2

history), status as a parent, marital status, or political affiliation, and free from illegal retaliation.

The Department will not tolerate offensive sexual or non-sexual harassing behavior against any 

Department employee, intern, volunteer, contractor or other non-Federal employee, visitor, or 

other member of the public. The Department also will not tolerate adverse treatment of 

employees because they report harassing conduct or provide information related to such 

complaints. The purpose of this policy is to ensure that the Department takes immediate and 

appropriate corrective action, including appropriate disciplinary action, to eliminate harassing 

conduct regardless of whether the conduct rises to the level of a violation of law. Therefore, the 

goal of this policy is to address harassing conduct at the earliest possible stage, before it becomes 

“severe or pervasive,” i.e., harassment within the meaning of anti-discrimination law.

A. Prohibited Harassing Conduct. The conduct prohibited by this policy includes, but is 

broader than, the legal definitions of harassment and sexual harassment. Harassing conduct 

prohibited by this policy is defined as unwelcome conduct, verbal or physical, including 

intimidation, ridicule, insult, comments, or physical conduct, that is based on an individual’s 

protected status or protected activities under this policy, when:

1. the behavior can reasonably be considered to adversely affect the work environment; or

2. an employment decision affecting the employee is based upon the employee’s acceptance 

or rejection of such conduct.

Protected status is defined as an individual’s race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy and 

gender identity), sexual orientation, national origin, age, disability, family medical history 

(including genetic information), status as a parent, marital status, or political affiliation. 

Protected activities under this policy are defined in Section 5.B.

Although not every instance of inappropriate behavior may meet the legal definition of 

harassment, such behavior undermines morale and the Department's mission. Accordingly, the 

misconduct prohibited by this policy is broader than the definition of illegal harassment under 

Title VII of the Civil Rights Act to ensure that appropriate officials are notified of, and can 

promptly correct, harassing conduct. Harassment becomes illegal when enduring the offensive 

conduct becomes a condition of continued employment or the conduct is sufficiently severe or 

pervasive as to create a work environment that a reasonable person would consider intimidating, 

hostile, or abusive. All harassing conduct, as defined above, is a violation of this policy.

Employees are subject to disciplinary action, up to and including removal, for engaging in 

harassing conduct while in the workplace or in any work-related situation, including while on 

official travel. Off-duty misconduct may subject the employee to potential discipline if the 

misconduct is likely to have an adverse effect on the Department (e.g., harassing a co-worker, 

visitor, contractor, or volunteer during off-duty hours). Harassing conduct can occur in person, 

through phone calls or in writing, or through the use of social media, or other forms of 

technology. 

B. Prohibited Retaliatory Conduct. It is a violation of this policy to retaliate against 

employees who engage in protected activity under this policy. Protected activity includes

reporting harassing conduct, discrimination or retaliation; filing a claim of harassment; providing 

evidence in any investigation; or intervening to protect others who may have suffered harassing 
3

conduct, discrimination or retaliation. A manager may not fire, demote, harass, or otherwise take 

any personnel action against an individual for reporting an allegation of misconduct under this 

policy.

It is important that supervisors and managers protect employees who report alleged misconduct, 

and do not take any retaliatory personnel action against these individuals in order to deter 

reporting harassing conduct or filing a complaint. A supervisor/manager found to have engaged 

in retaliation is subject to disciplinary action.

The following examples are a non-exhaustive list of actions that would be prohibited retaliation 

if they were taken because of, or were motivated by, an employee’s protected activity: 

transferring the complainant or witness against his or her will, ignoring or not communicating 

with the complainant or witness, engaging in verbal or physical abuse, or non-selection for an 

employment opportunity.

Engaging in protected activity under this policy does not shield an employee from all personnel 

actions. Supervisors/managers can take personnel actions, including discipline and removal, if 

they are motivated by non-retaliatory and non-discriminatory reasons that would otherwise 

result in such consequences (e.g., transferring an employee for legitimate business reasons or 

closely monitoring the performance of an employee on a Performance Improvement Plan).

C. Employee Reporting Expectations. The Department cannot correct harassing conduct if a 

supervisor, manager, or other Department official is not aware of it. Any employee who has 

been subjected to harassing conduct is encouraged to inform the person(s) responsible for the 

conduct that it is unwelcome and offensive, and request that it cease. If the conduct continues, is 

severe, or if the employee is uncomfortable addressing the responsible person(s) about the 

conduct, the employee is encouraged to report the matter to:

• the supervisor of the employee engaging in the misconduct;

• another supervisor or other management official;

• the servicing Human Resources office; or

• the Office of the Inspector General (OIG).

