Introduction and purpose

Actions against bullying, sexual harassment, gender-based harassment and violence

Introduction and purpose

This policy and response plan is established based on Act No. 46/1980 on working conditions, hygiene and safety at workplaces and regulation no. 1009/2015 on actions against bullying, sexual harassment, gender-based harassment and violence in the workplace. This response plan applies to all Reykjavík University students who believe they have been subjected to bullying, gender-based or sexual harassment and/or violence ("EKKO") related to Reykjavík University's activities and operations, whether by an employee, a student or a contractor working for the university.

The Reykjavík University's code of conduct emphasises the well-being of staff and students, mutual respect, tolerance and support. This policy and response plan is a further implementation of that official policy and applies to all students and staff of RU. Bullying and other forms of harassment, such as gender-based and sexual harassment, are not tolerated.

Disagreements due to projects and tasks, different opinions or different interests are not considered inappropriate behaviour in the sense of the response plan. However, if such a disagreement escalates without intervention, it can lead to bullying, harassment and/or violence. Inappropriate behaviour that could fall under this response plan is, for example, any form of discrimination based on prejudice.

Definitions

• Bullying: Repeated conduct generally intended to cause discomfort to the person subjected to it, such as belittling, insulting, hurting or threatening the person, or causing fear. Differences of opinion or differences of interest are not included here.
• Gender-based harassment: Conduct related to the sex of the person being subjected to it, is unwelcome to the person and has the purpose or effect of violating the person’s dignity and creating an intimidating, hostile, degrading, humiliating or offensive environment for the person.
• Sexual harassment: Any sexual conduct that is unwelcome to the person being subjected to it and has the purpose or effect of violating the person’s dignity, especially when the conduct results in an intimidating, hostile, degrading, humiliating or offensive environment. The conduct may be verbal, symbolic and/or physical.
• Violence: Any conduct that results in, or is likely to result in, physical or psychological harm or suffering to the person affected, including threats of such harm, coercion or arbitrary deprivation of liberty.
• Victim:  A person subjected to bullying, sexual harassment, gender-based harassment or violence.
• Alleged perpetrator: A person who commits bullying, sexual harassment, gender-based harassment or violence. Upon the investigation of a case is over the term alleged perpetrator is used.

Professional council

The Executive Council of RU appoints a professional council whose role is to handle incident reporting, notifications and complaints about the above-mentioned violations within RU, investigate notifications, provide feedback on issues and make recommendations for improvements.

The professional council consists of two external parties, a lawyer and a psychologist, along with RU's lawyer, a representative from RU's student counselling and career centre and a representative from RU's human resources department if the matter is related to RU staff. Efforts should be made to maintain an equal gender ratio in the professional council, and each member must meet strict qualifications.

RU professional council

• Professional council's external lawyer: Sigurður Freyr Guðmundsson (sfs@landlogmenn.is)
• Professional council's external psychologist: Bryndís Einarsdóttir (bryndis@lifogsal.is)
• RU´s lawyer: Margrét Þóroddsdóttir (margretth@ru.is)
• Head of Student Services: Gréta Matthíasdóttir (gretam@ru.is)
• Representative of RU's Human Resource department: Ester Gústavsdóttir (esterg@ru.is)

Reporting

1. Individuals who believe they have been subjected to bullying, gender-based or sexual harassment and/or violence related to Reykjavík University activities may report directly to the RU professional council via the email address ekko@ru.is or to the RU lawyer. Students may also contact the faculty office, the director of study lines or department chairs.  
2. Individuals who believe they have witnessed such conduct may report to the same parties.
3. Others who receive such reports shall inform the relevant party of this plan and its remedies.

Procedure

Once the professional council has received the notification, this response plan must be activated within five working days.

Items that must be ensured in the treatment of all cases:

• The professional council and the parties to the case must record and store all related data. If the complaint is verbal, it must be written down. To facilitate the processing of cases, the parties to a case are encouraged to record the incident and behaviour in question. The time and date, the names of those present and the circumstances when the incident occurred or occurred should be recorded. All cases are handled according to the Act on Data Protection and Processing of Personal Data no. 90/2018.
• It must be ensured that the victim's situation during the procedure is such that the victim is not further exposed, enjoys support and feels safe within RU. Transferring the victim of a case within the university is not permitted to study/work elsewhere unless the person concerned so wishes.
• The parties' need for assistance in the form of psychological aid or counselling shall be assessed.
• RU staff and others who work on a specific case must respect confidentiality and personal protection and may only discuss the issue with those involved.
• All actions taken in the process of a case should be in consultation with the victim.

Case Process

• The professional council invites the victim to a meeting, reviews the reason for the notification, and assesses the case's progress. If there is suspicion of criminal conduct, the victim is encouraged to contact the police. The victim should then be helped if appropriate.
• The professional council contacts the alleged perpetrator in the case and invites them to a meeting where the person can express his views. If appropriate the alleged perpetrator must then be helped.
• If a report is received from someone other than the victim, the professional council invites that party to a meeting.
• After the interviews, the professional council decides whether to take the case to formal or informal proceedings.
  • Informal proceedings involve talking to the parties to a case and providing them with support through confidential conversations or advice and proposals to solve the problem. Others are not informed about the matter. The case is recorded so that it can be followed up. A case only goes to an informal channel if the victim so wishes.
  • If a case is taken up for formal proceedings, it is further investigated, considering, the nature of the case. The professional council gets access to the data related to the case. To be able to take appropriate action within the department to protect the victim, it may be necessary to inform the department chair of the case, this is always done in consultation with the victim.   
• The professional council sends its decision in writing to the department chair of the relevant department and the university president in the case of informal and formal proceedings. If the professional council believes a violation has occurred it submits a proposal for a suggested response to the relevant manager and university president, who make further decisions.

Interim measures:

The professional council may take measures based on this response plan while cases are still being processed. This will be done in consultation with the victim. Such measures are interim measures that expire when the conclusion of the professional council is available. Then other measures may be taken according to the decision of the department chair or president if the professional council believes a violation has occurred.

If a case is being processed by the police the council must be able to respond to and ensure the victim's situation/condition during that period, by making an interim decision.  An interim decision is valid while the case is processed by the police or courts. After the proceedings are completed, the council's proceedings, according to the response plan, may continue.

Remedies

If a violation is considered to have taken place, the following remedies may be regarded as, among others:

• A solution-oriented approach for the parties to the case.
• Conciliation meetings.
• Perpetrator required to complete their studies in distance learning.
• Formal reprimand of the perpetrator.
• Temporary suspension or permanent expulsion of the perpetrator if the reprimand is not acted upon or other measures have not been effective. In severe cases, expulsion may occur without notice.

Responses to violations are determined by the university president and/or the relevant faculty/department manager, who has permission to work with staff and students using various remedies, give a formal reprimand or expel from work/study.

All cases will be followed up with the parties involved, and an assessment will be made as to whether the behaviour has continued in any form. Follow-up is the responsibility of the department or division that decides on remedies. Follow-up is assumed to occur about six weeks after the professional council has returned its results.

Liability and Audit

The university president is responsible for implementing this policy and response plan. Directors of departments/divisions are also responsible for ensuring that all provisions of the response plan are enforced. This policy and response plan should be presented to all students and staff.

The plan is evaluated and revised every three years, or more often if necessary. Suggestions and proposals regarding the plan should be communicated to RU’s lawyer.

These rules were set in October 2012
 Revised and approved in March 2019
 Revised and approved in May 2023
Revised and approved in December 2024