Anti-Harassment Policy

Harassment Against Members of a Protected Class 

We do not permit managers, employees, teachers, independent contractors, students, or others in the workplace to harass any other person because of age, gender identity, race, ethnicity, culture, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, disability or condition, socioeconomic status, genetic information, or any other basis as identified in the Equality Act 2010.

Harassment is unwelcome verbal or non-verbal conduct, based upon a person’s protected characteristic, that: 

1. denigrates or shows hostility or aversion toward the person because of the characteristic and which affects their employment opportunities or benefits;
2. has the purpose or effect of unreasonably interfering with their work performance;
3. enduring the offensive conduct becomes a condition of continued employment;
4. has the purpose or effect of creating a work environment that a reasonable person would consider intimidating, hostile, or abusive.

Harassment includes but is not limited to…

Verbal Harassment

• Unwanted sexual teasing, stories, jokes, remarks, or questions
• Sexual comments, stories or innuendo aimed at an individual
• Turning work discussions to sexual topics
• Asking about sexual fantasies, preferences, or history
• Asking personal questions about social or sexual life
• Sexual comments about a person’s clothing, anatomy, or looks
• Telling lies or spreading rumors about a person’s personal sex life
• Referring to an individual as a doll, babe, sweetheart, honey, or similar term
• Repeatedly asking a person out on dates who is not interested
• Unwanted letters, telephone calls, or sending materials of a sexual nature
• Stalking on social media
• Unwanted pressure for sexual favors 

Non-Verbal Harassment

• Blocking a person’s path or following
• Giving unwelcome personal gifts
• Displaying sexually suggestive materials
• Making sexual gestures with hands or through body movements
• Unwanted sexual looks or gestures 

Physical Harassment

• Hugging, kissing, patting, massaging or stroking
• Touching or rubbing oneself sexually around another person
• Unwanted deliberate touching, leaning over, cornering, or pinching
• Sexually oriented asana adjustments or touch
• Promising enlightenment or special teachings or status in exchange for sexual favors
• Actual or attempted rape or sexual assault 

Sexual Harassment in the Workplace

We do not tolerate sexual harassment in any space held by UKYC. Sexual harassment refers to any unwelcome sexual attention, sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, and other verbal, visual, or physical conduct of a sexual nature when: 

1. submission to such conduct is made either explicitly or implicitly a term or condition of an individual’s employment; 
2. submission to or rejection of such conduct by an individual is used as the basis for employment decisions affecting such individual;
3. such conduct has the purpose or effect of unreasonably interfering with an individual’s work performance;
4. such conduct has the purpose or effect of creating an intimidating, hostile or offensive working environment.

Examples of sexual harassment include unwanted and unnecessary physical contact; offensive remarks (including unwelcome comments about appearance); obscene jokes or other inappropriate use of sexually offensive language; the unnecessary and unrelated display of sexually suggestive objects or pictures in classes; and unwelcome sexual advances by teachers, students, customers, clients, or other visitors to a studio. Non-physical gesture, behavior, unnecessary physical contact, verbal suggestion, or innuendo may constitute sexual harassment.

Sexual Misconduct

Sexual misconduct is prohibited in all spaces held by UKYC. Sexual misconduct is any unsolicited and unwelcome sexual advance including requests for sexual favors, sexual touching, and verbal, visual, or physical conduct that creates a sexually hostile environment. Sexual misconduct also arises if a teacher engages in conduct that has the purpose or result of requiring a student to submit to such conduct to obtain any benefit or privilege relating to the study or teaching of yoga. While it is not possible to list all the circumstances that may constitute sexual misconduct, the following are examples of misconduct:

• Sexual advances whether they involve physical touching or not;
• Sexual epithets, jokes, written or verbal references to sexual conduct, gossip regarding one’s sex life, comments on an individual’s body, sexual activity, deficiencies, or prowess;
• Displaying sexually suggestive objects, pictures, cartoons;
• Unwelcome leering, whistling, brushing against the body, sexual gestures, suggestive or insulting comments;
• Comments or conjecture about a person’s sexual orientation or gender identity;
• Inquiries into one’s sexual activities;
• Sexually oriented asana adjustments or touch; and
• Discussion of one’s sexual activities.

If an individual identifies a behaviour or situation as unwelcome and the behaviour is repeated, it may be considered harassment. Actions taken outside of UKYC spaces, on personal websites and social media platforms may also fall under the jurisdiction of this policy.

Romantic Relationships Between Teachers and Students

Teachers will not invite, respond to, or allow any sexual or romantic conduct with a student during the period of the teacher-student relationship. 

Sexual or romantic interactions that occur during the teacher-student relationship constitute sexual misconduct and are unethical. Sexual or romantic interactions detract from the goals of the teaching relationship, may exploit the vulnerability of the student, may obscure the teacher’s judgment concerning the student, may be detrimental to the student’s well-being and damage the reputation of UKYC and the yoga community.

Yoga teachers must maintain professional boundaries in their relationships with students so that the best interests of the students are served. The teacher-student relationship involves an imbalance of power and any appearance that this imbalance has been exploited for the sexual purposes of the teacher is unethical. Even if the relationship is initiated by the student, it must be avoided by the teacher.

If a teacher is becoming romantically involved with a student, the teacher should end the teaching relationship. The teacher must ensure that any behavior in dealing with students is always professional and not open to misunderstanding or misinterpretation. If a relationship begins to develop, the teacher should seek the guidance of school management. If a teacher has a pre-existing relationship with a student that did not arise from the teacher-student relationship, it should be brought to the attention of the school’s management so that it can guide the couple in maintaining high ethical standards.

Last Updated: 01.07.2022