Anti-Harassment Policy

Introduction

Welad ElBalad for media services examines the definition of harassment crimes in the workplace and the mechanism of dealing with them. We also wish to share it with male and female journalists in and outside of the country to provide protection and create a safe working environment for everyone.

The mechanisms of interactions in Welad El Balad include defining a number of terms that may cause problems in the work environment. Among them is harassment, misuse of authority, bullying, discrimination on the basis of religion or geographic location or colour or against individuals or abuse, or discrimination against sexual orientation or conduct and mistreatment.

Sexual Harrasment in the Work Place

The guide entitled “sexual harassment in media “produced by the Women in News Program of One Afro in May 2018 defines harassment as “unwanted and offensive behavior, of a sexual nature, that violates a person’s dignity and makes them feel degraded, humiliated, intimidated or threatened”.

The actions considered harassment are as follows:

Physical actions:

Such as touching of a sexual nature or rape, kissing someone without their consent, fondling the intimate organs or another person, holding another person’s hand without their consent.

Verbal actions:

Sending sexual jokes over email or social media platforms, personal or intrusive comments about a person’s attire or their physical appearance… ect.

Non verbal actions:

Looking at someone top to bottom, physical gestures of a sexual nature, facial gestures of a sexual nature such as winking or sending kisses from a distance, unwanted personal gifts.

Sexual Harassment over the internet:

Sexual harassment that takes place over private or public digital platforms including using messages, shared content, pictures, videos, and pages.

Currently there is no systematic response to online sexual harassment that media organizations and professionals can draw on. This is something Women in News will be working on in the future.

The effect of harassment on the flow or work:

The report issued by the Women in the News program states that the impact of harassment affects the harassed person, the harasser, and the media organization. The person harassed suffers a loss of their job motivation and a weakened performance, anxiety, nervousness, depression, shock, deterioration of relationships, withdrawal, sleep disorders, lack of appetite, general weakness. The harasser will face the problems of a tarnished professional record, degrading of their professional position or dismissal, loss of income in addition to legal problems and imprisonment and feelings of shame, guilt, embarrassment, anxiety, worry, depression, social ostracizing, deterioration of relations and social ties.

The media organization will also suffer the consequences of the crime of sexual harassment in the work place as productivity and team work will weaken, employees will be demoralized, administrative performance will decrease because of time spent in remedying the effects of harassment in addition to the scandal in the media circles and the depreciation of the moral reputation. Additionally, there will be a need to replace employees, financial obligations and loss of readership.

The Workplace:

The workplace refers to the offices, news rooms and also meetings, conferences, training sessions, events and digital platforms used by the organization and its employees.

Mechanisms of dealing with harassment complaints:

Welad ElBalad administration receives complaints from “the harassed” either verbally or in writing and it is presented by hand or via email info@weladelbalad.org

The complaint is settled and turned to the legal department that then forms an investigative committee made up of a female journalist known for objectivity and for being accepted among her colleagues as well as a representative from the legal affairs department and a nominee from outside of Welad El Balad in addition to a representative of the administration for coordination and supplying all the needs of the committee.

The committee enjoys total independence in its work and Welad ElBalad provides it with all its requests. Its recommendations are presented to Welad ElBalad’s administration. Additionally, the right to communicate with consultants from outside of Welad ElBalad, for coordination and closing matters in a way that guarntees the rights of the complainant and the organization, is preserved. A survey will be sent to all colleagues in Welad ElBalad, with the guarantee of total secrecy, and an HR consultant external to Welad ElBalad will work on it. The purpose of the poll is to report any bullying or harassment during work.

The committee pledges, in writing or via email, the following:

Preserving the secrecy of the investigation and the privacy of the complainant.
Not to disclose any information about the course of the investigation until it is over
That the committee does not receive any money in return for the investigation.

Welad ElBalad provides the complainant with total protection and prevents the presence of the two parties in one place in the news room. In case this is not possible the complainant is given a paid leave until the end of the investigation. The defendant will be suspended as soon as the complaint is received to avoid friction, communication or threats until the investigation is over.
Welad ElBalad’s administration presents the final decision to the complainant and the defendant and to preserve everyone’s privacy they will be informed of the decision without being handed any documents related to the investigative procedures.
In case an indictment is reached against the defendant the penalties will apply ranging form salary deduction to downgrading the employment grade to termination of employment or referral to the judiciary. Employees of Welad ElBalad will not be informed of the reasons except in case of the agreement of the complainant to preserve their privacy.
Administrative penalties are imposed on any colleague in Welad ElBalad if they attempt to influence the results of the investigative committee.
The complainant has the right to present a waiver to the investigative committee at any stage of the investigation and the committee has the right to accept it or reject it.
All the statements of the witnesses and the complainant are to be recorded digitally or in writing and signed by them.
The defendant has the write to appeal the decision issued by the investigation committee as long as they presents new evidence supporting their position. Welad ElBalad’s administration will inform them of the acceptance or rejection within three days of the appeal. The committee may accept the reconciliation between complainant and the defendant after an apology between them is accepted.
In case of an anonymous complaint being received over email, the investigation committee will meet to review the matter and either refer it to an investigation or ignore it according to whether they find it to be serious or vexatious and then issues a clarification statement to be published internally in the organization and on its website and the social media platforms

Other defenitions

Discrimination:

The term “racial discrimination” shall mean any distinction, exclusion, restriction or preference based on race, colour, descent, or national or ethnic origin which has the purpose or effect of nullifying or impairing the recognition, enjoyment or exercise, on an equal footing, of human rights and fundamental freedoms in the political, economic, social, cultural or any other field of public life”

It is all unequal treatment including acts or exclusion, restriction or preferential treatment on bases of age, sex, colour, race, religious believes, social background, class, sexual orientation, personal relations, political opinions and other non-professional bases. This discrimination also includes all preferences or exclusions that negatively affect the principles of equal opportunity and justice and the right of every employee in receiving appreciation for their work regardless of any other factors.

“The definition is taken from International Convention on the elimination of all Racial Discrimination”