Values Statement and Applicable Policies
From Whitney Policy Manual & Code of Conduct

Values

The Whitney Museum of American Art was founded by Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney in 1930. An artist and philanthropist, she believed that artists were essential to defining, challenging, and expanding culture. The Museum became a site where artists and audiences engaged openly with untested ideas. Today, this history informs who we are and how we serve our public. The Whitney believes:

• in the power of artists and art to shape lives and communities;
• that we must be as experimental, responsive, and risk-taking as the artists with whom we collaborate;
• in creating experiences that engage and raise questions for our audiences, and, in turn, learning from our audiences;
• that our work embraces complexity and encourages an inclusive idea of America;
• in the importance of history: that the past informs our present and that contemporary art can help us better understand our past and realize our future;
• that we must lead with expertise, debate, self-reflection, and integrity;
• that the Whitney thrives because of relationships—among artists, audiences, staff, and board alike—forged from dialogue, premised on respect, and committed to a shared purpose.

Equal Employment Opportunity and Affirmative Action

The Museum is an equal opportunity employer. The Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action Policy applies to all employees and applicants. It is the Museum's policy to provide equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment.

No person will be discriminated against or harassed because of race, color, creed, age, religion, national origin, alien or citizenship status, sex, gender (including gender identity) sexual orientation, disability, arrest or conviction record, marital status, partnership status, veteran status, or status as a victim of domestic violence or other classification protected by federal, state or local law. The Museum absolutely prohibits retaliation against any employee who, in good faith, makes a report under this policy or who participates in an investigation.

This policy applies to all terms, conditions, and privileges of employment, including but not limited to: recruitment, hiring, training, apprenticeship, evaluation, staffing, promotion, compensation, benefits, discipline, leaves of absence, transfer, placement, upgrading, demotion, downgrading, employee facilities, lay-off, recall, termination, and retirement. Employees will be provided equal employment opportunity based upon merit, competence, and service with respect to all terms and conditions of employment. Advancement to positions of greater responsibility is based on an individual's abilities and demonstrated performance. The Museum will actively pursue opportunities to recruit and develop job candidates who have the desire and potential for becoming qualified employees. For more information regarding the Museum's Equal Employment Opportunity and Affirmative Action Policy, please contact Human Resources.

Non-Discrimination and Anti-Harassment Policy

The Museum is strongly committed to maintaining a harassment-free workplace. Harassment because of characteristics such as race, color, creed, age, religion, national origin, alien or citizenship status, sex, gender (including gender identity), sexual orientation, disability, arrest or conviction record, marital status, partnership status, veteran status, status as a victim of domestic violence or other classification protected by federal, state or local law or ordinance is bad for morale, bad for business, and in most cases against the law. Harassment of any kind, including sexual harassment, violates Museum policy.

The Museum will not tolerate harassment of any employee by any other employee, supervisor, manager, business partner, trustee or any other individual with whom the Museum does business.

Further, the Museum is committed to ensuring that employees who interact with the public are protected from discriminatory or harassing behavior by the public.

Prohibited Conduct

The Museum prohibits not only comments and actions severe enough to be unlawful, but also conduct and comments that are not severe enough to violate law, but that are still inappropriate in the workplace.

Derogatory racial, ethnic, religious, age, disability-based, sexual orientation, sexual, or other inappropriate remarks, slurs, or jokes will not be tolerated. Such conduct, whether spoken or written, graphic or physical, done to offend or simply as insensitive joking, could reasonably be perceived as offensive and unwelcome, and may constitute harassment. Conduct or comments that disparage individuals or groups based on any discriminatory factors will not be tolerated.

Definition of Sexual Harassment

Sexual harassment includes many forms of offensive sexual behavior, including but not limited to unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, and all other visual, verbal, or physical conduct of a sexual or otherwise offensive nature when:

• Submission to such conduct is made explicitly or implicitly a term or condition of employment.
• Submission to or rejection of such conduct is used as the basis for employment decisions affecting an individual; or
• Such conduct has the purpose or effect of unreasonably interfering with an individual's work performance or creating an intimidating, hostile or offensive working environment.

Each employee, officer, trustee, volunteer, or anyone else doing business with the museum must exercise good judgment to avoid engaging in conduct that may be perceived by others as harassment. Forms of harassment and other conduct prohibited by this policy include:

• Verbal: Repeated sexual innuendos or sexually-oriented comments, sexually-oriented "kidding" or "teasing," racial or sexual epithets, derogatory slurs, off-color jokes, explicit sexual propositions, threats, suggestive or insulting sounds, graphic or offensive commentaries or voicemail messages, questions about another's sex life, experiences or orientation, or repeated requests for dates.
• Visual/ Non-Verbal: Derogatory posters, cartoons or drawings; suggestive objects or pictures; graphic or offensive e-mail messages; unwanted or offensive letters or poems; leering; staring or stalking; obscene gestures.
• Physical: Unwanted physical contact including, but not limited to, touching, grabbing, groping, fondling, interference with an employee's normal work movement, assault, or rape.
• Other: Making or threatening reprisals of a negative response to harassment.

Procedure for Reporting Incidents of Objectionable Conduct

The Museum will not tolerate harassment or discrimination of any kind, and urges and encourages those who feel they have experienced harassing conduct to bring complaints or raise concerns about such problems so that problems or concerns can be promptly and constructively addressed.

Accommodations for People with Disabilities

The Museum is committed to complying with all applicable provisions of the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Americans with Disabilities Amendments Act, the New York State Human Rights Law, the New York City Human Rights Law and any other applicable law. The Museum does not discriminate against any qualified employee or applicant with regard to any terms or conditions of employment because of the individual's disability or perceived disability so long as the employee can perform the essential functions of the job. Consistent with this policy of non-discrimination, and to the extent required by law, the Museum will provide reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with a disability, as defined by law, and who have made the Museum aware of the disability, provided that such accommodation does not constitute an undue hardship to the Museum.

Last updated December 7, 2020