Duchesne County Administration

Personnel/Human
Resource Department

734 North Center 
Duchesne, Utah

ANTI-HARASSMENT POLICY
Based on Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 

A.        It is the policy of Duchesne County that harassment based on sex, race, color, religion, national origin, age, disability or protected activity, by or against county employees and/or elected officials shall not be tolerated.  Any department head, supervisor, or employee of Duchesne County who engages in harassment shall be subject to disciplinary action up to and including termination.  If, in the case of an elected official who engages in harassment, they shall be subject to the statutory provisions of the Utah Code. (UAC 17-16-10.5 and UAC 77-6-1). 

B.        Harassment is defined as conduct, which has the purpose of unreasonably interfering with an individual’s work performance or unreasonably causing a hostile work environment 

C.        Employee(s) claiming to be victims of harassment shall file complaints of alleged harassment within 5 (five) working days as follows: 

1. Employees shall file complaints of alleged harassment with any of the following:

                        a.             Any supervisor in the employee’s chain of                                         command,

                        b.             The county personnel director,

                        c.             Any county commissioner,

            d.             The county attorney’s office.

              2.        Employees may bring good faith complaints without any fear of reprisal, intimidation, coercion or retaliation.  Confidentiality will, to the extent practical under the law and under the necessities of disciplinary action, be protected. 

            3.         An initial complaint need not be in writing.  However, the person receiving the complaint shall make a written record of the alleged harassment on the prescribed form. 

            4.         Anyone receiving a complaint of alleged harassment shall immediately inform the county commission, the personnel director, department head and/or elected official within whose office the report arises.  The supervisor, department head or elected official shall immediately take action to prevent future occurrences of harassment and notify the personnel director so an investigation may be initiated.  If the alleged harasser is the department head or elected official, the person receiving the report shall immediately inform a county commissioner.  The county commission shall then implement an investigation of the department head or elected official.  Care shall be taken during the investigation to protect the rights of both the person complaining and the person accused. 

            5.         The investigation shall be initiated within 5 (five) working days of the initial receipt of the claim, and a decision as to the validity of the claim and any necessary remedial action to be taken shall be made within ten (10) working days from the initiation of the investigation.  The time limits specified above may be extended to a definite date by mutual agreement of the employees involved and the investigator. 

            6.         If an investigation determines that harassment has occurred, appropriate disciplinary action shall be taken against the perpetrator.  (Section 14, Policy and Procedure Manual) 

            7.         Those persons investigating complaints of harassment shall prepare a brief report including findings of fact, recommendation and suggested disciplinary action to be taken, if any, and forward it to the county commission and/or attorney’s office.  The county commission and/or attorney shall impose disciplinary action proportional to the seriousness of the offense. 

            8.         Wholly unsupported claims regarding harassment may subject the accuser to disciplinary action. 

D.        An employee may also file charges with the Utah Labor Commission or the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.   

            1.         Utah Labor Commission - A request for agency action must be filed within 180 days after the alleged discriminatory or prohibited employment practice occurred. 

            2.         Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) - In states or localities where there is an anti-discrimination law and agency authorized to grant or seek relief, a charge must be presented to that state or local agency.  Furthermore, in such jurisdictions, you may file charges with EEOC within 300 days of the alleged discriminatory act, or 30 days after receiving notice that the state or local agency has terminated its processing of the charge, whichever is earlier.

Personnel/Human
Resource Department

• Job Announcements
• Equal Employment Opportunity Statement
• Listing of Elected Officials and Department Supervisors
• Drug & Alcohol Policy
• Anti-Nepotism Policy