To ensure a productive experience together, we have established policies you shall follow in your leadership role. All volunteer leaders will be expected to read and acknowledge these policies.

Communications Policy:

A. All HAR leaders are encouraged to use social media to promote HAR’s mission, policy positions, advocacy efforts, and other association news.
B. It is always acceptable to repost or share any HAR published communications and established policy positions.
C. Always be professional, respectful, and ethical when engaging in social media and avoid making statements or posting photographs that could reasonably harm HAR.
D. In the capacity of an HAR leader, avoid making statements contrary to NAR’s public positions on federal issues, TAR’s public positions on state issues, or HAR’s public positions on local and county issues, including but not limited to contrary statements about appointees, elected officials, or candidates, and legislative or regulatory matters.
E. Even appropriately expressed views, when reasonably necessary or useful, include a disclaimer or language that the views are your own personal views.
F. Avoid and/or remove statements or content that create undue opposition or controversy.
G. Avoid making statements or posting photographs that are inappropriate including, but not limited to discriminatory remarks, demeaning or defamatory comments, offensive material, and comments that might constitute harassment.

HAR leaders who do not adhere to this Policy or who otherwise act inappropriately when engaging in social media, may be contacted by the current Chair to resolve the situation, which may include withdrawing, correcting, or revising the communication at issue.

Harassment Prohibited
HAR prohibits and will not tolerate harassment of HAR volunteer leaders, HAR staff or members. Harassment is prohibited on HAR property, in performing HAR activities or duties and at all HAR sponsored events. This policy further extends to harassment on social media platforms or through electronic communication. HAR is committed to ensuring an environment at HAR for its employees and members that is free from harassment, discrimination, or conduct that is coercive, or creates a hostile environment.

All HAR volunteer leaders and members are expected to behave accordingly and take appropriate measures to ensure that the conduct described herein does not occur. Appropriate disciplinary action, which may include loss of volunteer position and/or membership, will be taken against any volunteer leader or member who violates this policy.

Harassment Defined
Harassment occurs when one’s conduct has the purpose or effect of unreasonably interfering with the HAR activities in which an individual participates or therein creating an intimidating, hostile or offensive environment. Harassment includes unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, and other verbal, visual or physical conduct of a sexual nature. Additionally, harassment includes conduct on the basis of race, color, physical, or mental disability, religion, creed, national origin, ancestry, sex (including pregnancy), sexual orientation, gender/gender identity, age (40 or over), citizenship, genetic information, past, current, or prospective service in the uniformed services, or any other characteristic protected under applicable federal, state, or local law.

Sexual harassment includes:

  • Verbal (for example, epithets, derogatory statements, threating or obscene language, slurs, sexually related comments or jokes, sexual innuendoes, unwelcome sexual advances, or requests for sexual favors)
  • Non-Verbal (for example, suggestive or insulting sounds, or whistling)
  • Physical (for example, assault or inappropriate or unwanted physical contact, such as touching, pinching, brushing the body)
  • Visual (for example, displaying sexually suggestive posters, cartoons, or drawings, sending inappropriate adult-themed gifts, leering, or making obscene or sexual gestures)
  • Online (for example, derogatory statements, threatening or obscene language, or sexually suggestive postings via electronic communication or in any social media platform including Facebook, X, Instagram, etc.)

Other types of harassment often take a similar form to sexual harassment and include harassment that is:

  • Verbal (for example, epithets, derogatory statements, threating or obscene language, slurs, derogatory comments, or jokes)
  • Physical (for example, assault or inappropriate physical contact)
  • Visual (for example, displaying derogatory posters, cartoons, or drawings, or making derogatory gestures)
  • Online (for example, derogatory statements, threatening or obscene language, or postings via electronic communication or in any social media platform including Facebook, X, Instagram, etc.)

These lists are illustrative only, and not exhaustive. It is impossible to list every type of behavior that can be considered harassment.

