WASHINGTON, DC – The National Venture Capital Association (NVCA) today released a set of model documents and resources to help address sexual harassment in the venture industry. Created with guidance from working groups consisting of legal, H.R., and employment experts as well as venture investors, the documents have been created for both venture firms and startups to reference and adopt. These industry resources include: 1) Sample H.R. Policies for Addressing Harassment & Discrimination; 2) Sample H.R. Best Practices for Addressing Harassment & Discrimination; and 3) Sample Code of Conduct Policy. They are available with the NVCA Model Legal Documents as well as on the VentureForward page of the NVCA website.
The H.R. resources come in response to the news reports last summer of incidents of sexual harassment involving venture investors. In the wake of these revelations, NVCA sprang to action, speaking with many of the victims, collecting recommendations via an online form, and organizing a workshop in San Francisco that convened more than 60 industry participants, including managing partners, H.R. professionals, entrepreneurs, limited partners, legal experts, and other stakeholders. Read more