The brewery's core values are integrity, empathy, quality, innovation, diversity, inclusion, & community. At its core, this is a family business. Working in a brewery, whether cleaning a tank or pouring a beer, is a labor of love, and as such, the company will stay committed to a communal, creative, and safe work environment to make sure everyone on the team can succeed and thrive both in work and in their personal lives. We understand that respect and care directly translate into the production of world class beer and a warm, exciting space to enjoy it. These core values drive how we behave and guide our decision making.

Meanwhile Brewing Company is dedicated to fostering a safe and respectful environment for both our guests and our team. The below Code of Conduct is in place to help prevent and deter discrimination, harassment, and abusive behavior by establishing clear standards and consequences. We expect everyone — including persons doing business with or for Meanwhile Brewing Co. — to abide by this code of conduct to help us maintain a culture of diversity, safety, equity, & inclusion. All employees are expected to exhibit conduct that reflects inclusion during work, at work functions on or off the worksite, and at all other organization-sponsored and participative events. Any employee found to have exhibited any inappropriate conduct or behavior against others may be subject to disciplinary action up to and including termination.

Meanwhile is delighted to welcome everyone to the brewery & taproom, and we strive to make a visit to the brewery a positive experience for all. We also looking forward to seeing Meanwhile beer poured in restaurants and bars all around Austin and beyond. To help maintain and continually improve our industry, we ask that our guests, customers, and vendors treat our team (and others) with courtesy, dignity and respect at all times through all types of communications. For instance, Meanwhile will not tolerate conversations that involve derogatory comments or words and phrases that we feel are discriminatory, or that make our staff or other guests uncomfortable. Our employees have the right to remove and/or ban those whose do not abide by our code of conduct. Our sales team has the right to not sell beer to your bar. Finally, we encourage guests, customers, & vendors to reach out to Meanwhile at hello@meanwhilebeer.com if they need to connect on any issue, regarding our code of conduct.

• Minors are not permitted to consume or be supplied with alcohol
• Meanwhile is responsible for protecting the image of both the company and the brewing industry by taking steps to ensure no coworkers or guests break any laws in the process of purchasing, sharing, or consuming alcoholic beverages in association with Meanwhile.
• Intoxicated guests will be offered non-alcoholic beverages and water, and a taxi will be called if required. Intoxicated or disorderly patrons will be refused service and asked to leave.
• Should guests or Meanwhile employees consume more than a reasonable amount of alcohol and either are or appear to be incapable of functioning, either legally or appropriately, Meanwhile accepts their duty-to-act to keep those impaired members from breaking any laws and from harming themselves or others.
• Intoxication is not an excuse for anyone — including Meanwhile employees, guests, customers, or vendors — to harass, discriminate against, or assault anyone else.
• We ask that everyone imbibes responsibly. When applicable, please use ride share, public transit, or a designated driver. Do not drink & drive.

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Meanwhile will not accept any form of discrimination on any grounds. We are most decidedly an equal opportunity employer. It is the policy of the Company to provide equal employment opportunities to all qualified individuals and to administer all aspects and conditions of employment without regard to the following:

• Race 
• Religion
• Color
• National origin
• Age
• Sex
• Sexual orientation
• Gender
• Gender identity
• Pregnancy
• Genetic information, including family medical history
• Physical or mental disability
• Military or veteran status
• Citizenship and/or immigration status
• Child and spousal support withholdings
• Expunged criminal records
• Any other protected class, in accordance with applicable federal, state, and local laws
  

The Company takes allegations of discrimination, intimidation, harassment, and retaliation very seriously and will promptly conduct an investigation when warranted.

Equal employment opportunity includes, but is not limited to, employment, training, promotion, demotion, transfer, leaves of absence, and termination.

The Company is committed to providing a work environment free of harassment in any form, including inappropriate and disrespectful behavior, intimidation, and other unwelcome conduct directed at an individual because of their inclusion in a protected class. Applicable federal and state law defines harassment as unwelcome behavior based on someone's inclusion in a protected class. Sometimes language or actions that were not expected to be offensive or unwelcome actually are, so employees should err on the side of being more sensitive to the feelings of their co-workers rather than less.

