We recognize harassment may occur within any environment – at QVS, your site placement, or out and about in your city. QVS cannot resolve harassment concerns outside of our organization, but commits to support you as you navigate that process. Within QVS (for harassment between Fellows, between staff and Fellows, or between Fellows and spiritual nurturers or LSC members), we will follow the QVS harassment policy:

QVS does not tolerate discrimination or harassment of any kind.

Harassment includes, but is not limited to, epithets, slurs, jokes, or other verbal or physical conduct relating to an individual’s ethnicity, race, creed, religion, culture, national origin, disability, color, gender, pregnancy, age, economic class, marital status, family relationship, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, or service in the uniformed services, or any other classification protected by federal, state or local law. Harassment includes sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, unwelcome or offensive touching and other verbal, graphic, or physical conduct, or electronic communications (including e-mail) of a sexual nature involving either members of the same sex or opposite sex. When an individual expresses specific discomfort with an action or communication, it is “unwelcome” to that individual.

If you feel you are the target of discrimination or harassment of any form, whether at work, at home in your community, at Quaker meeting, or in the neighborhood, please immediately notify your City Coordinator and/or the Director of Program.

Additionally, if you notice someone else behaving inappropriately or if you suspect a housemate is being discriminated against or harassed but not reporting it, please immediately share that concern with your City Coordinator and/or the Director of Program. If your concern is about a QVS City Coordinator, please immediately notify QVS Director of Program, Mike Huber ([email protected]​g).

QVS will listen to all complaints of harassment or discrimination, promptly investigate such complaints, and quickly apply appropriate sanctions to end offensive or harmful behavior. If it is determined that harassment or discrimination has occurred, the organization will also take appropriate disciplinary action, up to and including dismissal of the offending party from QVS. Complaints of harassment or discrimination will be kept confidential to the extent possible. Fellows are required to cooperate fully with any investigation of harassment or discrimination.

QVS will not retaliate against any Fellow because of complaints of harassment or discrimination or because of cooperation with any investigation. Any Fellow who believes retaliation has resulted from either the reporting of a complaint of harassment or discrimination or from participation in an investigation of such allegations should immediately report this to the City Coordinator or the Director of Program.

Fellows who harass others may be immediately asked to leave QVS or the premises of the Fellow’s site placement, and the Fellowship relationship with QVS may be terminated.

Acts or threats of violence (including intimidating behavior, verbal or physical harassment, and/or coercion) which involve or affect QVS Fellows, staff, or anyone else will not be tolerated. QVS does not allow fighting, threatening words, or conduct. Nor do we allow the possession of weapons of any kind on QVS premises. Violation of this policy may lead to the termination of the Fellow relationship with QVS.

All Fellows are encouraged and have an obligation to report to the City Coordinator any incidents of threats or acts of physical violence, regardless of whether the violence is directed at a Fellow or at others. If it would be inappropriate to report to the City Coordinator, please immediately notify QVS Director of Program Mike Huber ([email protected]​g).

As a QVS Fellow, in addition to learning information about QVS and related to the business and operations of the site placements with which you work, you will have the privilege to hear the stories and witness the lives of the people with whom you work, including both employees and clients served by the site placement organizations. You may learn things of a highly personal and confidential nature. With this work and privilege comes your responsibility to understand the scope of confidentiality and your obligation to maintain complete confidentiality in accordance with your site placement organization’s guidelines.

It is important to understand that all forms of communication (written, oral, electronic) are included in the obligation to maintain the confidentiality of information. Be conscious of this as you discuss your work with community members, family and friends, neighbors, and others, through face-to-face conversations, emails, phone calls, blogs, chatting online, etc. You also may not be permitted to take pictures or videos of agency clients or others at your workplace. Please take time to understand the policies of your site placement organization around confidentiality, and to ensure that confidential information is not disclosed during or after your engagement with QVS.

QVS Fellows are personally responsible for what they communicate in social media such as Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, blogs, etc.

Unless social media activity is at the behest of QVS or your site placement organization in the performance of job duties, you should make it clear in any social media activity that what you publish is being said on your own behalf in your individual capacity.

Write in the first person and use personal email addresses when communicating via social media. Never post anonymously to social media sites when your post could be attributed to QVS, your site placement organization, customers, clients, business partners, suppliers, vendors or other stakeholders. Anonymous posts can be traced back to the original sender’s email address. If you are posting on any social media site (including blogs) to endorse or recommend QVS or any of its services, you must disclose your affiliation with QVS.

Use good judgment about what is posted and remember that anything said can reflect on QVS, even with a disclaimer. Always strive to be accurate in communications about QVS, and remember that statements have the potential to result in liability for you or for QVS. QVS encourages professionalism and honesty in social media and other communications.

In connection with their duties, a Fellow may create certain works on behalf of QVS or the site placement agency that may be copyrighted under the laws of the United States. To the extent that any such works are created, a QVS Fellow will be considered to have created a work made for hire as defined in 17 USC Section 101, and QVS or the site placement agency shall have the sole right to the copyright. In the event that any work created by a Fellow does not qualify as a work for hire, for any reason, the Fellow agrees to assign without limitations, all of their rights, title and interest in the work to QVS or the site placement agency. This includes, but is not limited to, any royalties, proceeds, or other benefits derived from such works created including photographs or recordings.

Quaker Voluntary Service opposes the illegal use and abuse of alcohol and drugs. Because of the serious problems related to the misuse of alcoholic beverages and illicit drugs, and because this practice can harm an individual’s effectiveness in their placement and their ability to live in community in a healthy way, QVS will not tolerate the misuse of alcoholic beverages or use of illicit drugs.

Offenses on QVS Property

QVS Fellows are prohibited from unlawfully manufacturing, distributing, dispensing, possessing or using drugs on property owned or leased by QVS, including the QVS house. QVS further prohibits the misuse of drugs including but not limited to narcotics, depressants, stimulants and hallucinogens whether criminalized or not. Fellows are 21 years of age and so legally allowed to consume alcohol. Excessive use of alcohol that may adversely affect a QVS Fellows’ job performance or community life is not acceptable.

Offenses Off QVS Property

Unlawful manufacture, distribution, dispensing, possession, or use of drugs, or excessive use of alcohol that may adversely affect a Fellow’s job performance or reflect unfavorably upon public or governmental confidence in the manner in which QVS carries out its activities, is prohibited. Fellows must comply with the rules and regulations regarding alcohol consumption of any facility used for QVS-sponsored activities. Fellows must comply with state and federal laws regarding the consumption of alcohol.

QVS Fellows should avoid any activity, agreement, business investment or interest, or other situation which could be construed as a conflict with QVS’s best interests, or which give the appearance of taking money, merchandise, or services from agencies or vendors of QVS for personal gain.

Good judgment should prevent the possibility of a conflict of interest arising. If a Fellow engages in any activity or transaction which might cause a conflict between personal and organizational interests, however, information about that potential conflict must be disclosed in advance to the City Coordinator.

QVS is a comprehensive year of service program and not a paid job. Our program exists to help non-profit organizations (who would otherwise be unable to pay a full time employee) expand their ability to accomplish their work. In return, you are gaining valuable professional experience and exposure to the nonprofit industrial complex and all of its nuances.

It is important for the equality and integrity of the QVS program that all agency placements follow the same compensation guidelines and not pay you anything directly for work performed as part of your job description. QVS will pay your stipend before the beginning of each month; the amount stipend received each month shall be irrespective of the number of hours you work.