Employees who know of or witness possible harassing conduct directed at others are expected to

report the matter to any of the officials or offices listed above.

Reports made pursuant to this policy do not replace, substitute, or otherwise satisfy the separate 

obligations of an Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) complaint, negotiated or administrative 

grievance, or other complaint process. Unlike this policy, other complaint procedures typically 

provide for remedial relief to the victims. See Section 9 for more information about how an 

employee may pursue rights under one of these separate processes, in addition to reporting the 

misconduct under this policy.

Engaging in additional processes and services available to support employees who have 

experienced harassing conduct, such as consulting with a union representative to get advice, 

engaging in alternative dispute resolution procedures, consulting an ombuds/CORE PLUS 
4

neutral1, or contacting the employee assistance program, do not constitute a report under this 

policy. See Section 10 for additional information.

D. Management Duty to Act. Supervisors/managers who observe or are informed of 

allegations of harassing conduct must comply with the following requirements:

a) report the conduct/allegations to the appropriate officials, even if the employee raising 

the allegation requests confidentiality (see Section 8.A. for additional details);

b) ensure that a prompt, objective, and thorough investigation is conducted; and

c) take steps to ensure that the harassing conduct is appropriately addressed to deter further 

misconduct, including taking disciplinary action, if appropriate.

The fact that a potential victim of harassing conduct will or has filed an EEO complaint or 

grievance alleging harassment does not relieve a supervisor/manager of his or her duty to act 

pursuant to this policy. Therefore, it is possible that multiple inquiries into a given complaint 

may proceed in parallel.

Appropriate corrective action, disciplinary or otherwise, up to and including removal, will be 

taken against any supervisor or other management official who fails to perform her or his 

obligations as set forth in this policy, including any failure to report known violations of this 

policy.

E. Distinction from EEO and Other Remedial Procedures. This policy and its reporting

procedures are separate and distinct from the EEO process, which focuses on making employees 

whole after they have experienced discrimination (including harassment) by issuing remedial 

relief, such as compensatory damages. This policy does not replace an employee’s EEO or other 

rights. Corrective action taken under this policy does not provide the remedies available in the 

EEO process, administrative or negotiated grievance procedures, or any other processes.

Reporting allegations of misconduct under this policy does not satisfy the requirements for filing 

an EEO complaint, administrative or negotiated grievance, or other procedure, nor does it delay 

the time limits for initiating those procedures. See Section 9 for additional information on 

remedial processes.

6. Responsibilities.

As noted in Section 4, Bureaus may issue implementing procedures to add additional 

responsibilities to each of the below roles and/or identify additional roles within their 

organizational structures in order to implement this policy.

 1 Ombuds and other CORE PLUS neutrals are available to discuss any workplace-related concern, including those 

related to harassing or inappropriate conduct. Ombuds, in particular, work independently from management’s 

chain of command, are impartial, and help with both individual and systemic issues.
5

A. Deputy Assistant Secretary for Human Capital & Diversity

The Deputy Assistant Secretary for Human Capital & Diversity, as the Department’s Chief 

Human Capital Officer (CHCO), is responsible for:

1. Disseminating this policy to all employees on an annual basis and periodically reminding 

employees of their responsibilities under this policy.

2. Ensuring that performance plans of all supervisors/managers include a critical element

that would rate their performance on taking appropriate action against employees for 

misconduct.

3. Fulfilling the role of Bureau Human Capital Officer, as defined in Section 6.C., for the 

Office of the Secretary.

4. Providing periodic reports to the Deputy Secretary of the Interior or his/her designee on 

information received from the Bureau Human Capital Officers pursuant to Section 6.C.5

of this policy on allegations of misconduct under this policy and the necessary corrective 

action taken, if any.

B. Bureau Directors and Equivalent Office Heads

Bureau/Office Heads are responsible for:

1. Ensuring that supervisors/managers are appropriately rated on the critical element

described in Section 6.A.2.

2. Ensuring that their organizations are in full compliance with requirements of this policy.

3. Monitoring the work environment following a report alleging a violation of this policy to 

ensure that there are no further violations or incidents of retaliation against any individual 

who has reported harassment or participated in the investigation.

