Civil Intake Form

Types of Concerns: Definitions

Harassment: Unwelcome, deliberate, or repeated unsolicited verbal or physical conduct that is based upon protected classes, including, but not limited to, comments, gestures, graphic materials, physical contact, solicitation of favors, when:

• Submission to or rejection of the conduct by an individual could be used as the basis for employment decisions affecting the individual; or
• The conduct is severe or pervasive enough that it substantially interferes with an individual’s work performance or creates a work environment that a reasonable person would consider intimidating, hostile, or abusive.  For the purposes of this policy the “reasonable person” standard considers the employee’s perspective and assesses if a reasonable person exposed to the same or similar circumstances would find the environment hostile, intimidating, or offensive.

Sexual Harassment: A form of harassment that violates Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, and other verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature constitute sexual harassment when this conduct explicitly or implicitly affects an individual's employment, unreasonably interferes with an individual's work performance, or creates an intimidating, hostile, or offensive work environment. 

Inappropriate Conduct: Any comments or conduct that disparages or demonstrates hostility or aversion towards any person that could reasonably be perceived as disruptive, disrespectful, offensive, or inappropriate in the workplace. Examples include, but are not limited to:

• Actions or behaviors that adversely impact Agency operations, productivity, and/or work environment
• Inappropriate communication such as slurs, epithets, ridicule, rude comments, or insults
• Yelling or emotional outbursts, using expletives, throwing objects, or banging/slamming doors
• Inappropriate touching or any form of physical intimidation or aggression (e.g., holding, restraining, impeding or blocking movement, following, inappropriate contact or advances, bullying, or any other forms of inappropriate touching)
• Engaging in a personal relationship with someone in an inherently unequal position where there is a real or perceived authority or influence over the other’s conditions of employment; has the ability to directly impact the other’s career progression. This may include formal and informal supervisory relationships¹.
• Inappropriate gestures, expressions, pictures, or graffiti
• Threats made against others or other threatening behavior
• Psychological bullying or intimidation, such as making statements that are false, malicious, disparaging, or derogatory with the intent to hurt another’s reputation

Bullying: Unwanted, repeated, aggressive behavior that involves a real or perceived power imbalance and intent to harm. The behavior could include, but not be limited to, open or hidden verbal abuse, as well as actions or inactions meant to demean, isolate, or undermine another individual. This may include making statements which are false, malicious, disparaging, derogatory, rude, disrespectful, abusive, or which have the intent to hurt others' reputations.

Threat: Any oral or written expression or gesture that could be interpreted by a reasonable person as conveying intent to cause physical harm to persons or property.

Information About Reporting Anonymously

You may submit a concern without identifying yourself. However, reporting anonymously requires key details about the concern to be omitted, which will limit the NIH’s ability to conduct an inquiry and take corrective action as warranted. Additionally, when the Civil Specialists follow up on anonymous concerns, they cannot guarantee that the reporting party’s identify will remain confidential as it may become apparent throughout the course of the inquiry. 

If you would prefer to discuss all of your options with an office that operates under principles of confidentiality, please contact the Employee Assistance Program or the NIH Office of the Ombudsman.