Responsible Employees

Anyone can report discrimination and harassment to the Office for the Prevention of Harassment and Discrimination (OPHD). Reporting enables the University to address and prevent harm and impacted parties to receive information about their options and resources. Employees of UC Berkeley have an obligation to notify the OPHD when they learn, in the course of their work, of possible violations of the UC SVSH Policy and the UC Anti-Discrimination Policy.

Who is a Responsible Employee?

A Responsible Employee is any University employee who is not a Confidential Resource. This includes student employees (e.g. resident assistants and GSIs), when they learn of Prohibited Conduct in the course of their work.

Supervisors, managers, and faculty, including department deans and chairs, are Responsible Employees with additional reporting obligations.

What are Responsible Employees required to do?

Reporting required for all Responsible Employees

Any University employee (including any student employee) who is not a Confidential Resource must notify OPHD of the following if they learn of the Prohibited Conduct in the course of their work:

Prohibited Conduct under the UC SVSH Policy affecting students

Reporting required for faculty, managers, and supervisors

Any faculty member, manager, or supervisor who is not a Confidential Resource must notify OPHD of any of the following if they learn of the Prohibited Conduct in the course of their work:

Prohibited Conduct under the UC SVSH Policy affecting anyone affiliated with the University
Prohibited Conduct under the UC Anti-Discrimination Policy affecting anyone affiliated with the University

What should be reported?

Please see the UC SVSH Policy and the UC Anti-Discrimination Policy for definitions and more information about Prohibited Conduct.

Prohibited Conduct under the UC SVSH Policy includes, but is not limited to, sexual assault, sexual harassment, relationship violence, stalking, and sexual exploitation.

Prohibited Conduct under the UC Anti-Discrimination Policy includes harassment and discrimination based on the Protected Categories defined in the Policy, including but not limited, race, gender, national origin, ancestry, sexual orientation, and disability.

Responsible Employees should share with OPHD any details they learn about the alleged Prohibited Conduct.

What does reporting do to help me or other people?

A report enables the University to promptly address reports of discrimination and harassment by informing the individuals charged with taking action under University policy, thus helping foster a safer learning and working environment.

Campus Security Authorities (CSAs) have additional responsibilities under the Clery Act

Please provide the Notice of Rights and Options for Survivors of SVSH to any reporting parties of sexual assault, dating violence, domestic violence, and stalking.

If you are a Campus Security Authority (CSA) and need to file a Clery crime report, please complete the Clery Act Crime Report Form. For more information on CSA reporting obligations, please contact clery@berkeley.edu.

How to report

Anyone can submit a report to OPHD in any of the following ways:

Webform(link is external)
Email: ask_ophd@berkeley.edu(link sends e-mail)
Phone: 510-643-7985 (711 CA Relay Service(link is external))

Please note: Survivors/complainants and third parties may submit reports anonymously. Due to employee's reporting obligations, Responsible Employee reports may not be made anonymously.

Tips for responding to disclosures

The Responsible Employee obligation is more than just reporting. When someone comes to you with a concern related to sexual violence and sexual harassment, it’s crucial that you listen, support, and offer resources.

To avoid retraumatization, please do not attempt to investigate. Please see the table in the Responsible Employee Quick Guide for tips and examples on how to respond to disclosures.

Additional Reporting Responsibilities

A Responsible Employee may have other reporting obligations, for example as a Campus Security Authority (CSA) under the Clery Act or a Mandated Reporter for child abuse and dependet adult or elder abuse under the Child Abuse and Neglect Reporting Act (CANRA). Please see the Understanding Reporting Obligations quick guide for more information.

What if the problem I want to report, or have to report, falls into more than one category?

Reports made to any of the offices on this page will be rerouted to the appropriate office(s).
However, if you have a reporting obligation, in order to ensure that all the information you are required to provide reaches all of the right offices in the appropriate time frame, you are advised to report directly to all of the relevant offices.

Resources

Have questions about being a Responsible Employee? Please contact OPHD by emailing ask_ophd@berkeley.edu or calling 510-643-7985.

Responding to disclosures of SVSH

Tips for how to respond	Example of what you could say or do
Remind the person that you are not a confidential resource.	“Before we continue, it’s important you know that as a campus employee, if I learn of any incident of sexual violence or sexual harassment, I am required to share that information with OPHD. Sexual violence and sexual harassment include sexual assault, relationship violence, stalking, sexual exploitation, invasions of sexual privacy, and retaliation. I’m letting you know this so that you can choose how much you want to share with me. I also want to let you know there are confidential resources available to you.”
Create a comfortable and private environment. Appreciate the person for connecting with you.	“Thank you for trusting me, I imagine it can be difficult to share. Do you feel comfortable talking here or is there somewhere else you would prefer?”
Listen actively and respond without blame, doubt, or judgment, and without attempting to investigate.	“I want to support you, whatever you decide to do.”
Offer a warm referral to the PATH to Care Center and provide the Notice of Rights and Options for Survivors of SVSH.	“I want to help you get the support you deserve and information about your options and rights. There are trained, confidential advocates at the PATH to Care Center who can help, whatever you decide. Let’s call an advocate together and then you can decide if you want to make an appointment.” Call the 24/7 Urgent Support Care Line: 510-643-2005 for confidential support. A warm person-to-person interaction and referral from someone familiar can make a huge difference for the impacted person.
Share what you learned with OPHD.	Contact OPHD by completing their online reporting webform, emailing ask_ophd@berkeley.edu, or calling 510-643-7985. For information, visit ophd.berkeley.edu. If you are a Campus Security Authority and also need to file a Clery crime report, please complete the Clery Act Crime Report Form.
Take care of yourself.	Learning that someone you know experienced sexual violence or sexual harassment can be difficult. It is common to feel angry, sad, anxious, overwhelmed, and to experience symptoms of vicarious trauma or a reactivation of your own traumatic experiences. Remember that there are resources available to support you as well. Consider calling the PATH to Care Center 24/7 Urgent Support Care Line at 510-643-2005, or calling Employee Assistance at 510-643-7754, for confidential support.