Harassment Free Business Environment Statement

Florida Realtors® is committed to providing a productive and welcoming environment that is free from discrimination and harassment. Committee members are expected to act with courtesy and mutual respect toward each other, staff, service providers, speakers, and event participants.

Florida Realtors® requires a harassment free environment for all Florida Realtors®  related meetings or events, whether held in public or private facilities, including meetings or events sponsored by organizations other than Florida Realtors® and held in conjunction with Florida Realtors® meetings or events, and any Florida Realtors®  member communications related to business or with staff.

Harassment:

Harassment in any form is strictly prohibited. Harassment includes, but not limited to, inappropriate conduct, comment, display, action, or gesture based on another person’s sex, color, race, religion, national origin, age, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, and any other protected characteristic. It includes all unwelcome behavior based on a protected characteristic where the purpose or effect of the behavior is to create a hostile, abusive or intimidating environment, or where the behavior otherwise adversely affects an individual’s ability to participate in or at Florida Realtors®-related activities, or adversely affects a Florida Realtors® staff member’s employment in violation of this Statement. Harassment may be direct – against the target of the inappropriate behavior, or indirect – against a person who witnesses the inappropriate behavior. Prohibited harassment may take various forms, including, but not limited to, the following examples:

• Verbal conduct, such as epithets, derogatory comments, slurs, or jokes, or unwanted sexual advances, solicitations, or comments.
• Visual conduct, such as derogatory or sexually oriented posters, cartoons, drawings, or gestures.
• Physical conduct, such as assault, impeding, or blocking movement.
• Via technology or computers, including to transmit, communicate or receive derogatory, inappropriate pornographic, sexually suggestive, or explicit pictures, cartoons, messages, jokes, or material.
• Threats and demands.
• Requests for sexual favors, such as unwanted sexual advances, which condition a benefit upon an exchange of sexual favors.
• Violence or threats of violence.

Sexual Harassment:

Sexual harassment is one form of harassment. Harassing conduct, including sexually harassing conduct, can be committed by a person of either the same sex or gender, or the opposite sex or gender (or any other protected category) of the person subjected to the harassment. A person may be the victim of harassment even though the offensive conduct has not been directed at the person alleging harassment, regardless of the sex, gender, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, or other class status of the perpetrator. Additionally, sexually harassing conduct need not be intentional or motivated by sexual desire.

The following are examples, but do not represent an inclusive list of conduct that may constitute prohibited sexual harassment:

• Unwelcome sexual flirtations or propositions.
• Unwanted physical touching or closeness, such as massaging a person’s back, neck or shoulders, hugging, kissing, patting, pinching, or fondling.
• Physical gestures that imply a sexual act or sexual anatomy, touching oneself in a sexual nature.
• Using vulgar words of a sexual nature, describing body parts, or sexual acts.
• Discussions or inquiries about sexual fantasy, preferences, history, or sex life about self or others.
• Displaying sexually suggestive or demeaning objects, pictures or cartoons, or other materials on a personal or company-owned device shared in the workplace.
• Giving personal gifts that imply an intimate relationship.
• Repeated invitations and/or pressuring/coercion for dates or sexual favors; harassing phone calls, emails, texts, social media posts, or other communication.
• Any suggestion that an individual’s committee assignment, leadership position, job security, project assignment, or the terms or conditions of employment depend at all on the submission to or rejection of requests for sexual favors or relations.

By accepting your appointment to serve on a committee, you agree to refrain from any harassing or inappropriate behavior. You also agree that Florida Realtors® reserves the right to take any necessary and appropriate action against a committee member who engages in any form of harassment or inappropriate behavior. Such actions may include, but are not limited to, prohibition from attendance at future Florida Realtors® meetings or events, removal from a committee appointment, or any other action deemed appropriate by Florida Realtors®.

Thank you for your willingness to serve.