Everyone at Axelerant is responsible for ensuring a safe space to engage with each other. Working remotely means most of our interactions via video call and written communication, such as email or shared documents. Yet we also have gatherings for teams and local meetups. No matter the communication method, everyone is expected to contribute to an inclusive, collaborative working environment while respecting each other.
When you become aware of or witness any safe space concern, immediately report it.
Perspective
Axelerant wants team members to feel confident, comfortable, and safe in communicating their concerns. Axelerant respects, appreciates, and supports every aspect of diversity as we continuously foster a globally aware team.
Scope
This policy applies to all team members employed by any entity of Axelerant, whether contractor or employee, in all locations. Local labor laws in every country and some states must be followed when handling, reporting, and investigating incidents of harassment. The People Operations team and relevant legal counsel will ensure compliance with appropriate local legal processes and procedures when required. All Axelerant team members will be subject to disciplinary action, up to and including termination, for any harassment they commit.
Anti-Safe Space Behaviors
Axelerant feels that a safe space should be in person and online, regardless of location–work, home, or elsewhere. Therefore, anti-safe space communications between team members are not private.
Bullying & Workplace Violence
Axelerant does not tolerate violent acts or threats of violence. We will not accept fighting, bullying, coercion, or abusive or threatening words directed to, about, or against a co-worker, lead, manager, executive, candidate, client/customer, or vendor. No Axelerant team member should commit or threaten to commit any violent act or discuss committing such offenses, even in a joking manner.
Cyberbullying
Cyberbullying is any form of harassment or bullying that occurs online or through electronic devices. It can happen in many states (including through social media platforms, texts, apps, and emails) and includes behavior such as posting inappropriate pictures, sending offensive messages or threats, or threatening to reveal personal information online.
Any form of behavior leading to cyberbullying is strictly prohibited. A few of such behaviors are:
Creating derogatory websites that mock, torment, and harass the intended victim.
Cyber bashing or flaming: Attacking an individual with belligerent or denigrating language.
E.g., Insults, bigotry, or other hostile expressions.
Cyber smearing: Creating, posting, or distributing sensitive, private, or embarrassing information or images, including doctored images.
Cyberstalking: Online harassment that includes intimidation or threats of harm.
Derogatory rating aspects of an individual on a rating site.
E.g., appearance, character.
Exclusion: Deliberately leaving specific individuals out of online social exchanges.
E.g., Instant messaging or email conversations.
Impersonating someone or creating a false identity to deceive another individual.
E.g., Catfishing.
Online harassment: Repeatedly sending offensive messages to an individual.
Rumour spreading.
Teasing, belittling, or name-calling.
Discrimination
Any form of discrimination towards any individual is strictly prohibited. Types of discrimination may include:
Age
Disability
Gender
Life expectancy
Race; including color, nationality, ethnic or national origin
Religious belief or lack thereof
Sexual orientation
Slander
Inappropriate Touch
Only the upper arm area away from the body, from the shoulder top to the elbow tip, of a person, is considered the safe zone to touch a person without permission using fingertips or an open palm.
Any other place or using a grabbing motion is considered unsafe.
Additionally, obtain verbal or non-verbal acceptance before hugging a person.
Retaliation
Axelerant will not tolerate retaliation of any sort for filing a claim of harassment.
Sexual Harassment
If the harassment is sexual, the Prevention of Sexual Harassment (POSH) Policy is followed. The aggrieved person would be using the PoSH form for raising the complaint. When in doubt, you can reach out to any member of the ICC team for a consultation.
Speaking Up
When people believe they have been the target or witness safe space concerns of any kind, they're encouraged to immediately and directly address the harasser, letting them know that their behavior is unwelcome or offensive and must stop immediately. Speaking up allows all parties to learn from and promote understanding. Further, the harming source can de-escalate the situation by apologizing and resolving the problem without escalation.
While speaking up may not remove all consequences, it significantly reduces the chance of escalation and can potentially return team members to a comfortable and inclusive environment.
Reporting Concerns
When speaking up isn't feasible in a harassment situation, please fill out the Safe Space Concern form within ninety days (90) of the incident to begin an investigation.
We will only share information with the Safe Space Committee.
Safe Space Committee
The Safe Space Committee comprises a People Operations representative, the Director of Coaching, and other relevant representatives.
Investigation Process
All complaints or concerns about safe space concerns or discrimination will be taken seriously and handled confidentially. The Safe Space Committee will investigate the written complaint received to validate the concerns before involving consequences for the reported people.
After receiving the complaint, the People Operations Representative will contact the complainant for the first call to assess the situation and provide interim options to help the complainant feel safe and heard.