The following are examples of harassment; behaviors not in this list may also be considered harassment:

• Unwanted sexual advances;
• Offering employment benefits in exchange for sexual favors;
• Retaliation or threats of retaliation for refusing advances or requests for favors;
• Leering, making sexual gestures or jokes, or commenting on an employee's body;
• Displaying sexually suggestive content;
• Displaying or sharing derogatory posters, photographs, or drawings;
• Making derogatory epithets, or slurs;
• Teasing about an employee's religious or cultural practices;
• Teasing about an employee's sex, sexual orientation, or gender identity;
• Physical conduct such as touching, assault, or impeding or blocking movements
  

Sexual harassment on the job is unlawful whether it involves coworker harassment, harassment by a manager, or harassment by persons doing business with or for the Company, such as clients, customers, or vendors.

Any form of retaliation against someone who has expressed concern about any form of harassment, refused to partake in harassing behavior, made a harassment complaint, or cooperated in a harassment investigation, is strictly prohibited. A complaint made in good faith will under no circumstances be grounds for disciplinary action. Individuals who make complaints that they know to be false may be subject to disciplinary action, up to and including termination.

All managers and supervisors are responsible for:

• Implementing the Company's harassment policy;
• Ensuring that all employees they supervise have knowledge of and understand the Company policy;
• Reporting any complaints of misconduct to any department head such as the Brewmaster, Director of Brewing Operations, Director of Sales, or General Manager, so they may be investigated and resolved internally;
• Taking and/or assisting in prompt and appropriate corrective action when necessary to ensure compliance with the policy; and
• Conducting themselves in a manner consistent with the policy.

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Employees who witness offensive behavior in the workplace - whether directed at them or another employee - are encouraged, though not required, to immediately address it with the employee whose behavior they found offensive. An employee who is informed that their behavior is or was offensive should stop immediately and refrain from that behavior in the future, regardless of whether they agree that the behavior could have been offensive. Employees who do not feel comfortable addressing offensive behavior in the moment are encouraged to report it to their supervisor or any member of the leadership team.

Employees are encouraged to use the Complaint Procedure, detailed below, to report behavior that they feel is harassing, whether or not that behavior is directed at them. The Complaint Procedure provides for immediate, thorough, and objective investigation of claims of harassment. Appropriate disciplinary action will be taken against those who are determined to have engaged in harassing behavior.

Abusive conduct means malicious conduct in the workplace that a reasonable person would find hostile or offensive and unrelated to an employer’s legitimate business interests. Abusive conduct may include repeated infliction of verbal abuse, such as the use of derogatory remarks, insults, and epithets, verbal or physical conduct that a reasonable person would find threatening, intimidating, or humiliating, or the sabotage or undermining of a person’s work performance. A single act will generally still constitute as abusive conduct, especially if it is severe.

The Company considers abusive conduct in the workplace unacceptable and will not tolerate it under any circumstances. Employees should report abusive conduct to a manager or Human Resources. Managers are responsible for ensuring that employees are not subjected to abusive conduct. All reports will be treated seriously and investigated when appropriate. Employees who are found to have engaged in abusive conduct will be subject to discipline, up to and potentially including termination. Retaliation against an employee who reports abusive conduct or verifies that it took place is strictly prohibited.

The Company believes that a workplace where employees maintain boundaries between personal and business interactions is essential for maintaining a safe and welcoming environment for everybody. While we don’t object to employee relationships, our workplace is still a professional setting. We expect our employees to treat each other with respect and avoid hindering other people’s work. If you want to express your romantic interest in a colleague, always respect their time, choices, and boundaries, and avoid any action that may embarrass or expose them.

If a colleague is persistent in flirting with you, and it becomes annoying, harmful, disrespectful, unwanted, or disturbs your work, ask them to stop and inform your manager. Please report them to HR if they make unwanted sexual advances. Sexual harassment is prohibited, including seemingly harmless actions. For example, an employee who keeps flirting when their colleague doesn’t respond favorably is breaking our sexual harassment policy. In this case, they will face disciplinary action.

