The Office of the Procurement Ombud’s Events Code of Conduct

The Office of the Procurement Ombud (OPO) is committed to zero tolerance towards any verbal or physical threats, violence, abuse or harassment at any of its in-person or online events. If any participant exhibits unacceptable behavior at any point during the event, OPO reserves the right to take appropriate action, including, but not limited to, contacting law enforcement and /or removing the participant from the event.

Unacceptable behaviors that will not be tolerated include, and are not limited to, the following:

  • Verbal harassment or threats;
  • Physical harassment, threats or acts of violence, including pushing, shoving and the use of any physical force;
  • Sexual harassment, including inappropriate physical contact and unwelcome sexual attention whether verbal, physical or otherwise;
  • Discrimination, including but not limited to discrimination based on race, sex, age, gender, gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, national origin, religion, disability and marital status.
  • Offensive language and gestures, whether it is verbal harassment or abuse, sexually explicit language or gestures, profanity, obscenity or racial, religious or ethnic slurs;
  • Threats, or intimidating and threatening behaviour, whether verbal, physical or written, including menacing gestures;
  • Microaggressions, including verbal, behavioral or environmental slights, whether intentional or unintentional, that communicate hostile, derogatory, or negative attitudes toward those of different races, cultures, beliefs, or genders;
  • Insinuations that are hurtful or interfere with any other attendee’s experience or participation;
  • Possession or display of any weapon or other item that can be used to threaten or intimidate; and
  • Deliberately damaging the venue or other people’s property.

OPO encourages anyone who experiences or witnesses behavior that violates this Code of Conduct, or has any related concerns, to report it to an OPO employee so that appropriate action can be taken.

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