Harassment
The term harassment in the company refers to a range of unacceptable behaviors, practices and words that are likely to cause physical or psychological harm to an individual.
Harassment is unacceptable regardless of the reason for it, whether it is made on a discriminatory basis or otherwise.
Examples of inappropriate behaviors
Examples of inappropriate behaviors that could constitute harassment (mainly psychological harassment, but sometimes also physical):
- Offending, humiliating, insulting, degrading or constantly criticizing someone
- Threatening, pressuring, intimidating someone or shouting at them
- Making unwelcome jokes or comments that affect another person
- Putting unreasonable pressure on someone or setting impossible goals to achieve
- Pushing somebody to make mistakes
- Isolating someone physically or socially from the rest of the team
- Excluding someone from advantages or decisions (choice of shifts, holiday periods, promotion, trainings etc.) or giving them only the work that nobody wants to do or that has nothing to do with their function
- Withdrawing someone’s responsibilities or tasks or transferring them without reason
- Having unwelcome physical interaction with someone (slapping on the back, embracing, pushing someone, invading their personal space etc.)
Management methods based on pressure and fear, occurring on a large scale in a company, for example in the context of a structural reorganisation or a project, could be considered as "institutional harassment".
Examples of inappropriate behaviors that could constitute sexual harassment:
- Having excessive or inappropriate physical contact (touching someone’s intimate part of the body…), staring at someone constantly, ...
- Making sexual suggestions or invitations, or giving gifts that are inappropriate (underwear, perfume), unwelcome and unreciprocated (physically, verbally, or by any electronic means)
- Making unwanted comments or questions on a person’s physical aspect or sexual attributes
- Making any promotion or advantage depend on accepting romantic invitations or sexual advances (always constitutes harassment)
Whether a behavior is perceived as harassment (causes psychological or physical harm) also depends on the sensitivity of the recipient, which can vary from one person to another. The seriousness of an unacceptable behavior can depend on the circumstances. Some unacceptable behaviors are serious enough to constitute harassment after one occurrence, others would need to be repeated. The repetition of an unwelcome behavior makes it even more harmful and serious.
Harassment may concern anyone and can occur at any occasion related to work, including an outside location. It is punishable by law in many countries and is treated in the International Labor Organization (ILO) Convention N°190 adopted in June 2019 and in force beginning June 2021.
Values and Principles
The Michelin Group is committed to ensuring a collegial, safe and secure work environment where all employees can develop themselves without barriers or fear. The company is aware that harassment affects the dignity of a person, can have severe effects on someone’s psychological and physical health and can generate a hostile work environment.
Therefore, the Group doesn’t tolerate any form of harassment of a person, whether sexual or psychological, in the workplace or having any connection to Michelin’s business, including when it concerns/comes from external stakeholders (candidates, suppliers, customers, partners, dealers, visitors). Harassing someone while being in a position of authority over the person constitutes an aggravating circumstance.
Michelin makes its zero tolerance policy for harassment – regardless of the harasser’s position in the company - clearly visible. It puts in place accessible, fair and confidential grievance channels for employees and its main stakeholders and encourages any person who is a victim or witness of harassment to report it. It promotes an environment where people feel confident to express their concerns and commits to protect everyone who reports a case in good faith from any retaliation.
The Group commits to treating all cases seriously, with confidentiality, in a timely manner and with impartiality, taking measures to avoid any possible conflict of interest during the investigation. It sanctions all forms of proven harassment and puts in place actions to remedy uncomfortable situations even if harassment has not been established.
Michelin takes prevention and detection measures in every region, trains managers and human resources personnel to promote an exemplary attitude according to the ICARE model and to lead an open dialogue in the teams on inappropriate or unwelcome behaviors experienced during work. Training aims also to identify wrong behaviors and assure that claims of harassment are treated seriously.
Michelin is also careful that company transformation projects will not result in any form of institutional harassment and involves employees in the design of the associated prevention measures.
Persons who have suffered harassment as defined in the Code of Ethics will be recognized as victims and will be accompanied in their professional and personal recovery.
Michelin reports transparently the number of claims of harassment and the actions taken or sanctions pronounced on a yearly basis, taking care always to preserve the confidentiality of the process for all concerned.
