# Addressing harassment

You are *always* in charge of the process and can decide how to move forward when you report an incident. We encourage you to talk about what happened.

If you are being sexually harassed (or suspect another person is being harassed), please report it to HR, your lead or [our outside confidential counsellor](https://www.notion.so/ceb925ba799f4dcab14bee5af3ffc0b8). In serious cases like sexual assault, please call the police and inform HR that you plan to press charges. We acknowledge it’s often hard to come forward about these issues, and we strive to have as many channels of communication open so that whoever you're comfortable talking to, we're here for you. 

Here are the steps you can take, either:

- **Talk to the offender**. If you suspect that an offender doesn’t realise they are guilty of harassment, you could talk to them directly in an effort to resolve the issue. This tactic is appropriate for cases of minor harassment (e.g. inappropriate jokes between colleagues, something you read on #overheard).
- **Talk to your team lead**. Your team lead will assess your situation and may contact HR if appropriate. Explain the situation in as much detail as possible. If you have any hard evidence (e.g. emails), forward it or bring it with you to the meeting.
- **Talk to HR**. Feel free to reach out to HR in any case of harassment no matter how minor it may seem. For your safety, contact HR as soon as possible in cases of serious harassment (e.g. sexual advances) or if your team lead is involved in your claim. Anything you disclose will remain confidential.
- **Talk to a confidential counsellor**. If for any reason you don't want to talk to HR or your team lead directly, you can choose to talk to our outside counsellor. We appointed one in November 2018. The outside counsellor can listen to you and advise you on possible next steps. Again, you will always be in the lead on next steps. The content of your conversation will always stay confidential and will not reach Blendle or the offender. You can contact our counsellor directly by [email or phone (not a public link)](https://www.notion.so/ceb925ba799f4dcab14bee5af3ffc0b8).

If you report assault to the police, Blendle will provide any possible support until the matter is resolved. In any case, we will ensure you are not victimised and that you have access to relevant evidence.

## **What's not acceptable at Blendle**

Harassment includes bullying, intimidation, direct insults, malicious gossip and victimisation. It’s impossible to create an exhaustive list, but here are some instances that we consider harassment:

- Sabotaging someone’s work on purpose
- Engaging in frequent or unwanted advances of any nature
- Commenting derogatorily on a person’s ethnic heritage or religious beliefs
- Starting or spreading rumors about a person’s personal life
- Ridiculing someone in front of others or singling them out to perform tasks unrelated to their job (e.g. bringing coffee) against their will