C.Bureau and Equivalent Office Human Capital Officers (Bureau HCOs)

Bureau HCOs are responsible for:

1. Developing and providing periodic communications to all Bureau/Office employees on 

this policy and any Bureau/Office-specific requirements, and incorporating this policy 

into the Bureau/Office’s supervisory training curriculum.

2. Resolving any disagreements involving investigations between management officials and 

consulting staff from servicing Human Resources Offices or the Office of the Solicitor

regarding whether and what type of investigation is necessary.

3. Providing oversight, technical assistance, and support to Bureau/Office staff to ensure 

compliance with this policy.

4. Ensuring that the procedures in this policy are properly executed by monitoring inquiries 

and investigations of reported or otherwise discovered harassing conduct; providing 

guidance concerning the information to be gathered and methods to be used during 
6

inquiries and investigations; and otherwise ensuring that the investigations are swift, 

thorough, impartial, and appropriate to the allegation.

5. Reviewing on a monthly basis the information contained in the system used by servicing 

Human Resources Offices to track harassing conduct allegations, as described in Section 

8.B., and providing information to the Bureau/Office Director and the CHCO as 

requested.

6. Providing the record of actions taken under this policy to any office handling a parallel 

statutory or grievance claim, as referenced in Section 7.F.

D. Servicing Human Resources Offices (HROs)

Servicing HROs (normally the Employee Relations function in particular) are responsible for:

1. Receiving reports alleging violations of this policy and, as described in Section 7 of this 

policy, notifying and assisting the relevant management officials in handling allegations 

of harassing conduct and taking corrective action, as appropriate and necessary.

2. Tracking all reports made and actions taken pursuant to this policy in line with the 

Department’s Office of Human Resources case tracking procedures, and reporting on 

them to the Bureau HCO.

E. Office of the Solicitor (SOL)

The Office of the Solicitor is responsible for advising and assisting the relevant management 

officials and servicing HROs in handling allegations of harassing conduct and taking corrective 

action, as appropriate and necessary. Within SOL, the Employment and Labor Law Unit 

(ELLU) is the initial point of contact for issues related to harassing conduct, and is responsible 

for providing Harassment Duty Attorney coverage on weekdays, 8:00 am – 7:00 pm Eastern 

time. 

F. Supervisors and Management Officials

Supervisors and management officials must:

1. Make every effort to provide a work environment free of illegal harassment.

2. Ensure that their subordinates are aware of this policy and its requirements.

3. Act promptly and effectively to stop harassing conduct of which they are aware, and hold 

employees who have engaged in harassing conduct accountable.

4. Receive reports alleging violations of this policy and, as described in Section 7 of this 

policy, make or direct further inquiries into such reports and take corrective action, as 

appropriate and necessary.

5. Follow any additional procedures, handbooks, or guidelines issued by the Department or 

the Bureau/Office as related to this policy.
7

6. Notify appropriate officials in their chain of command of reported or observed conduct 

under this policy and of their efforts to correct the conduct.

7. Appropriately evaluate and hold accountable subordinate supervisors/managers of their 

performance under this policy.

8. Protect employees who report misconduct from retaliation.

G. All Employees

All Department employees must:

1. Refrain from engaging in harassing conduct.

2. Participate in any training required under this policy.

3. Cooperate fully in any inquiry or investigation.

All Department employees are expected to:

1. Understand their rights and responsibilities under this policy.

2. Report harassing conduct of which they are aware or witness in the work environment, as 

described in Section 5.C. of this policy.

All Department employees who are victims of harassing conduct are encouraged to report the 

harassing conduct.

7. Management Response to Reports of Harassing Conduct.

A. Documenting Report of Harassing Conduct. A supervisor, manager, or HR official who 

receives a report of, or otherwise becomes aware of, harassing conduct, must within one 

business day:

1. Document the allegation in writing (see Appendix A, Sample Intake Form).

2. Acknowledge receipt of the report to the reporting party.

B. Supervisor/Manager Immediate Actions

1. Determinations to be made

The supervisor/manager who receives a report of, or otherwise becomes aware of, 

harassing conduct involving subordinates must promptly contact the servicing HRO. In 

consultation with the servicing HRO, the supervisor/manager must determine:

a. What conduct is at issue, whether it arguably could be considered harassing 

conduct, and whether it is potentially criminal in nature;

b. Who may be involved; and
8

c. Whether the reported activity poses a security risk and whether it is necessary to 

alert law enforcement (e.g., in instances where there is a threat of immediate 

physical harm).

