Harassment
Any form of sexual harassment is forbidden at ETH Zurich. Everyone at ETH Zurich is entitled to have their personal boundaries respected and protected.
What is sexual harassment?
The Equal Opportunities Act defines sexual harassment as any behaviour with a sexual connotation that is unwanted and degrades another person in any way. Harassment may take place while working, studying or attending ETH events. Such conduct may come from ETH employees, students, people working for partner companies or externals.
Sexual harassment is not harmless! In addition to being prohibited by law, it has far-reaching negative consequences not only for those affected, but for our institution as an entity. Sexual harassment is not tolerated at ETH Zurich and will result in disciplinary measures. ETH Zurich will take formal action, under employment regulations, irrespective of the position or seniority of the person accused of harassment.
There is a simple rule to judge whether a behaviour qualifies as harmless flirting, a close relationship between work colleagues or it is a case of sexual harassment. It’s not the intention of the initiator that matters, but rather whether their conduct is perceived as either welcome or unwanted by the person targeted.
Sexual harassment can take the form of words, gestures or actions. It may originate from individuals or groups of people. Concrete examples include:
- Unwanted approaches
such as seemingly innocent or deliberate physical contact, unwanted invitations with no doubt about the intentions, stalking ETH members on or off campus, etc. - Sexual innuendo
such as suggestive or ambiguous comments, jokes about someone’s sexual traits, sexual behaviour or sexual orientation, etc. - Pornographic material
such as displaying, pinning up or sending pornographic images, etc. - Sexual assaults
such as coercion or rape, etc.
Do you feel someone is harassing you in your work/study environment? You have the right to protect yourself.
Actions you can take include:
- React quickly and set boundaries.
Clarify the situation as quickly as possible. Make it clear to the person that you find certain actions or statements unacceptable and ask them to stop this behaviour. - Keep a written record of events.
Note down exactly what happened and when, under what circumstances, and who may have witnessed it. - Seek help.
If the situation doesn’t improve, get in touch with one of the ETH contact and advice services for confidential advice on taking additional steps. They can also provide further information on the possible legal actions. All incidents reported will be treated asstrictly confidential. assured that making a report will not have negative consequences for you.
At ETH Zurich, we look out for one another. All our members must take active measures if they witness any case of sexual harassment.
- Voice your concerns.
Be in solidarity with people affected by harassment. If you see someone overstepping boundaries, ask that person to stop their unwelcome behaviour. - Offer support.
Try to discuss the matter explicitly with the harassed person. Encourage the person affected to approach the ETH advice and conciliation service respect. You can also contact them yourself to ask for advice. All discussions with our specialist teams are treated in strict confidence. - Inform your tutor.
Report what you have seen to one of your tutors, but do not take any further measures without the agreement of the person being harassed.
Are you unsure whether someone else has found your behaviour offensive? You may still be able to rectify the situation:
- Reflect on your behaviour.
How would you feel if someone close to you (such as a sister or a friend) were treated in the same way? How would your friend react if they knew about your behaviour? Consider talking about the incident with someone you trust. - Talk to the person in question.
Often there are misunderstandings that can be cleared up by discussing them. It’s a good idea to hold such a discussion in a public place such as a cafeteria. - Seek support.
The Advice and Conciliation Service Respect offers confidential advice and can provide extra support if needed.
Various ETH contact and advice services offer guidance and support in helping you reach a solution. You are free to decide which service you would like to contact. They will then discuss potential courses of action with you.
All counselling is provided free of charge.
Any advice is always provided confidentially and protects your anonymity vis-à-vis the conflict parties involved. After raising a complaint we may progress the case as you wish. Further steps are only taken with your consent.
You can get in touch with the contact and advice services even if you are facing an allegation yourself.
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Formal phase
If a conflict could not be resolved with the help of an ETH contact and advice service, as the affected party you can initiate an official clarification procedure by submitting a formal written complaint. Your anonymity is no longer protected, and your identity will be disclosed to the parties involved.
Please note: If the incident is very serious, direct reporting is possible without prior counselling.
Who is alleged to have behaved inappropriately? The procedure for submitting a report depends on the alleged offender’s relationship with ETH Zurich.
- Students
If a student is alleged to have misbehaved in the sense of external pageArt. 3 of the Disciplinary Ordinance of ETH Zurichcall_made, please contact the internal Advice and Conciliation Service Respect. - Staff
If the alleged offender is an ETH employee the Reporting Office will deal with your complaint directly. - Doctoral supervisors
If any conflict arises in connection with the supervision of doctoral students, the conciliation proceeds in accordance with the ETH Zurich Ordinance on the Doctorate.
Initial consultation
After the report is received, the competent body checks whether it is complete and submitted on time, as well as which parties are involved. The Reporting Office will then arrange an initial consultation with you, as the affected party.
Breaking confidentiality
If you choose to submit a formal complaint, you lose your anonymity vis-à-vis the other party involved. The Reporting Office will then ask them to attend a hearing as well. The anonymity of any third parties not involved in the dispute is protected.
Impartiality and fairness
The competent body initiates and coordinates the appropriate clarification procedure in each case. In doing so, it works according to the principles of impartiality, the rule of law and fairness. All communication in the formal phase must also follow the principles of mutually respectful interaction and fair play.
E-Learning course on dealing with sexual harassment
The E-Learning course on dealing with sexual harassment in the working and study environment is aimed at all ETH members.