These guidelines describe how to handle HIB reports. They guide anyone who:
- wants to report HIB, or
- receives reports of HIB
In this document, the word “reporter” is a person who:
- believes they have been the victim of HIB, or
- witnesses HIB and reports it
Our HIB policies give due process (fair treatment) to both:
- people accused of HIB, and
- people who are victims of HIB
Policies were adopted to cover:
- Faculty
- Academic Staff
- University Staff
- *UW is developing a policy to cover limited appointees
These policies do not directly cover:
- Undergraduate or Graduate Students covered by the student code of conduct
- Post-doctoral Fellows
- Employees-in-Training
Regardless of employee classification, most of the steps below can guide anyone who has experienced, seen, or participated in HIB.
HIB is behavior that:
- a reasonable person would feel is hostile or intimidating,
- doesn’t further the university’s academic or operational interests, and
- is so severe and/or frequent that it negatively impacts a person’s ability to work.
By themselves, these are not HIB:
- Critical or negative performance reviews
- Actions by a supervisor that are within the limits of authority but feel critical or negative
3 ways to address and resolve alleged instances of HIB
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1. Interpersonal
The people involved address the behavior, with no intervention of supervisors or other administrators.
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2. Administrative
The target or witness asks unit administration to address the behavior.
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3. Formal
The target or witness files a formal complaint or grievance, and administration addresses the behavior through corrective action (for example, a disciplinary process).
- A report of HIB does not always mean the behavior was actually HIB according to policy.
- A person who is accused of HIB cannot file a ‘counter-claim’ of HIB against the reporter simply because they filed a claim.
- Policy states that retaliation against a reporter of HIB is an instance of HIB.
- If a supervisor is accused of HIB, administration will consider appropriate management roles and activities when reviewing the claim.
- In every context in which the word “confidential” is used in this document, confidentiality has its exceptions. For instance, if it were apparent that someone poses an imminent risk to their own or someone else’s safety, confidentiality would not apply.
The sooner people address a problem, the more likely they can use an informal option. Experience shows that informal methods are most successful in addressing workplace problems. Less legalistic, less confrontational methods have more positive and satisfying outcomes.
If a behavior is frequent or severe, informal options might not be appropriate.
People who have witnessed HIB can report it to a supervisor or HR representative.
- Before doing anything, the witness should talk with the person they believe is the target of HIB.
- The supervisor or HR representative who receives the report should also talk with the target.