If the report is made outside of the regular business hours of the servicing HRO, 

supervisors/managers should take action based on their best judgment to minimize any 

perceived risk of immediate harm and contact the servicing HRO as soon as normal 

business hours resume.

2. Conflicts of interest of senior-level officials

If an Assistant Secretary, Deputy Assistant Secretary, Bureau or equivalent Office Head, 

or similar high ranking official is implicated in the potentially harassing conduct, the 

CHCO will designate an appropriate management official to be responsible for making

the preliminary determinations and directing any further investigation that is warranted.

3. Interim measures to ensure harassing conduct does not continue

Before directing a thorough investigation into the allegations of misconduct, a 

supervisor/manager must take any necessary interim steps to ensure that the potentially 

harassing conduct does not continue. The interim measures taken will depend on the 

severity of the conduct alleged. The two interim measures listed below are required in 

cases of serious misconduct, including, but not limited to, harassing conduct of a sexual 

nature, depending on the circumstances.

Before implementing either of the measures below, the supervisor/manager must consult 

with the servicing HRO and the Harassment Duty Attorney of SOL/ELLU for advice and 

guidance. If the report is made outside of the regular business hours of the servicing 

HRO, supervisors/managers should take action based on their best judgment to minimize 

any perceived risk of immediate harm and contact the servicing HRO as soon as normal 

business hours resume.

a. Separation of the Allegedly Harassing Employee from the Alleged Victim

If the conduct is severe or pervasive, including, but not limited to, threatening 

behavior, touching, punching, or other egregious harassing behavior, the 

supervisor/manager should separate the employee alleged with harassing conduct 

from the alleged victim, at least until the matter otherwise can be resolved. 

Management should not move the employee who reported or otherwise was the 

alleged victim of harassing conduct. If the alleged victim, without having been 

asked or prompted, specifically requests such a move or transfer, management 

should inform the employee that she or he need not leave, and that instead the 

employee alleged to be responsible for the harassing conduct may be moved. 

Nonetheless, to the extent possible, management should honor the alleged victim’s 

request. Appropriate steps to separate the alleged victim from the alleged harasser 

include, but are not limited to:

• assigning the alleged harasser to a telework status or a temporary detail;

• moving him or her to another office space, desk or floor; or
9

• requesting approval to place him or her on administrative or investigative leave.

b. Issuing No Contact Instructions

Another interim measure that a supervisor/manager may take to help ensure that 

harassing conduct stops is to instruct the allegedly harassing employee to have no 

further contact or communications with the alleged victim.

C. Notifying Appropriate Officials of Report. In implementing this policy, Bureaus may 

identify additional roles or change which of the below roles accomplish the notifications required

in this section. 

Management officials must notify the following parties within one business day:

1. Supervisors/managers who become aware of harassing conduct involving their 

subordinates must notify their own first-line supervisor or, if the conduct implicates the 

first-line supervisor, notify the second-line supervisor.

2. Supervisors/managers who become aware of harassing conduct involving employees 

outside of their chain of command must:

a. Notify the allegedly harassing employee’s supervisor; and

b. Notify the alleged victim’s supervisor, or, if the conduct implicates the supervisor 

or another manager, the Bureau HCO.

3. When a supervisor/manager has consulted with the servicing HRO regarding a report of 

alleged harassing conduct, the HR officer or assigned Employee Relations 

supervisor/specialist will:

a. Notify the Harassment Duty Attorney of the SOL/ELLU at SOLAntiharass@sol.doi.gov; and

b. If applicable, notify the servicing HRO of the allegedly harassing employee.

4. When a report of alleged harassing conduct is made directly to the servicing HRO, the 

HR officer or assigned Employee Relations supervisor/specialist will:

a. Notify the SOL/ELLU Harassment Duty Attorney at SOLAntiharass@sol.doi.gov; and

b. Notify and assist the next appropriate level of management above the allegedly 

harassing employee implicated in the report with immediately making the 

determinations described in Section 7.B. and taking any other necessary and 

appropriate action.

