Prevention Policy

Everyone’s concern:

Psychological and sexual harassment can absolutely not be tolerated and preventing harassment is everyone’s business. As an employer, we must ensure that our employees and partners work in a harassment-free environment. We have an obligation to ensure everyone works in a respectful environment, to report any abuse and to participate in the prevention and handling of complaints. This is why A5 Hospitality Group has taken the steps described below to facilitate and handle complaints.

Definitions:

For the application of this act, “psychological harassment” is defined as any vexatious behaviour in the form of repeated and hostile or unwanted conduct, verbal comments, actions or gestures, that affects an employee’s dignity or psychological or physical integrity and that results in a harmful work environment for the employee. More precisely, psychological harassment includes such behaviour that manifests through verbal comments, actions or gestures of sexual nature.

Filing a complaint:

An employee who believes they have been the victim of a behaviour prohibited by the company has three options to report the issue:

In writing (by email) to their manager, general manager or chef.

In writing, by email, to the address hr@a5hospitality.com. The complaint will be handled within 48 hours. 

If you witness such behaviour directed towards a colleague, you can report it to your manager, general manager or chef at the following email address: hr@a5hospitality.com.

Complaints will be handled confidentially by your managers and head office. 

Investigation:

A5 Hospitality will take all the necessary measures to ensure that no employee is a victim of harassment. 

All complaints will immediately be handled by A5 Hospitality. An investigation will be launched and, according to the situation, the company will apply the appropriate disciplinary measures to the infringer, including their dismissal.

 No retaliation or any such actions will be tolerated following the conclusion of those events.

Disciplinary measures:

The *Policy for the prevention of workplace psychological or sexual harassment and complaints handling* applies to all A5 Hospitality employees and partners. If the investigation determines that an employee or a partner has indeed infringed the policy, they will be exposed to disciplinary measures up to and including dismissal. The sanction will be determined according to the gravity of the behaviour and any and all reported factors. 

Requirements:

Employees must

Comply with the policy in their day-to-day activities and refrain from any behaviour that can incite violence, make threats, participate or encourage menacing or violent acts, destroy property, create concerns for the personal safety of another partner, or any other form of violence or threat of violence in the workplace.

Know how to ask for immediate assistance when a violent incident occurs in the workplace or is at risk of taking place.

Immediately report, or as soon as it is safe to do so, any incident or threat of violence in the workplace or any knowledge of such an occurrence regardless of whether one is the victim or a witness, to a manager or an executive.

Report infringing behaviour according to the guidelines for “Filing a complaint*.

The management team must

Ensure that employees have received the necessary information and instructions to protect themselves against workplace violence.

Provide employees, clients, suppliers and other visitors with a safe workplace environment and ensure that violent acts and threats of violence are not to be tolerated under any circumstance in the workplace. 

Examine and evaluate the risks of workplace violence, if necessary.

Take reasonable and appropriate measures to protect employees, customers and the company’s property against violent acts and threats of violence, including domestic violence. This includes, but is not limited to, violent acts and threats of violence in the premises of A5 Hospitality’s establishments.

Provide information to a manager and, if need be, to an employee, notably personal information, related to a risk of workplace violence posed by a person with a history of violent behaviour if it is foreseeable that a partner interacts with that person during their day-to-day activities and likely that the risk of violence leads to the physical harm of that employee.

Investigate each concern, complaint or incident regarding a violent act in the workplace and find solutions for each case as soon as possible and in a fair manner while also respecting, as much as possible, the right to confidentiality of the employees involved.

Rapidly obtain the assistance of the head office to handle the complaint.