohibited by state, federal, and, where applicable, local law, including the New York State Human Rights Law (which applies to employers in New York State), Title VII of the 1964 federal Civil Rights Act, and the New York City Human Rights Law (which applies to employers in New York City). Aside from the internal complaint process at the Company, individuals may also choose to pursue legal remedies by contacting the New York State Division of Human Rights, One Fordham Plaza, Fourth Floor, Bronx, New York 10458, (718) 741-8400, www.dhr.ny.gov; the United States Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, 1-800-669-4000 (TTY: 1-800-669-6820), www.eeoc.gov or [email protected]; the NYC Commission on Human Rights, 40 Rector Street, 10th Floor, New York, New York; call 311 or (212) 306-7450; or visit www.nyc.gov/html/cchr/html/home/home.shtml; the county, city, or town in which an individual lives to find out if local laws protecting individuals from sexual harassment and discrimination exist; the local police department if the harassment involves unwanted physical touching, coerced physical confinement, or coerced sex acts; or the New York state or federal courts. Should an individual prove their case, they may be entitled to certain remedies (which vary and could, but not do not necessarily include, requiring the Company to take action to stop the alleged harassment and/or monetary damages as provided for under applicable law).

Right To Be prohibits retaliation against any employee who, in good faith, makes a complaint of, reports, or opposes discrimination or harassment, testifies or assists in an investigation, proceeding, or hearing involving discrimination or harassment, or encourages a fellow employee to report discrimination or harassment. Retaliation against individuals engaging in the foregoing activities is unlawful, a serious violation of this policy and, like harassment or discrimination itself, may result in disciplinary action. This prohibition against retaliation is not intended to protect persons making intentionally false charges of harassment. 

Any person who feels that they have experienced such prohibited retaliation, or who is aware of any prohibited retaliation by any person, should immediately report the matter by following the complaint procedure outlined above. As with complaints of discrimination or harassment, the Company will promptly investigate any complaint and will take appropriate action to prevent or rectify any retaliation.