Our Statement of Position on Harassment
You may have read a media report on Huffington Post that United Way Worldwide (UWW) has been accused of retaliation against women employees who spoke out about reports of sexual harassment. These are serious charges which are now being independently investigated (see below).
We are a local United Way serving 12 towns in Fairfield County. We feel it is important to clarify the values, policies, and mission of United Way of Coastal Fairfield County, as well as our relationship to UWW.
Values:
Our company is built on a foundation of respect, trust, and transparency. We strive to create a culture where employees feel safe and valued, and where they feel empowered to come forward and report any departure from those values.
Policy:
United Way of Coastal Fairfield County has a Zero Tolerance policy for harassment or discrimination of any kind. Our sexual harassment guidelines are based on rules and procedures established by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and will be used to determine whether sexual harassment has occurred.
Training:
We require extensive periodic sexual harassment training for all employees that meets Connecticut state and EEOC requirements.
Reporting:
An allegation of harassment of an employee by anyone, including co-workers, volunteers or visitors, must be reported to a manager, the President or a member of the Board of Directors. The affected employee or another person can make the allegation or complaint. All allegations will be promptly and impartially investigated. Allegations reported by concerned individuals will be kept strictly confidential and their privacy will be respected, except as necessary to investigate the complaint. UWCFC conducts a bi-annual anonymous review of employees to ensure we are proper safeguards of a harassment-free workplace.
Broader Harassment Policy:
Our policy on sexual harassment is part of a broader policy against harassment. We prohibit all forms of harassment based on an individual's race, ethnicity, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, religion, age, marital status, national origin, pregnancy or maternity, medical condition, physical or mental disability, and any additional status protected by law.
Mission of United Way of Coastal Fairfield County:
Our mission is “Together, we mobilize our communities to improve people’s lives.” We do so by focusing on the health, education, financial stability, and equitable treatment of every one in each of the 12 towns we serve.
Relationship to United Way Worldwide:
United Way of Coastal Fairfield County is one of nearly 1,100 locally-run member organizations of United Way Worldwide (UWW).
We are a separate and autonomous organization that is governed by a local board of volunteer directors, who have ultimate authority and oversight over our United Way.
United Way Worldwide Response to Allegations:
Suzanne McCormick, President, United Way Worldwide, sent the following statement to local United Way Presidents this morning (Monday, 11/23/20). We intend to share any future UWW responses in full transparency once we receive them:
“United Way Worldwide (UWW) takes all workplace issues and reports of misconduct very seriously. Any type of misconduct is met with zero tolerance and UWW has strong policies and procedures in place to report and address this type of behavior; including protections for those who lodge complaints about misconduct.
We have engaged the law firm of Proskauer Rose LLP to independently investigate allegations of misconduct and review our policies and procedures to ensure that they continue to support an inclusive, respectful and safe work environment. Due to the ongoing investigation and the confidential nature of the claims referenced, we cannot discuss the allegations further.”
For more information, please contact our CEO, Jeff Kimball, at jkimball@unitedwaycfc.org.