Virtual Air Festivals Non-Discrimination Policy Statement

At Virtual Air Festivals, we value all staff and volunteers as unique individuals, and we welcome the variety of experiences they bring to our group. As such, we have a strict non-discrimination policy. We believe everyone should be treated equally regardless of race, sex, gender identification, sexual orientation, national origin, native language, religion, age, disability, marital status, citizenship, genetic information, pregnancy, or any other characteristic protected by law. If you feel that you have been discriminated against, please operations manager know as soon as possible. Every complaint will be appropriately investigated.

Right to Work in Professional Environment

Every staff and volunteer has the right to work in a professional environment where their knowledge, skills, and abilities are the critical factors in their success. Virtual Air Festivals expects all staff and volunteers to maintain standards of propriety, promote equal opportunity, treat everyone professionally, and act without bias. 

Zero tolerance for harassment

Virtual Air Festivals has a zero-tolerance policy for sexual harassment or discrimination, racial harassment or discrimination, or any other form of harassment and discrimination (religious, language, sexual orientation, et cetera). If you feel that you have been harassed or that staff and volunteers have discriminated against you, Sexual harassment includes unwanted sexual or romantic overtures, inappropriate sexual jokes, or comments regarding sexual activities. staff/volunteers should never access pornography on Virtual Air Festivals equipment. Using your personal device to access pornography while working or in the company of other staff/volunteers is also forbidden.

Racial, national origin, ethnic, or language discrimination can consist of jokes, negative comments, or forbidding staff/volunteers from speaking the language of their choice while on non-official business. The official language of Virtual Air Festivals is English, and we will provide all formal documents in this language. Staff and volunteers are free to speak their preferred language at any time. However, official meetings will be conducted in English, and all documentation will be in this language.

If you are not comfortable reporting harassment in English, you may report it in your preferred language, and a member of staff will translate your report.

Virtual Air Festivals will make every reasonable effort to train and inform all staff/volunteers regarding these policies. Each staff member will certify yearly that they have read with and agree to uphold Virtual Air Festivals policies, including those regarding harassment and discrimination.

Disability discrimination

Virtual Air Festivals believes everyone has the right to staff/volunteer. A staff/volunteer with a disability who can perform the core functions of the project tasks, with or without reasonable accommodation, is entitled to the same protection and respect as other staff/volunteers. 

Retaliation

Virtual Air Festivals prohibits retaliation against any person who files a complaint against harassment or discrimination. We encourage staff/volunteers to come forward and participate in investigations. Virtual Air Festivals will make all reasonable efforts to keep investigations confidential and to protect people who make complaints. 

If a staff/volunteer retaliates against another staff/volunteer for reporting harassment or discrimination, that staff/volunteer will face serious consequences up to and including termination from Virtual Air Festivals. 

Reporting procedure

Any staff/volunteer who feels they have been harassed, discriminated against, or otherwise treated negatively because of their race, religion, gender, or other characteristics, should report the harassment to one of the following people: 

• The Operations/Community Manager of their region.

Staff/volunteers will not be disciplined in any manner for failing to report something that occurred to them. Nor will Virtual Air Festivals retaliate for any good faith report. A good faith report means that the staff/volunteer believes that something inappropriate happened, even if the investigation determines no inappropriate behaviour occurred.

Virtual International Air Festival will then conduct an investigation. This may take a considerable amount of time, depending on the situation. Virtual Air Festivals expects all staff/volunteers to participate in the investigation and keep things confidential as allowed by law and GDPR. At the end of the investigation, the investigating party (usually an Operations Manager) will issue a report and a recommendation. The staff/volunteer who reported the incident will be informed that the investigation is finished.

Any staff/volunteer accused of inappropriate behaviour will be treated with respect. If the accusation is serious and credible, the staff/volunteer may be suspended and or terminated. The accused staff/volunteer will be told the outcome of the investigation. If the investigation reveals that the staff/volunteer was at fault, the accused staff/volunteer may be subject to discipline. This can include anything from a verbal reprimand to termination, depending on the situation and the severity of the issue. 

If a staff/volunteer makes a bad faith complaint, that will be considered harassment. A bad faith complaint is one where the complainant knowingly lies or misrepresents the situation to accuse a staff/volunteer, damage someone’s reputation, or to get personal gain.

Either party is allowed to appeal the decision. You can appeal the decision by filing a written report with the head of your countries Operations Manager.