Zero Tolerance Policy

b2venture is committed to a work environment in which all individuals are treated with respect and dignity. Each employee has the right to work in a professional atmosphere that promotes equal employment opportunities and prohibits unlawful discriminatory practices, including harassment.

This anti-harassment and discrimination policy - our Zero Tolerance Policy - extends to every employee at b2venture and all partners. This policy is also relevant to individuals in our direct investment network, portfolio founders, and our limited partners. We anticipate that our clients, contractors, service providers, and anyone we come into contact with will adhere to and respect our policy. b2venture firmly disapproves of any form of harassment and discrimination, and any reported incidents will be promptly investigated.

Definition of harassment
Harassment is behavior towards a person that causes mental or emotional suffering, which includes repeated unwanted contacts without a reasonable purpose, insults, threats, touching, or offensive language.

Definition of discrimination
‍Discrimination is unfairly treating a person or group of persons differently from others on the grounds of age, disability, ethnicity, origin, political belief, race, religion, sex etc. 

Examples
pending on the circumstances, examples of discrimination or harassment mayinclude (but not be limited to) the following conduct:
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• Comments or actions that, from the perspective of the receiving individual, are derogatory and/or reinforce systemic inequality of one group over another
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• Suggestive or derogatory photography, recordings or other imagery
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• Unwelcome sexual attention, including inappropriate physical contact, andexplicit or implied demands for sexual favors in exchange for career or business opportunities
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• Limiting career or business opportunities based on the individual characteristics mentioned above

Reporting
‍We encourage immediate reporting of all perceived incidents of discrimination, harassment or retaliation, regardless of the offender’s identity or position. Individuals who believe that they have been the victim of such conduct can either report personally or anonymously. Please be assured that (1) you will be heard and taken seriously, (2) you will be protected from retaliation and (3) we are committed to resolving the incident quickly & fairly.

Report Personally
‍You can contact anyone in our team you feel most comfortable with. Feel free to reach out via e-mail, telephone or LinkedIn. All reporting will then be forwarded and reviewed by Phyllis Studerus, our Chief Empowerment Officer and Andreas Goeldi, one of our b2venture Partners. Afterwards, Andreas & Phyllis will contact you directly to discuss the reported case.

Report Anonymously
‍If you do not want your identity to be known, please use this Form. We cannot follow up on an anonymous report with you directly but will investigate the incidences and take whatever action is necessary to prevent recurrence. 

Taking action
As soon as an issue is reported, the relevant persons will speak to determine the right course of action. The primary purpose is to investigate if your policy has been violated which may mean that we reach out to the parties involved. Any information that is reported is treated as highly confidential. At the conclusion of the investigation, we determine a resolution.