Content Information
A. Employee Responsibilities
All executive branch employees are responsible for knowing and understanding this policy, and for maintaining a work atmosphere free of all forms of sexual harassment. In order to ensure the prompt investigation and response to any alleged incident of sexual harassment, each employee is strongly encouraged to immediately report any conduct prohibited by this policy in accordance with Section IV, below.
If an employee experiences or witnesses any incident of inappropriate or unprofessional behavior in the workplace he or she believes may violate this policy, the employee should immediately report the incident and, if circumstances permit, express his or her concerns directly to the offending person. However, if the employee is not comfortable with addressing concerns with the offending person, the employee may report the matter to his or her direct supervisor, the next higher supervisor, the employee’s agency director or other designated agency personnel. Alternatively, any complaint, including those regarding senior agency officials and directors, may be submitted directly to the director of the Department of Administrative Services or the Governor’s Office without reporting the matter internally to the employee’s agency. Once the incident is reported, the situation will be investigated in accordance with Section V, and appropriate action will be taken. All executive branch employees are expected to cooperate with an investigation undertaken pursuant to this policy. Failure to cooperate with an investigation may result in disciplinary action, up to and including termination of employment.
B. Executive Branch Agency Responsibilities
Every executive branch agency shall ensure its managerial staff know, understand, and enforce this policy. Any agency managerial staff who fail to act upon an employee complaint, or on personal knowledge of a possible violation of this policy, will be subject to disciplinary action up to and including termination of employment. Furthermore, any managerial staff will be subject to disciplinary action up to and including termination of employment for engaging in any form of conduct prohibited by this policy or for retaliating against an individual: (1) who has made a good faith complaint pursuant to this policy; (2) who aids another individual who has made a complaint; or (3) who is interviewed in the course of an investigation pursuant to this policy.
Agency managerial staff shall immediately notify the Department of Administrative Services after receiving a complaint or alleged violation of this policy.
Executive branch agencies must provide this policy to new employees at the time of hiring or orientation as required by Iowa Code section 19B.12(5).
C. Department of Administrative Services Responsibilities
As required by Iowa Code section 19B.12, the Department of Administrative Services, through issuance of this policy, is adopting procedures for determining violations of Iowa Code section 19B.12. Additionally, the Department of Administrative Services is responsible for the distribution of this policy to executive branch agencies, who are required to provide it to new employees at the time of hiring or orientation.
As directed by the Governor’s Office, the Department of Administrative Services is responsible for investigating all complaints filed under this policy that:
- involve an agency director, head, or appointed official.
- involve any employee who directly reports to an agency director, head, or appointed official.
- include a request by the complainant that the investigation be conducted by the Department of Administrative Services.
- include a conflict of interest or other circumstances whereby investigation by the employing agency is not appropriate.