The Haas School of Business is committed to supporting anyone—students, staff, and faculty—who has experienced any form of harassment or discrimination that impedes one’s right to a safe work or learning environment.
There are resources across campus to help resolve conflicts, ranging from support in helping you to have direct conversations with the person with whom you are in conflict to filing complaints, based on the nature of the problem.
- Having a direct conversation. Berkeley People & Culture has additional Conflict Management Resources, (opens in a new tab)which include some self-help tools and related resources.
- Informal Conflict Management (opens in a new tab). Campus has a number of resources to help with resolution. You may review each and choose whichever option you are most comfortable with. These options include:
- Employee Relations Consultants (opens in a new tab), who provide consultation and advice to managers, supervisors, and employees regarding personnel issues, with the goal of improving and maintaining workplace relationships.
- Staff Ombuds Office (opens in a new tab), which provides confidential, impartial and informal conflict resolution and problem-solving services.
- Restorative Justice Center (opens in a new tab) offers a variety of options for responding to conflict and harm in the workplace including Community Building Circles, Talking Circles, and Restorative Conversations.
- Filing a Complaint: Depending on the type of issue, this chart provides an overview of reporting options, (opens in a new tab) which are also listed below. You do NOT need to utilize the direct or informal conflict management options above before filing a complaint.
- Discrimination, Harassment, or Retaliation: Engaging in any form of discrimination, including harassment or retaliation, that is based on an individual’s protected class status is strictly prohibited. The campus has a description of protected classes (opens in a new tab), and those who wish to file a complaint can use the form from the Office for Prevention of Harassment and Discrimination (OPHD) website to submit a report of harassment or discrimination (opens in a new tab).
- Personnel Policies for Staff Members (PPSM) are system wide policies and procedures issued by the Office of the President. PPSM apply to all staff employees whose positions are not otherwise governed by a collective bargaining agreement (e.g., labor contract). If you feel that a policy has been violated, complaints may be made by filing a PPSM 70 Complaint (opens in a new tab).
- For represented employees, each union has labor union contract non-discrimination clauses (opens in a new tab). If you feel that clause has been violated, a grievance may be filed by working with your union representative. You can also find this information on our Employee and Labor Relations page (opens in a new tab).
- For those who have experienced sexual violence and sexual harassment, the campus has a variety of resources: Reporting and complaint processes (opens in a new tab) can be found, along with more information about support and options. A complaint may be filed directly using the form that is found on the reporting options page (opens in a new tab).
- Whistleblowing: Employees and others are encouraged to report all known or suspected instances of misuse of University resources and/or known or suspected instances of improper governmental activities by University employees. A report can be done via the EthicsPoint Whistleblower website (opens in a new tab) or through an anonymous (24/7) hotline: (800) 403-4744.
- Abusive Conduct is prohibited by campus policy. The Abusive Conduct in the Workplace Policy defines abusive conduct, includes more information, and offers instructions for filing a complaint. Please see the Abusive Conduct in the Workplace Polic (opens in a new tab)y.
External Resources. While campus has many supportive resources, it is important to also know your rights to file a complaint with state and federal agencies if you feel that you have been discriminated against in violation of the law. These include:
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- The California Department of Fair Employment and Housing (opens in a new tab) and
- The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (opens in a new tab), which is the federal agency with a similar complaint process.
Support. Whether you use your option to file a complaint or opt for an informal process, we want to ensure that you have the resources and support that you need. Some options for support follow; please feel free to reach out for additional questions or support:
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- Haas HR Team: HaasHR@berkeley.edu
- Employee Assistance Programs (opens in a new tab). This is a resource for all employees and offers support in the form of counseling, consultation, training, and educational groups. You can access services directly at the Employee Assistance Program webpage (opens in a new tab).
Confidentiality: Note that for all of the resources listed above, some are strictly confidential; others may be obligated by law to report information provided. This chart outlines confidential and non-confidential resources (opens in a new tab). Be assured that even the “non-confidential” offices listed will treat the information with professional discretion, sharing it only as needed.