Workplace Harassment Policy - Free Legal Template
Updated 17 October 2025
This document outlines a Workplace Harassment Policy, expressing a commitment to maintaining a harassment-free environment for all employees. It defines various forms of harassment, including sexual harassment, and provides guidance on how to address and report incidents. The policy also details potential disciplinary actions for offenders.
WORKPLACE HARASSMENT POLICY
Policy
Our anti-harassment policy expresses our commitment to maintain a workplace that’s free of harassment, so our employees can feel safe and happy. We will not tolerate anyone intimidating, humiliating or sabotaging others in our workplace. We also prohibit willful discrimination based on age, sexual orientation, ethnicity, race, religion, disability, national origin or pregnancy.
Scope
This workplace harassment policy applies to all employees, contractors, public visitors, customers and anyone else whom employees come into contact with at work. Workplace harassment is any unwelcome behavior that humiliates, intimidates or creates a hostile or offensive work environment. This includes written (including electronic), verbal or physical harassment.
Definition
What is the definition of harassment in the workplace?
Harassment encompasses bullying, intimidation, direct insults, malicious gossip and victimization. We cannot provide an exhaustive list, but here are some examples of what we consider to be 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 rumours 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.
Sexual harassment is a serious offence and any allegations will be thoroughly investigated. If an employee is found guilty of sexual harassment, they will be immediately dismissed.
How to address harassment
You can talk to any of the following people if you are being harassed by a colleague, customer or vendor:
Offenders. If you believe that the offender is unaware that they are guilty of harassment, you could talk to them directly to try to resolve the issue. This tactic is appropriate for cases of minor harassment (e.g., colleagues making inappropriate jokes with each other). Do not use this approach with customers or stakeholders.
Your manager. If customers, stakeholders or team members are involved in your claim, you should reach out to your manager. Your manager will assess your situation and contact HR if appropriate.
HR. Do not hesitate to contact HR about any cases of harassment, no matter how small they may seem. For your safety, it is best to contact HR immediately in cases of severe harassment (e.g. sexual advances) or if your manager is involved. Any information you share will be kept confidential.
Disciplinary
The punishment for harassment will depend on the severity of the offense and may include counseling, reprimands, suspensions, or termination.
About this template
What is this template?
Workplace Harassment Policy - Free Legal Template is a free, ready-to-use Employment template you can open, customize, and download on GitLaw. It gives you a professionally structured starting point, so you never have to draft from a blank page. The wording is plain and modern, organized into clear sections that are easy to read, edit, and adapt to your own situation before you share or sign it.
When should you use it?
Reach for this Employment template whenever you need a reliable agreement quickly and want to be sure the essentials are covered. It suits individuals, freelancers, startups, and established businesses alike. Instead of paying for a document drafted from scratch, you can start here, tailor the details to your arrangement, and have a polished draft ready in minutes. Always review the final wording against the laws that apply where you live or do business.
What's typically included?
A well-drafted Employment usually sets out the parties involved, the scope of the agreement, and each side's rights and responsibilities. Expect sections covering key terms and definitions, how long the agreement lasts, how it can be ended, and what happens if something goes wrong. This template brings those building blocks together in a sensible order, so you can focus on the specifics rather than worrying about what to include. Open it to read the full document, then sign up to edit, negotiate, and e-sign it directly in GitLaw.