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All National Sawdust Employees are required to read and agree to the NS Code of Ethics

NATIONAL SAWDUST CODE OF ETHICS

As a long-standing member of the Association of Performing Arts Professionals(APAP), National Sawdust adheres to its Code of Ethics for its members and Code of Conduct for its members conference in all of its programs and activities. All APAP members are held accountable for upholding the Code of Ethics and are required to agree and abide by the Code of Ethics annually as a condition of APAP membership.

The Code of Ethics stipulates the following basis for Personal and Professional Integrity:

• APAP members shall adhere to the highest ethical standards because it is the right thing to do. 
• Adherence to contractual obligations and all applicable legal requirements is the minimum standard of expected behavior. As members of APAP, National Sawdust embraces the spirit of the law, often going beyond legal requirements. 
• As members of APAP, our work practice demonstrates concern for the interests and well-being of individuals and organizations affected by our actions.
• By virtue of their positions of leadership, APAP members shall be responsible to each other and to  the artists represented by members.  
• All staff, board members and volunteers of APAP members shall act with honesty, integrity and  openness in all their dealings as representatives of their organization. Members shall promote a  working environment that values respect, fairness and integrity.  
• Members shall conduct all negotiations, transactions and dealings in good faith and with integrity and  honesty. Members will communicate with each other clearly and on a timely basis;  
• Members shall conduct working relationships with colleagues in all sectors of the field that are based  on mutual respect, fairness and openness;  
• Members shall not breach professional confidence. Members are encouraged to be circumspect,  judicious, fair minded and diplomatic;  
• Members will respect the integrity of the mission of other members. Policies of member organizations  are encouraged to be written, clearly articulated and officially adopted;  
• Members will seek to understand and respect the organizational capacity and needs of other  members and members are expected to have the capacity to carry out the programs they offer and/or  present effectively. Members will be forthcoming and truthful about their professional experience and  qualifications.  

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The National Sawdust mission is to cultivate an ecosystem of learning, incubation, and dissemination rooted in open and inclusive music curiosity and driven by the belief that artistic expression empowers us all to create a more just world. National Sawdust is also committed to the current field-wide efforts to reframe and strengthen the ethics we bring to our interactions, partnerships, and programs including the APAP Equitable Partnership Working Group, the Dance/USA Joint Working Group for Equitable Partnership, and the Creating New Futures Document: Working Guidelines for Ethics and Equity in Presenting Dance & Performance.

Complementing the APAP Code of Ethics, National Sawdust is committed to maintaining a workplace free of prohibited employment conduct, including discrimination or harassment on the basis of any characteristic protected by law; retaliation for engaging in protected activity; and failing to provide reasonable accommodation(s) for disability or religion. The Company encourages individuals who believe they are being harassed to firmly and promptly notify the alleged offender that his or her behavior is unwelcome. However, we also recognize that perceived power and status disparities between an alleged offender and a victim may make such a confrontation difficult. Therefore, whether or not you discuss the incident with the alleged offender, we ask that individuals who believe they have been subjected to harassment report the incident to their immediate supervisor. ‍

We encourage prompt reporting of complaints so that rapid and appropriate action may be taken. If you would like to report or communicate on any matter, please write to us at:  externalaffairs@nationalsawdust.org

National Sawdust will not in any way retaliate against an individual who makes a report of perceived harassment; nor will we permit any employee to do so. Retaliation is a serious violation of the harassment policy and anyone who feels they have been subjected to any acts of retaliation should immediately report such conduct. Any person who retaliates against another individual for reporting any perceived acts of harassment will be subject to disciplinary action up to and including discharge. All allegations of harassment will be promptly investigated. National Sawdust will endeavor to maintain confidentiality throughout the investigatory process to the extent practical and appropriate under the circumstances.

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