We don’t want to place undue restrictions on employees dating each other, as everyone should be free to choose their partners. However, we want to make sure that relationships won’t cause harm, awkwardness, or compromise the safety for our team. In the context of this policy, “employee dating” includes consensual romantic relationships and sexual relations. We explicitly prohibit non-consensual relationships and interactions. Although this policy does not prevent the development of friendships or romantic relationships between coworkers, it does establish clear expectations as to how relationships will be treated during working hours and within the working environment. Individuals in supervisory relationships or other influential roles are subject to more stringent requirements under this policy due to their status as managers, their access to sensitive information, and their ability to influence others. If a relationship ends, employees must maintain professionalism and ensure that they won't disrupt the safety, wellbeing, and welcoming environment for our employees and workplace. Badmouthing a former partner, sabotaging their work, or revealing any intimate details will not be tolerated. All these break our code of conduct about respect in the workplace and may result in disciplinary action. If your former partner behaves this way, report them to HR and we will investigate as soon as possible.

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The following are guidelines and are not meant to be all-inclusive:

• During work time and in work areas, employees are expected to keep personal exchanges limited so that others are not distracted or offended and so that employee well-being & productivity is maintained.
• During non-work time, such as lunches and breaks, employees are not prohibited from having appropriate personal conversations in non-work areas as long as their conversations and behaviors could in no way be perceived as offensive or uncomfortable to a reasonable person.
• Employees are strictly prohibited from engaging in physical contact beyond that which they would share with any other co-worker while on company premises, whether during working hours or not.
• Due to the high potential for favoritism or allegations of quid pro quo relations, romantic relationships between supervisors and subordinates are generally prohibited.
• Supervisors, managers, executives or anyone else in sensitive or influential positions must disclose the existence of any relationship with another coworker that has progressed beyond a friendship. Disclosure may be made to Human Resources or any member of the leadership team. This disclosure will enable the organization to determine whether any conflict of interest exists because of the relative positions of the individuals involved and help foster a safe, welcoming, and respectful environment for all.
• Where problems or potential risks are identified, the Company will work with the parties involved to consider options for resolving the conflict. The initial solution will be to make sure that the parties involved no longer work together on matters where one is able to influence the other or take action for the other. Matters such as hiring, firing, promotions, performance management, compensation decisions, financial transactions, etc. are examples of situations that may require reallocation of duties to avoid any actual or perceived reward or disadvantage.
• In some cases, more significant measures may be necessary such as transfer to other positions or departments. The individual with the more senior position will be considered for transfer first to avoid any perception of retaliation against the less senior person.
• This policy applies to all our employees regardless of gender, sexual orientation, or other protected characteristics.

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Any employee who feels they have been disadvantaged as a result of this policy, or who believes this policy is not being adhered to, should contact Human Resources or any department manager.

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The Company has established a procedure for a fair review of complaints related to any workplace controversy, conflict, or harassment. Employees who believe they have been subjected to any kind of discrimination that conflicts with the organization’s diversity, equity, inclusion, and anti-racism policy and initiatives can and should report incidents to their manager. If they are not comfortable doing so, we encourage employees to contact anyone of the leadership team, via in-person, email, or phone. The complaint should be submitted in writing to a supervisor or manager within three working days of the incident or as soon as possible. Generally, a meeting will be held within three business days of the employee's request, depending upon scheduling availability. Attempts will be made to resolve the issue during the meeting, but regardless of whether there is an immediate resolution, the supervisor or manager will give the employee a written summary of the meeting within three business days. Resolution may take longer if further investigation of the complaint is required.

A high level of job performance and professionalism is expected from each employee. In the event that an employee’s job performance does not meet the standards established for the position, they violate company policies or procedures, or their behavior is otherwise unacceptable, corrective action may ensue. Corrective action may include, but is not limited to: coaching, oral or written warnings, performance improvement plans, paid or unpaid suspension, demotion, and termination. The type and order of actions taken will be at management's sole discretion and the Company is not required to take any disciplinary action before making an adverse employment decision, including termination.