Do: I must
All employees
- Have a respectful attitude, use respectful language with all people I meet at work, including during electronic contacts (email, video, etc.).
- Pay attention to the well-being of other colleagues and detect possible discomfort in the face of inappropriate behavior.
- Report any situation that could constitute harassment, whether I am a victim or a witness, to my manager or another manager, the Personnel Department, the Security Department, the Legal Department, the company medical officer or the Region Ethics Correspondent. and through the Ethics Line.
Managers
- Create and maintain a climate of respect for people that encourages dialogue and the expression of all issues.
- Be attentive to the way team members react to a management style and take their comments into consideration.
- Inform employees of the possible ways to report concerns in the event of harassment and accompany them in their efforts.
- Encourage employees to report cases when they are victims or witnesses.
- Treat seriously any potential harassment complaint, regardless of the level of authority of the person involved.
General Secretaries (Chief Administrative Officers)/Managing directors of entities
- Make managers aware of behaviors and comments that lead to harassment in order to recognize and avoid them, and to know the steps to take in the event of an observation or complaint.
- Take into account conflict of interest issues when assessing or investigating cases and ensure that investigations are not led by persons whose impartiality could be in question.
- Deal with harassment complaints confidentially and with respect for the presumption of innocence.
- Sanction proven harassment, in compliance with applicable laws and regulations.
Don't: I must not
All employees
- Make comments or gestures that, even if seemingly innocuous or humorous, have the effect of belittling, hurting or disturbing a person, or of dismissing or discounting someone’s opinions.
- Persist in trying to interest a person romantically or sexually when that person shows no interest in return or rejects such advances.
Managers
- Ignore or minimize complaints of moral, sexual or institutional harassment.
- Require employees to meet targets at all costs if circumstances make this impossible.
- Conduct an investigation if you have not been trained in investigation or if your proximity to the actors involved could cause others to doubt your neutrality.
Practical case 1
You notice that within your team, one of your colleagues is always ignored by another colleague, who never greets this person, does not invite them to participate in team meetings and regularly makes disparaging remarks about their physical appearance.
You attempt to engage in dialogue with them and with the colleague about what you believe to be an improper practice.
You encourage the person to speak to his/her manager or PDP and to make a report on the Ethics Line.
You can also inform your manager of your findings.
Practical case 2
Your line manager is very demanding. The manager publicly reprimands team members when some work has not been done in the way he/she expected and can humiliate a person in the middle of a meeting, creating a climate of terror and damaging the motivation of the entire team. No one dares to make remarks to the manager because they are very high up and everyone is afraid of the consequences.
You can go and talk to the manager alone or with other colleagues and tell them that their behavior is demotivating and stressful and harms the team.
If the manager does not respond, you make a report on the Ethics Line. Besides doing that, you can talk to your Development Partner.
The fact that the person occupies a high hierarchical position in the company does not give them any special protection. Furthermore, company policy protects you from reprisals.
Practical case 3
During a team building, an external speaker has behaved inappropriately towards you, paying you loud compliments, following you around during all the activities and proposing to meet for a drink. This made you feel very uncomfortable and interfered with the activities. You can:
Be assertive with the facilitator and ask them to stop the inappropriate behavior. You can do this alone or with a colleague, so that you feel supported.
Report on the Ethics Line. Besides doing that, you can talk to your manager or your Development Partner.
It is essential to put a stop to any unacceptable behavior before it can degenerate, and to prevent its recurrence with others.
Practical case 4
You work in the sales force and a customer had made clear that he wanted to go on a date with you outside the work location, inviting you several times for a drink or dinner. After you declined their invitations, the customer said they would stop buying Michelin tires or would buy them in a much lower quantity if you would not respond positively to these requests.
You must talk to your manager and report the matter on the Ethics Line.
Besides that, you can also report the case to your Development Partner.
Practical case 5
One of your colleagues keeps slapping people on the back. The colleague seems to consider that as a friendly gesture. But you see that some people are offended by this behavior and don’t dare to say something.
You explain to this colleague that this habit is not accepted by others and can hurt them. You ask that the colleague stop doing it.
