NIH Anti-Harassment Program (October 22, 2018)

Dear NIH Family,

Today we are launching the NIH Anti-Harassment Program for NIH staff. NIH leadership takes this issue very seriously. I encourage you to review and become familiar with the information below:

  • NIH has issued two new policies that apply to all NIH employees, contractors, fellows, trainees, and visitors at NIH facilities:
  • A new video outlines NIH policies, how to report allegations of harassment, and other resources for NIH staff. The video must be viewed through the HHS Learning Portal. I am asking every member of the NIH community to watch the video.
  • To increase accountability and adherence to the new policies, all inquiries into allegations of harassment will now be centrally managed through the Office of Human Resources Civil Program, which will work with NIH Institutes and Centers to determine the most appropriate resolution to an allegation.
  • The Civil Program has a new web form and hotline (833-224-3829) to make it easier to report allegations of harassment. Information and tools to help you navigate reporting allegations and the process Civil uses to make inquiries into allegations are available on the Civil Program website.
  • We will also be asking you to participate in a survey on workplace climate and harassment in early 2019. This survey will provide NIH with information to address harassment, including sexual harassment, at NIH, and explore the relationship between harassment and its impact on science. We will need a high level of participation in responding to this survey. Your experiences and perceptions will be critical to implement changes that support respectful work environments free of harassment and conducive to high-quality scientific research.
  • Additional information and resources are available on the NIH Anti-Sexual Harassment website.

At the most fundamental level, our mission is about the respect of human life, which should permeate all aspects of our lives and work. Sexual harassment goes against the very core of what NIH represents. Thank you in advance for working together to ensure a safe and respectful work environment free of harassment of any kind. Harassment doesn’t work here.

With appreciation for all you do to support the NIH mission,

Francis S. Collins, M.D., Ph.D.
Director