Policy Background
The following policies are excerpted from Jester King's company-wide Staff Guide, which was initially published in July 2018.
Code of Conduct
The successful business operation and reputation of Jester King is built upon the principles of fair dealing and the ethical conduct of our Employees. Jester King complies with all applicable laws and regulations and expects all employees to conduct business in accordance with the letter, spirit, and intent of all relevant laws and to refrain from any illegal, dishonest, or unethical conduct. The continued success of our company depends upon our customers’ trust, and we are dedicated to preserving that trust. Employees owe a duty to the company, its customers, and its shareholders to act in a way that will merit the continued trust and confidence of the public.
Employees should consider themselves ambassadors of Jester King at all times. Employees’ conduct should reflect the company’s desire to have the best, brightest, most outstanding employees in the industry, and Employees should act the part whenever they are in public, especially when wearing Jester King apparel. In light of this the guidelines outlined below focus on basic behaviors that Jester King considers inappropriate and unacceptable:
• Obtaining employment based on false or misleading information or falsifying information or making material omissions in any documents or records.
• Malicious or willful destruction or damage to company property or supplies, or to the property belonging to another employee, a customer or a visitor.
• Theft or unauthorized removal of property which belongs to Jester King, another employee, one of our customers or any other type of brewery visitor.
• Misappropriation or unauthorized use of money, credit, property or equipment.
• Dishonesty, fraud, or false statements of any kind including falsification of time records, reporting hours worked, tasks completed on work assignments, injury or illness reports, or any Company records or files.
• Rude, abusive, threatening, or harassing language or behavior toward employees, customers or others.
• Lack of cooperation and teamwork.
• Bringing or possessing firearms, weapons or any other hazardous or dangerous devices onto Jester King property.
• Pleading guilty to or being convicted of a felony or a misdemeanor that has some relation to your suitability for continued employment.
• Failure to follow job instruction, refusal to do assigned work, or refusal to perform work in the manner described by an employee’s supervisor.
• Showing up for one’s assigned shift under the influence of illegal drugs. If this behavior is suspected Jester King brewery reserves the right to require that said employee submit to a drug test.
Violation of any of these basic behaviors or any of the other policies outlined in this guide may lead to disciplinary action, up to and including termination. Additionally, the list above should not be considered all-inclusive. If you have any questions about this list or any other policy outline in this guide, please feel free to discuss them with your supervisor or any member of the Leadership Team.
ANTI-Harassment Policy
Jester King is committed to a work environment in which all individuals are treated with respect and dignity. Each individual has the right to work in a professional atmosphere that promotes equal employment opportunities and prohibits unlawful discriminatory practices, including harassment. Therefore, Jester King expects that all relationships among persons in the office will be businesslike and free of bias, prejudice, and harassment.
It is the policy of Jester King to ensure equal employment without discrimination or harassment on the basis of race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, age, disability, genetic information, marital status, amnesty, or status as a covered veteran. Jester King prohibits any such discrimination or harassment.
Jester King encourages reporting of all perceived incidents of discrimination or harassment. It is the policy of the company to promptly and thoroughly investigate such reports. Jester King prohibits retaliation against any individual who reports discrimination or harassment or who participates in an investigation of such reports.
Definitions of Harassment
Sexual harassment constitutes discrimination and is illegal under federal, state and local laws. For the purposes of this policy, sexual harassment is defined, as in the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission Guidelines, as unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors and other verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature when, for example a) submission to such conduct is made either explicitly or implicitly a term or condition of an individual's employment; b) submission to or rejection of such conduct by an individual is used as the basis for employment decisions affecting such individual; or c) 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.
Sexual harassment may include a range of subtle and not-so-subtle behaviors and may involve individuals of the same or different gender. Depending on the circumstances, these behaviors may include unwanted sexual advances or requests for sexual favors; sexual jokes and innuendo; verbal abuse of a sexual nature; commentary about an individual's body, sexual prowess, or sexual deficiencies; leering, whistling, or touching; insulting or obscene comments or gestures; display in the workplace of sexually suggestive objects or pictures; and other physical, verbal, or visual conduct of a sexual nature.
Harassment on the basis of any other protected characteristic is also strictly prohibited. Under this policy, harassment is verbal, written or physical conduct that denigrates or shows hostility or aversion toward an individual because of his/her race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, national origin, age, disability, marital status, citizenship, genetic information, or any other characteristic protected by law, or that of his/her relatives, friends, or associates, and that a) has the purpose or effect of creating an intimidating, hostile, or offensive work environment; b) has the purpose or effect of unreasonably interfering with an individual's work performance; or c) otherwise adversely affects an individual's employment opportunities.
Harassing conduct includes epithets, slurs, or negative stereotyping; threatening, intimidating, or hostile acts; denigrating jokes; and written or graphic material that denigrates or shows hostility or aversion toward an individual or group and that is placed on walls or elsewhere on the employer's premises or circulated in the workplace, on company time or using company equipment via e-mail, phone (including voice messages), text messages, tweets, blogs, social networking sites, or other means.
Individuals and Conduct Covered
These policies apply to all applicants and employees, whether related to conduct engaged in by fellow employees or someone not directly connected to Jester King (e.g., an outside vendor, consultant, or customer).
Conduct prohibited by these policies is unacceptable in the workplace and in any work-related setting outside the workplace, such as during business trips, business meetings, and business-related social events.
Complaint Process
Individuals who believe they have been the victims of conduct prohibited by this policy or who believe they have witnessed such conduct should discuss their concerns with their immediate supervisor or any member of the leadership team.
When possible, Jester King encourages individuals who believe they are being subjected to such conduct to promptly advise the offender that his or her behavior is unwelcome and request that it be discontinued. Often this action alone will resolve the problem. Jester King recognizes, however, that an individual may feel more comfortable pursuing the matter through formal complaint procedures.
Jester King encourages the prompt reporting of complaints or concerns so that rapid and constructive action can be taken before relationships become irreparably strained. Therefore, although no fixed reporting period has been established, early reporting and intervention have proven to be the most effective method of resolving actual or perceived incidents of harassment.
Any reported allegations of harassment, discrimination, or retaliation will be investigated promptly. The investigation may include individual interviews with the parties involved and, where necessary, with individuals who may have observed the alleged conduct or may have other relevant knowledge.