D. Conducting Further Investigation

1. Deciding whether further investigation is necessary
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Within three business days of the receipt of the allegation, the supervisor/manager of the 

allegedly harassing employee, or other designated management official, must consult 

with SOL and the servicing HRO to determine whether and what type of further 

investigation is required (as described in Section 7.D.2), or if the preliminary inquiry is 

sufficient to determine whether corrective action is necessary. These decisions are factspecific, and must be made on a case-by-case basis. Any disagreement between the 

responsible management official and the consulting offices will be directed to the Bureau 

HCO.

If it is determined that an investigation is necessary, the servicing HRO specialist will 

ensure that the investigative process is initiated within two business days of the decision 

being made regarding the appropriate investigative entity (e.g., refer the case to the OIG, 

initiate the funding process and prepare a statement of work for a third-party 

investigator). The servicing HRO specialist will serve as the primary point of contact for 

logistics related to getting an internal or third-party investigator in place, as well as when 

the allegations have been referred for criminal investigation or to the OIG.

2. Deciding who will conduct the investigation

If it is determined that further investigation is necessary, the following general guidelines 

will apply for choosing the type of investigation:

a. OIG: Allegations of criminal activity, allegations implicating a member of the 

Senior Executive Service, or other senior or prominent management official, 

senior law enforcement official, or any OIG employee, and allegations tied to 

waste, fraud, or abuse of Department funds/programs or violations of Federal 

ethics regulations must be referred to OIG, which has the right of first refusal in 

conducting the investigation;2

b. Bureau law enforcement internal affairs unit: Allegations involving law 

enforcement personnel of a Bureau’s law enforcement entity must be referred to 

the entity’s Office of Professional Responsibility or equivalent internal affairs 

unit;

c. Third-party investigator3: Allegations of harassing conduct of a sexual nature.

All other allegations under this policy may be handled by a third-party investigator, 

employee relations specialist(s), supervisor/manager, or another employee trained to 

conduct investigations. The supervisor/manager of the allegedly harassing employee, or 

other designated management official, in consultation with the servicing HRO and SOL, 

will make the final decision about the investigation method based on the complexity and 

scope of the allegation(s) and the availability of qualified investigators.

 2 OIG may also undertake any criminal, civil or administrative investigations regarding allegations of any grade 

employee involved in a serious or notorious allegation or incident that may negatively impact the operations and 

efficiency of the Department. 3 A third-party investigator can be a contract investigator, a DOI HR official from outside the servicing HRO, or a 

management official outside the Bureau/Office/Region chain of command.
11

3. Conducting the investigation

All investigations must be conducted swiftly, impartially, and in a manner appropriate to 

the allegation. All investigations handled by a Department supervisor/manager, servicing 

HRO, or third-party investigator must be conducted in accordance with the Department’s 

Investigator Guide to Conducting Administrative Investigations.

E. Taking Corrective Action. If it is determined that misconduct occurred, corrective action is

necessary.

1. To determine whether corrective action is necessary, the supervisor/manager of the 

employee alleged to have engaged in harassing conduct must consult with the servicing 

HRO and SOL to determine whether any disciplinary or other corrective action would be 

appropriate or if the allegation should be closed with no finding of misconduct.

2. If the decision is made that the allegation should be closed with no finding of misconduct, 

the supervisor/manager must write a memorandum detailing why no corrective action 

was warranted. This memorandum must be approved by the next higher level manager

and be included in the case file maintained by the servicing HRO.

3. If facts uncovered during the investigation or inquiry demonstrate that misconduct 

occurred, the supervisor/manager must propose disciplinary or corrective action. If there 

is disagreement between the supervisor/manager and the consulting offices on whether 

corrective action is appropriate, the next higher level of management will make the 

decision.

4. The appropriate corrective action will depend on the severity and/or pervasiveness of the 

offense, the action that would be required to end such conduct, the offender’s 

disciplinary/conduct history, and other surrounding circumstances. Corrective action 

may include counseling or any disciplinary action applicable to instances of misconduct, 

such as reprimand, suspension, demotion, or termination, in accordance with 370 DM 

752, Discipline and Adverse Actions. Where evidence indicates that employees are not 

sure about what conduct is appropriate and permissible, appropriate training should be 

provided.

5. A supervisor/manager’s failure to take appropriate disciplinary and/or corrective action 

will generally support a charge of negligent supervision and be an actionable charge. 