Note: Petty slights, annoyances, and isolated incidents (unless extremely serious) will not rise to the level of harassment. The conduct must create an environment that is coercive or intimidating, hostile, or offensive to reasonable people.

Reporting Harassment
If you are a HAR volunteer leader or member and are subjected to any conduct that you believe violates this policy or witness any such conduct, you should speak to, write, or otherwise contact HAR’s Executive Vice President or Controller with your complaint.

If you are at a HAR sponsored event and you believe that you are being harassed, that someone else is being harassed, or have any other related concerns, please immediately contact HAR staff in attendance with your concern or complaint. If requested, HAR staff will assist attendees in contacting venue security, if any, or local law enforcement or otherwise assist those experiencing harassment to exit the event or find a tolerable environment at the event.

Once a complaint has been received by HAR, a prompt and thorough investigation will be conducted by a panel consisting of the HAR Chair, Chair-Elect and Secretary/Treasurer in consultation with HAR legal counsel. If the complaint names any member of the panel, then that panelist shall be replaced by a Vice Chair or by any member of the HAR Board of Directors.

A “complaint” shall include:

  1. your contact information;
  2. the name of the party allegedly violating this policy;
  3. date and time of alleged conduct;
  4. location or environment of alleged conduct;
  5. a detail of facts supporting the alleged harassment;
  6. any actual evidence such as images, electronic communication, postings, etc.; and
  7. names and contact information of any witnesses;

HAR will take immediate or appropriate action when it has been determined that a violation of this policy has occurred.

No Retaliation
No one will be subject to, and HAR prohibits, any form of discipline, reprisal, intimidation, or retaliation for good faith reporting of incidents of harassment of any kind, pursuing any harassment claim or cooperating in related investigations.

Violations
Any HAR volunteer leader or member, regardless of position or title, who has subjected an individual to harassment or retaliation in violation of this policy, will be subject to discipline, as determined by HAR.

Appeal Process
Any HAR volunteer leader or member found in violation of this policy will have a right to appeal the decision to the HAR Board of Directors for its review and conclusion. A written request for appeal must be submitted to HAR’s Executive Vice President or Controller no more than thirty (30) days after the individual receives notice of a violation of this policy.

Warnings and Disclaimers
HAR assumes no liability or responsibility for the actions of any member or event participant.

HAR is not responsible for protecting the safety of members or participants in HAR activities. Any individual who feels his/her safety is at risk due to harassment or for any other reason is encouraged to take appropriate steps to ensure personal safety.

Ownership Disclosure Policy
Members of any HAR decision-making body must disclose the existence of any of the following: (1) an ownership interest* in, (2) a financial interest** in, or (3) service in a decision-making capacity for any entity prior to speaking to an HAR decision-making body on any matter involving that entity.

After making the required disclosure, such member may participate in the discussion and vote on the matter unless that member has a conflict of interest as defined below.

Conflict of Interest Policy
A member of any HAR decision-making body has a conflict of interest whenever that member:

  1. is a principal, partner, or corporate officer of a business providing, or being considered as a provider of, products or services to HAR (“Business”); or
  2. serves on the board of directors of the Business unless the individual’s only relationship to the Business is service as HAR’s representative on such board; or
  3. holds an ownership interest* of more than one percent of the Business.

Members with a conflict of interest must immediately disclose such conflict of interest prior to participating in any discussions or vote of an HAR decision-making body that pertains to the Business. Such members may not participate in any discussions related to that Business other than to respond to questions asked of them by other members of the body. A member may not vote on any matter in which the member has a conflict of interest.

*Ownership interest is defined as the cumulative holdings of the individual; the individual’s related spouse, children, and siblings; and of any trust, corporation, or partnership in which any of the foregoing individuals is an officer, director, or owns in the aggregate at least 50% of the (a) beneficial interest (if a trust), (b) stock (if a corporation), or (c) partnership interests (if a partnership).

**Financial interest means any interest involving money, investments, extension of credit or contractual rights.