Here at Evolve, we treat everyone with courtesy and ask the same in return. We ask that you treat all staff courteously – without violence, abuse, or harassment.

Our staff have the right to work without fear of being abused. Any behaviour verbal or physical which causes staff to feel uncomfortable, embarrassed, or threatened is totally unacceptable.

Our Zero Tolerance Policy includes aggression or threats made in person, over the telephone or in a written communication. Zero Tolerance applies to all forms of communication regardless of where it takes place.

We consider inappropriate and non-acceptable behaviour to be:

• Verbal Abuse: any verbal abuse issued with the intent of creating distress, fear or intimidation to another individual, or group of individuals.
• Physical Abuse: any intentional movement of the body which may include touching, gesturing, pushing, striking, stalking, spitting, any unwanted intrusion of “reasonable space” of an employee or an intentional use of any object towards an individual.
• Creating a Hostile Working Environment: any intentional non-physical action that can be considered intimidating or harassing or which involves the explicit or implicit challenge to the safety, well-being or health of an individual.
• Hate Crime: any criminal offence, perceived by the victim or any other person, as being motivated by hostility or prejudice based upon the victim’s disability, race, religion or belief, sexual orientation or gender identity. This could include verbal abuse, physical assault, damage to property, threats, intimidation or harassment. If no criminal offence is committed it will be recorded as a hate incident.
• The use of aggressive, threatening or abusive language (including raising of the voice, swearing and cursing, shouting) which threatens or intimidates staff.

An instance or threat of physical abuse will be reported to the police. The offender will be removed from the premises by the police. Any future communication will be limited to postal letters only effective immediately.

Instances of abusive behaviour will be reported and recorded in an Incident Log and a Warning Letter sent to the individual. When the Incident Log shows a second recorded offence, the individual will be sent a Final Warning Letter informing them of their breach of the Zero Tolerance Policy. Any future communication will be limited to postal letters only.