Neiman Marcus 2009 Annual Report Download - page 486

benefits, education and development, transfer, promotion, demotion, discipline and termination of all associates.
EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY
The Company is an equal opportunity employer and takes seriously its obligations to comply with the law with respect to hiring,
employing and other dealings with applicants and associates without regard to their race, religion, national origin, gender, age,
disability, pregnancy, marital status, sexual orientation, or any other category protected by applicable law. The Company's policy is to
take personnel actions strictly on the basis of individual ability, performance, experience and relevant business needs. Actions
influenced by personal relationships or by illegal discriminatory motives of any kind are strictly prohibited.
HARASSMENT
The Company's policy is to provide a work environment free from unlawful harassment in any form, whether physical, verbal or non-
verbal. Unlawful workplace harassment may include harassment based upon a person's race, religion, national origin, gender, age,
disability, pregnancy, marital status, sexual orientation, or any other category protected by law.
SEXUAL HARASSMENT
The Company also prohibits sexual harassment of any kind. Sexual harassment undermines the integrity of the employment
relationship, and no associate should be subjected to unwelcome sexual conduct by supervisors, co-workers, contractors, vendors,
customers, suppliers, or any third party.
Sexual harassment does not refer to occasional compliments of a socially acceptable nature. It refers to conduct of a sexual nature, in
any form, whether physical, verbal, or non-verbal, that is unwelcome and creates a work environment that is hostile, offensive or
coercive. While sexual harassment is not easy to define, it may include:
• unwelcome sexual jokes, language, epithets, advances or propositions;
• unwelcome touching, leering, or whistling;
• suggestive, insulting or obscene comments or gestures;
• demands for sexual favors in exchange for favorable reviews, assignments, promotions, or continued employment;
• questions about sexual conduct or practices;
• unwelcome comments about an individual's body or sexual activity; and/or
• display of sexually suggestive pictures, posters, objects or drawings.
Any associate who believes that he or she has been subjected to sexual harassment in violation of Company policy should promptly
report their concerns in accordance with the section entitled Discrimination and Harassment, below.
The Company has no desire to interfere with consensual relationships between co-workers; however, individuals may be (or may
appear to be) improperly influenced by the existence of a personal relationship. In situations where one of the parties in a relationship
supervises or evaluates the other, the relationship must be disclosed to management immediately and the conflict must be resolved.
The Company reserves the right to take appropriate action to avoid potential problems, including, but not limited to, changing an
associate's job or changing the reporting relationship between the parties.
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