Interim measures could include any or all of the following:
Immediate paid leave of 2-5 days considering the severity of the situation
The committee should assess separating the involved parties from current work efforts.
When the respondent is their direct manager, a skip-level manager will conduct any appraisals/performance reviews to ensure an unbiased review.
The inquiry may include the following process.
Review any proof shared by the complainant. E.g., photos, video media, screenshots, etc.
Reach out to witnesses mentioned by the complainant via email or other archivable means.
Setting up calls with the parties involved within ten days of receiving such a complaint.
When there is a failure to attend a hearing before the Safe Space Committee by the complainant or the respondent on 3 (three) consecutive known dates, the committee may terminate the investigation or provide an ex-parte decision with 15 (fifteen) days' notice.
The Safe Space Committee shall complete the inquiry process within 90 (ninety) days from the date of receipt of the complaint.
After an unbiased investigation, the executive team will make a final decision based on the Safe Space Committee's suggestion for the People Operations representative to inform the respondent.
Protection for Complainant and Alleged party
Axelerant will protect safe space concern complainant and alleged identities plus situational details by keeping such information private.
Axelerant is committed to ensuring that no team member bringing forward a safe space concern is subject to reprisal. Any reprisal will be subject to disciplinary action.
Whoever abuses the safe space concern procedure (e.g., by maliciously putting an allegation knowing it to be untrue or producing any forged or misleading document) will be subject to appropriate disciplinary action, including termination.
The Role of the Safe Space Committee
Ensuring that all complaints about safe space concerns are filed by the complaint via the Safe Space Concern form within ninety days (90) of the incident to begin an investigation.
Explaining Axelerant's Safe Space guidance and investigation procedures to all complaint stakeholders.
Arrange for an immediate investigation of misconduct.
Make recommendations for remediation to executive decision makers.
The Safe Space Committee will prepare a written report summarizing the investigation results.
Notifying appropriate authorities (police, country-specific bureaus) when criminal activities are reported.
The Role of Leadership
When managers become aware of a safe space concern managers are expected to:
Take all complaints or concerns of safe space concerns seriously.
Empower the complainant to report the safe space concern.
When the complainant chooses not to report the concern, the manager submits the safe space concern on behalf of the complainant, regardless of consent.
Take appropriate action based on committee recommendations to prevent retaliation or misconduct from recurring.
Managers who knowingly allow or tolerate any form of safe space concern or retaliation, including failing to ensure the report of such misconduct to People Operations, violate this policy and are subject to disciplinary action, including termination.
The Role of Team Members
All employees have a responsibility to create and maintain a safe space work environment by:
Being aware of how their behavior may affect others and changing it if necessary.
Treating their colleagues with dignity and respect.
Taking a stand if they think inappropriate jokes or comments are made to others.
Making it clear to others where they find their behavior unacceptable.
When possible, intervene to stop safe space concerns or bullying.
Reporting promptly to their manager or the Safe Space Committee any witnessed bullying or safe space concerns.
The Role of Executive Decision Makers
The CEO/CXO will make a final decision based on the Safe Space Committee's suggestion. Based on the decision, necessary disciplinary actions will be initiated against the alleged party.
Disciplinary Actions
All team members will be subject to disciplinary action, up to and including termination, for any act of safe space concerns they are confirmed to have committed. Although disciplinary action will be specific to each case, it can generally be classified into four levels mentioned below. Actual disciplinary actions are suggested by the Safe Space Committee and finalized by the executive team in line with https://axelerant.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/AH/pages/1751974104/Prevention+of+Sexual+Harassment+POSH+Policy#4.0-Procedures-%26-Guidelines.
Level 1
E.g., First-time low-impact occurrences of inappropriate behavior or an act out of character moment. After a formal investigation, team members feel comfortable working with the instigator.
1-week unpaid suspension
Formal apology towards inflicted parties
Warning letter
Level 2
E.g., First-time high-impact or recurring, within 1-year, socially inappropriate behavior.
2- to 4-weeks unpaid suspension
Relevant Training & Guidance, paid for by Axelerant.
Formal apology towards inflicted parties
Warning letter
3-month work avoidance between relevant team members
Level 3
E.g., Major infractions, including retaliation or recurring, within one year, socially inappropriate behavior after a warning letter.
Termination
Level 4
E.g., Serious cases, including criminal offenses.
Termination
Reported to the police or other relevant authorities
Training & Guidance
Training and guidance for understanding, preventing, and overcoming safe space concerns will be provided to team members as part of situational resolutions.