4.8 | Anti-Bullying

In addition to CTC’s anti-harassment policy, CTC believes it necessary to delineate a policy regarding workplace bullying, as such bullying has numerous negative effects on both individual entrepreneur s and CTC as a whole. Workplace bullying may cause the loss of trained and talented entrepreneur s, reduce productivity and morale and create legal risks.

CTC believes all entrepreneurs should be able to work in an environment free of bullying. Workplace bullying refers to repeated, unreasonable actions of individuals (or a group) directed towards an entrepreneur  (or a group of entrepreneur s), which are intended to intimidate, degrade, humiliate or undermine; or which create a risk to the health or safety of the entrepreneur (s). Some examples of workplace bullying include repeated acts such as:

1. Unwarranted or invalid criticism
2. Blame without factual justification
3. Being treated differently than the rest of the entrepreneurs in a work group
4. Being the target of cussing or disrespectful language
5. Exclusion or social isolation
6. Being the target of shouting or other behavior intended to humiliate the entrepreneur 
7. Excessive “prank” jokes or teasing of an entrepreneur 

CTC considers workplace bullying unacceptable and will not tolerate it under any circumstances. Supervisors and managers are to assume the responsibility to ensure entrepreneur s are not bullied. Any entrepreneur  who bullies a co-worker will be subject to disciplinary action, up to and including termination of employment.

CTC encourages all entrepreneur s to report workplace bullying to a supervisor or manager with whom entrepreneur s are comfortable speaking, or directly to his/her supervisor, manager or designee. All complaints of workplace bullying will be treated seriously and investigated promptly. In the investigation process, CTC will attempt to maintain confidentiality to the fullest extent possible.

It is a violation of CTC’s policy to retaliate or otherwise victimize an entrepreneur  who makes a complaint or a witness who serves in the investigation of the workplace bullying allegation.