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Peres Academic Center holds the maintenance of a safe and protected environment, and the protection of employees’ and students’ human dignity, in high priority. As such, Peres Academic Center acts for the prevention of sexual harassment incidents as part of the Center’s employment and academic relations. Therefore, the Center established regulations for the prevention of sexual harassment.

Prevention of Sexual Harassment Regulations

Sexual harassment and persecution violate human dignity, freedom, privacy and equality between the sexes, as well as constituting criminal offenses and civil wrongs. The purpose of these Regulations is to ensure that the Center is a safe professional and academic environment, free of sexual harassment or persecution of a sexual nature.

Definitions

Employer: Peres Academic Center, public benefit company no. 51-352-787-9.

The Law: Prevention of Sexual Harassment Law, 5758-1998

Academic staff member: Any person who, on the date of the incident, was included as a member of the academic staff of Peres Academic Center, and had an employee-employer relationship with the Center.

Administrative staff member: Any person who, on the date of the incident, had an employee-employer relationship with Peres Academic Center, as well as any person operating on behalf of the Center and in its name as part of its regular internal system, including contract workers.

Student: Any person who was included in any of the following categories on the day of the incident:

  • Was enrolled to study in the Center and was accepted as a student, including students in conditional admission or in a special study programs, including during school vacations.
  • Has applied for acceptance as a student and had their application rejected, from the time of such application and until receiving the rejection notice.
  • Has completed their studies, but has not yet received a certificate.

Employee: An academic staff member, an administrative staff member, as well as any person working and/or studying in the Center.

Sexual harassment and persecution

Sexual harassment includes any of the following acts:

  1. Extortion of a person to perform acts of a sexual nature.
  2. Lewd acts.
  3. Repeated propositions of a sexual nature, directed to a person who has indicated that they are not interested in such propositions, or an employee in abuse of positions of authority at work, or a student in abuse of positions of authority in school.
  4. Repeated references directed at a person, focusing on their sexuality, while such person has indicated that they are not interested in such references; or when such reference is directed at a student, while abusing a position of authority in school.
  5. Humiliating or degrading reference to a person’s gender or sexuality, including their sexual tendency.
  6. Publication of a photograph, video, or recording of a person focusing on their sexuality, in circumstances under which such publication might humiliate or degrade such person, where such person has not given their consent to such publication;
  7. Propositions or references as specified in Sections (3) or (4), taking place within the context of a position of authority, even if the object of such references or propositions has not indicated to the harasser that they are not interested in such.

Persecution is the causing of harm in any form related to sexual harassment or to any complaint or claim filed with regards to sexual harassment.

Legally, sexual harassment may be perpetrated by both men and women, and the victims of sexual harassment may be both men and women. However, in most cases, sexual harassment is perpetrated by a man with regards to a woman, and therefore constitutes harm to women as a group.

Within these Regulations, any use of the masculine form also refers to the feminine, and vice versa.

Actions which do not constitute sexual harassment: courtship performed voluntarily, in good will, out of mutual consent and free will, without the abuse of positions of authority.

Employment relations and academic relations context

Sexual harassment or persecution in the context of employment relations or academic relations may take place at the workplace or place of study, in a different place in which the employer conducts activity, during work or school, even if it does not take place in the workplace or place of study itself, including abuse of positions of authority in work or school taking place anywhere (such as the house of an employee, teacher or student, during tours, academic conferences, etc.).

In accordance with these Regulations, any incident of sexual harassment or persecution of employees or students will be handled once the victim requests the services of the Center and anyone present at the Center’s facility.

When to file complaint with regards to sexual harassment and persecution

Do not hesitate to file complaint with regards to sexual harassment or persecution, in appropriate cases. The Center will act to protect its employees and students from acts of sexual harassment.

Complaints of sexual harassment may be filed against any student, employee, or staff member, whether senior or junior.

We recommend filing complaint with regards to harassment or persecution as soon as possible after the incident; however, we will accept complaints filed up to 7 years following such acts, even after the victim has terminated the employment or academic relations. It is recommended to document the event inasmuch as possible and to back it up with witnesses (for example: tell a friend or a family member). However, legally, it is possible to solely rely on testimony, even if there is only one.

Response methods

The law offers four options, which may be used fully or in part, simultaneously or one after the other:

  1. The labor court – you may file suit against harassers, persecutors and employers, and claim for monetary compensation.
  2. Civil court – you may file a claim for compensation against the harasser.
  3. Complaint – you may file complaint with the police, with the purpose of commencing criminal procedures, in accordance with the law.
  4. You may bring disciplinary proceedings against administrative and academic staff members – complaints may be filed with the President of the Center or with the commissioner of sexual harassment prevention at work, with the purpose of commencing internal disciplinary proceedings.

