No matter what, how, or when; you are the one in charge. You decide what steps you want to take and how to move forward when reporting an incident. We encourage you to talk about what happened.

If you're being sexually harassed (or suspect another person is being harassed), please report it to a Managing Partner, your Lead, the Council trustee or the Lifely Confidant; whoever you feel more comfortable talking with. In serious cases like sexual assault, please call the police, and inform the Lifely Confidant or a Managing Partner that you plan to press charges. We acknowledge it’s often hard to come forward about these issues, and we strive to have as many channels of communication open to you, so whoever you're comfortable talking to, we're here for you.

Here are the steps you can take, either:

• Talk to the offender. If you suspect that an offender doesn’t realise they are guilty of harassment, you could talk to them directly in an effort to resolve the issue. This tactic is appropriate for cases of minor harassment. For example, inappropriate jokes between colleagues, something you read, or overheard.
• Talk to your Team Lead. Your Team Lead will assess your situation and may contact Management if appropriate. Explain the situation in as much detail as possible. If you have any hard evidence, forward it or bring it with you to the meeting.
• Talk to HR. Feel free to reach out to HR in any case of harassment, no matter how minor it may seem. For your safety, contact HR as soon as possible in cases of serious harassment (e.g. sexual advances) or when your Team Lead is involved in your claim. Anything you disclose will remain confidential.
• Ask someone outside Lifely for help. If for any reason you don't want to talk to any of the appointed personnel within Lifely, please talk to one of your colleagues so they can help guide your next step. If that's already a bridge too far and this feels too uncomfortable, you could even go as far as talking to your friends or parents, and have them contact anyone of the Lifely Management if that feels more comfortable to you. You can give my (Nick de Bruijn's) personal number (+31 (0) 6 136 210 29) to anyone that is helping you navigate any challenge you might face.

If you report any assault to the police, Lifely will provide any possible support until the matter is resolved. In any case, we will ensure you are not victimised and that you have access to relevant evidence.

What's not acceptable at Lifely

Harassment includes bullying, intimidation, direct insults, malicious gossip, and victimisation. It’s impossible to create an exhaustive list, but here are some instances that we consider harassment:

• Sabotaging someone’s work on purpose.
• Engaging in frequent or unwanted advances of any nature.
• Commenting derogatorily on a person’s ethnic heritage or religious beliefs.
• Starting or spreading rumors about a person’s personal life.
• Ridiculing someone in front of others or singling them out to perform tasks unrelated to their job (e.g. bringing coffee) against their will.