Appropriate corrective action, disciplinary or otherwise, up to and including removal will 

be taken against any supervisor or other management official who fails to perform her/his 

obligations as set forth in this policy, including any unreasonable failure to report known

violations of this policy. In addition, managers will appropriately evaluate and hold 

accountable subordinate supervisors/managers for their performance under this policy

using the required supervisory critical element.

F. Responding to Reports of Harassing Conduct Raised in a Statutory, Administrative, or 

Negotiated Grievance Process

If an employee pursues a claim of harassment through the EEO process, an MSPB appeal, or a 

negotiated/administrative grievance, the Department official who receives notice of such claim 

will promptly notify the appropriate responsible management official. The management official 
12

has a duty to act promptly upon learning that harassing conduct has been alleged, must treat the 

notice as a report under this policy, and must follow the steps outlined in this section, unless 

inconsistent with applicable regulatory or statutory requirements. It is possible that multiple 

inquiries into a given complaint may proceed in parallel.

8. Maintaining Confidentiality and Keeping Records.

A. Maintaining Confidentiality. Supervisors/managers must take action to investigate all 

allegations of harassing conduct, even if the employee raising the allegation requests 

confidentiality. All reports of harassing conduct and related information will be maintained on a 

confidential basis to the greatest extent possible. The identity of the employee alleging 

violations of this policy will be kept confidential, except as necessary to conduct an appropriate 

investigation into the alleged violations, to take appropriate disciplinary or corrective action, to 

comply with the reporting requirements of this policy, or when otherwise required by law.

Upon inquiry from the alleged victim, the supervisor/manager must notify the alleged victim of 

the harassing conduct about the completion of the process to the extent permitted under the 

Privacy Act. The alleged victim may not be provided the outcome of any disciplinary action 

against the allegedly harassing employee and may not be provided a copy of the fact-finding 

report. The supervisor/manager must consult with servicing HRO specialist and SOL about this 

notification.

B. Tracking Allegations of Harassing Conduct. The servicing HRO will be responsible for 

tracking the information related to the allegations of harassing conduct in separate case files, in 

accordance with established records management policies. The servicing HRO must monitor 

and record the status of allegations, including final resolution, in the appropriate tracking system

approved by the Department’s Office of Human Resources. This information will help the 

Department monitor compliance with this policy, understand trends related to harassing conduct, 

and ensure swift resolution of complaints.

9. Distinction from Statutory and Grievance Claims.

The purpose of this policy is to stop harassing conduct that has occurred and deter its occurrence 

in the future. However, corrective action under this policy does not provide the remedies 

available in the EEO, grievance, or other processes, such as compensatory damages. Filing a 

report under this policy does not satisfy the requirements for filing an EEO complaint, negotiated

grievance, or other procedure and obtaining remedies pursuant to them, nor does it delay the time 

limits for initiating those procedures. Thus, an employee who chooses to pursue statutory, 

administrative, or collective bargaining remedies for unlawful harassment must select one of the 

available forums as follows:

A. For an EEO complaint pursuant to 29 C.F.R. §1614 (available for all claims of illegal 

harassment other than those based on status as a parent, marital status and political affiliation), 

contact an EEO counselor in the Bureau’s or Office’s Equal Employment Opportunity/Civil 

Rights Office within 45 calendar days from the most recent incident of alleged harassment (or 

personnel action, if one is involved), as required in 29 C.F.R. §1614.105(a)(1); or
13

B. For a negotiated grievance claim, file a grievance in accordance with the provisions of the 

applicable Collective Bargaining Agreement; or

C. For an administrative grievance claim, file a written grievance in accordance with the 

provisions of 370 DM 771, Administrative Grievance Procedures; or

D. For an appeal to the Office of Special Counsel (OSC) regarding claims of harassment 

related to marital status and political affiliation, pursuant to 5 U.S.C. §2302(b)(1) and (b)(10), 

file a written appeal with the OSC as described in 5 C.F.R. §1800.1 and on www.osc.gov; or

E. For an appeal to the MSPB pursuant to 5 C.F.R. § 1201.22, file a written appeal with the 

Board within 30 days of the effective date of an appealable adverse action as defined in 5 C.F.R. 

§1201.3, or within 30 days of the date of receipt of the agency's decision, whichever is later.

