Table 2. Recommendations for Developing an Organizational Reporting System and Grievance Process Related to Gender Bias and Sexual Harassment.

Reprinted with permission from American Society of Health-System Pharmacists

Action	Questions to Ask and Items to Consider
Define the intent and scope of the grievance process	Who is able to utilize the grievance process (e.g., certain membership categories, organization employees, vendors, donors, etc.)? How will your organization define (and illustrate with examples) gender bias and sexual harassment? Will your process pertain solely to issues arising within the immediate context of your organization’s business (e.g., harassing behavior that occurs during a conference hosted by your organization) or will you consider conduct that occurs outside of the organization, but is still relevant to your organization’s business (e.g., harassing behavior in the context of a person’s professional work related to their candidacy as a member of your organization’s board of directors)? What are the things that fall outside of the scope of the process?
Structure the grievance process	How will your organization receive the grievance (e.g., in writing, via a third-party website, etc.)? What are all of the points of information you will require a person(s) provide in their report before the process can be initiated? Once received, who is to be notified of the grievance within your organization? Who within your organization will be responsible for reviewing and deliberating on the grievance and how will you ensure both their subject matter competency and independence from all involved parties as well as the organization’s leadership? Who will be involved in the review process from outside of your organization (e.g., legal counsel, etc.) What tool(s) will your organization utilize to review grievances (e.g., a rubric the organization develops, an external evaluation, etc.)? What disciplinary actions (give examples) will the organization consider/render if a party is deemed to have exhibited conduct that is bias or harassing? How will you notify all of the parties once a determination is made and how will you follow through on recommendations and subsequent actions? How will you afford the person(s) named in the grievance adequate opportunity to respond to allegations as well as any disciplinary action? What timeframe will you establish to complete each step of the grievance process once initiated? How will you ensure that the rights of all parties are maintained (e.g., confidentiality, fairness, etc.)? How will you ensure a zero-tolerance policy for retaliation towards all parties involved? What resources, including money and personnel, will be necessary for your organization to implement and support a grievance process that is timely, rigorous and fair?
Develop a statement of rights as part of the grievance process	How will you define the environment members and stakeholders can expect within your organization? Are there any other rights a person should expect (e.g., right to due process and fair procedures, zero tolerance for retaliation, etc.)? Who is entitled to these rights (e.g., only members, vendors, sponsors, etc.)? How often will you review your statement? How will you ensure the statement is easily and widely available to members and stakeholders? Who will be listed as the contact person (including contact information) for questions or comments?
Commit to continuous quality improvement	Solicit feedback on the grievance process from all parties involved, including the targeted person(s), alleged harasser(s), named witnesses and process reviewers. At regularly scheduled times (consider after every grievance is completed), make necessary changes within the organization to strengthen the grievance process, update general operations across the organization and revise all associated materials (e.g., policies and procedures, statement of rights, member code of conduct, etc.) to mitigate future risks. Allot time, resources and money to educating and training volunteer leadership (e.g., board members, committee chairs, etc.) and organization employees on the grievance process at regular intervals (e.g., during orientation programs, etc.). Communicate the availability of your organization’s grievance process to all stakeholders routinely (e.g., at the time of membership renewals, at the time vendor contracts are signed, etc.). Develop a method to educate members and stakeholders on the grievance process (e.g., on-demand webinar available on your organization’s publicly-accessible website, etc.). Designate someone responsible for remaining up-to-date in current trends, best practices and legalities related to gender bias and sexual harassment.
Explore and evaluate future considerations	Can information be shared across professional organizations (e.g., development of a national reporting system), and if so, how? Can information be shared with or by employers, and if so, how? What role, if any, do state boards of pharmacy and credentialing boards have? What role, if any, does restorative justice have in rebuilding a community of trust among victims, bystanders and stakeholders?