Organizational means for the prevention of sexual harassment

The Center hereby recommends all employees and students be act carefully, even in cases or situations which you fear may develop into sexual harassment, cause a feeling of discomfort to others, or be misinterpreted. As written in Jerusalem Talmud, Tractate Ketubot, Chapter 1, Halachah 8: “Even the most pious man should not be relied on in matters of incest.”

The President of the Academic Center will appoint a commissioner for the prevention of sexual harassment, and for handling cases of sexual harassment. The commissioner for the prevention of sexual harassment is appointed for a period of three years from among the regular academic staff members. The commissioner acts to fulfill their duties in accordance with the provisions of any law and in accordance with these Regulations.

A copy of these Regulations will be regularly displayed on the Academic Center’s main bulletin board.

How to file complaint

  1. Complaints must be filed with the commissioner.
  2. Complaints may be filed in writing or orally.
  3. In the event that a complaint was filed orally, the commissioner will document the contents of such complaint, and have the complainant sign it, if they choose to, to confirm its contents.
  4. The commissioner will offer the complainant a copy of the signed document.

Investigation of the complaint

  1. The commissioner shall notify the complainant with regards to the response methods to sexual harassment or persecution as provided by law.
  2. The commissioner shall act to investigate the complaint, and for such purpose, will hear the complainant, the complainee, and witnesses, if any, and will examine any information made available to them regarding the complaint.
  3. The commissioner shall not handle the investigation of a complaint to which they bear a personal connection with regards to the issue of the complaint or the persons involved.
  4. The complaint’s investigation shall be performed efficiently and without delay.
  5. The complaint’s investigation shall be performed while affording the greatest protection with regards to the dignity and privacy of the complainant, the complainee, and other witnesses. The commissioner shall not disclose information made available to them during the investigation of the complaint; unless they are obliged do so for the purpose of such investigation, or in accordance with the law. The commissioner shall refrain from asking questions regarding a complainant’s sexual history, as unrelated to the complainee, the complaint, or the investigation thereof, and shall not make reference to such information as aforesaid.
  6. During the complaint’s investigation, the Center, through the commissioner, shall protect the complainant against injury to their work or studies as a result of the filing of the complaint, or from any other injury which might obstruct the complaint’s investigation. Among other things, the Center will act, through the commissioner, to distance the complainee from the complainant, inasmuch as possible, and inasmuch as they deem appropriate under such circumstances.
  7. Upon the completion of the complaint’s investigation, the commissioner shall submit to the Center’s management without delay, a written summary of the complaint’s investigation, together with reasoned recommendations with regards to further action.
  8. In the event that any of the Center’s employees was made aware of any incident of sexual harassment or persecution as part of employment or academic relations, where no complaint was filed, or where the complainee withdrew their complaint, then they may bring the case for investigation by the commissioner. In the event that such case as aforesaid was brought for investigation by a commissioner, or if the commissioner was made aware of any such case, then the commissioner shall commence an investigation of the case in accordance with this section, inasmuch as possible, mutatis mutandis, and in the event that the complainee withdrew their complaint, the commissioner shall also investigate the reason for such withdrawal.
  9. Handling of the investigation’s conclusions by the employee: the President of the Center, after receiving the summaries and recommendations of the commissioner, will decide to exercise one of the following authorities, within a period of up to 7 business days:
    • Filing complaint with the Israeli police.
    • Distancing the alleged harasser from the complainant as much as possible so as not to harm any component of their employment conditions.
    • Taking steps to prevent such accident from recurring, and to correct the damage caused to the complainant.
    • Bringing disciplinary proceedings against the alleged harasser, in accordance with the Center’s Procedures.
    • Not taking any step.

The President of the Center shall provide the complainant and the commissioner with a reasoned notice in writing with regards to their decision.

In the event of any discrepancy between the provisions of these Regulations and the provisions of the Disciplinary Regulations, the provisions of these Regulations shall take precedence.

These Regulations are intended to add to the provisions of the law, rather than derogate from them.

Who can you contact in Peres Academic Center?

The complaint commissioner – Dr. Galia Hildesheimer

Tel.: 08-9390520

Email address: [email protected]

Facilitation and support by the Welfare and Community Involvement Department head: Ms. Sari Ben Mocha Colton, LSW

Tel.: 08-9390520

Email address: [email protected]

Community services

  • The Ministry of Economy and Industry – the Commissioner for Enforcement of the Law for the Prevention of Sexual Harassment. Complaint interactive voice response (IVR) line: 1-800-354354
  • The Association of Rape Crisis Centers in Israel – Tel. 1202
  • Israel Women's Network – Tel. 03-6123990
  • Emunah – Tel. 03-6857179
  • Wizo – Tel. 03-5254422
  • NA’AMAT – Tel. 03-5254422

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When sending this form, I confirm the receipt of information about the lectures, updates, publications, benefits, and degrees from the Peres Academic Center via e-mails and/or text messages and/or by phone conversations. You can remove your details from the mailing list and/or the marketing promotion list, through a conversation, at any time.