10. Additional Resources.

A. Consultation Options. Employees who have experienced harassing conduct have multiple 

resources available that can provide assistance and advice. Engaging with the following

resources does not constitute a report under this policy, as these entities do not have an 

obligation to inform management of allegations of harassing conduct: 

• Ombuds/CORE PLUS neutrals. Office of Collaborative Action and Dispute 

Resolution (CADR) ombuds work independently from management’s chain of command 

and are impartial. CORE PLUS neutrals are qualified, certified providers of conflict 

management and alternative dispute resolution services. Conversations with ombuds and 

other CORE PLUS neutrals are confidential and informal and provide managers and 

employees a safe place to explore options for addressing individual or organizational 

concerns. Ombuds and CORE PLUS neutrals are not obliged to report discussions 

(outside of imminent risk of harm). Information about CADR programs is available at 

https://www.doi.gov/pmb/cadr/;

• Employee Assistance Program (EAP). The DOI EAP is an employee benefit program 

that helps employees with personal and/or work-related problems that may impact their 

job performance, health, and mental and emotional well-being. Information about EAP 

services is available at https://www.doi.gov/pmb/hr/eap;

• Victim Assistance Program. The DOI Office of Law Enforcement and Security or 

Bureau law enforcement office’s Victim Assistance Program provides general 

information about rights and services available for victims of crime; and

• Union Representative. Employees who are covered by a bargaining unit can consult 

with a union representative.

B. Additional Information. To learn more about the Department’s anti-harassment resources 

and Bureau-specific policies, visit www.doi.gov/employees/anti-harassment. 

11. Inquiries.

Any Department employee or employee representative seeking further information concerning 

this policy may contact the appropriate Bureau HCO. Servicing HROs may contact the 

15

Appendix A: Sample Harassing Conduct Allegation Intake Form

This sample intake form can be used by any management official to record a report of harassing 

conduct. It can be used as a prompt during a conversation with an employee reporting harassing 

conduct, or as a way to document the conversation after the fact. Gathering as much information 

as possible immediately from the individual reporting the alleged harassing conduct will aid 

management in swiftly determining the best course of action. Bureaus/Offices may wish to 

develop and issue their own versions of this form.

Management Official Taking the Report

Name: _________________________ Title: ____________________________________

Organization: __________________________________________________________________

Date Information Reported: ___________________________ Time: __________________ 

Individual Reporting Harassing Conduct

Name: _________________________ Title: ____________________________________

Organization: __________________________________________________________________

Phone: _________________________ Job location: ______________________________

Individuals Allegedly Engaging in Harassing Conduct (if known)

1. Name: _________________________ Title: ____________________________________

Organization: __________________________________________________________________

Phone: _________________________ Job location: ______________________________
16

2. Name: _________________________ Title: ____________________________________

Organization: __________________________________________________________________

Phone: _________________________ Job location: ______________________________

3. Name: _________________________ Title: ____________________________________

Organization: __________________________________________________________________

Phone: _________________________ Job location: ______________________________

Questions to Ask the Individual Reporting the Harassing Conduct

1. Date(s) of alleged incident(s)/action(s):

2. Please describe specifically the alleged harassing conduct, including the protected status on 

which you believe it was based [i.e., race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy and gender 

identity), sexual orientation, national origin, age, disability, family medical history (including 

genetic information), status as a parent, marital status, or political affiliation]:

3. Was this an isolated event or a pattern of similar events or behaviors?
17

4. Was the harassing conduct directed at you or someone else? If someone else, to whom was it 

directed?

 

5. What was your reaction?

6. How did this conduct or behavior affect you? How did it make you feel?

7. Did you speak to the person who engaged in harassing conduct to ask them to cease? If so, 

what was their response?

8. Can you identify other individuals with knowledge of the alleged conduct at issue or other 

actions/behaviors by the charged individual(s) in the past? (Include observations, what people 

heard, and who you told about the events in question.)
18

9. Are there any documents or physical evidence that may support the claim of alleged 

occurrences? If so, please identify them.

10. Do you feel that the alleged harasser(s) is a threat to your safety and well-being or that of 

others? If so, how?

11. Have you previously complained about this or related acts of harassing conduct by the same 

individual(s) to a supervisor or manager? If so, please identify the individual(s) to whom you 

complained, the date(s) of the complaint(s), and the resolution(s), if any.

12. Is there is any other information related to the incident(s)/action(s) or any other information 

related to the inquiry that you would like to provide?