The Puget Sound Naval Shipyard & Intermediate Maintenance Facility recently launched a new employee-sponsored pledge campaign, C.A.R.E., during a lunchtime kickoff event in November.

C.A.R.E., which stands for character, action, respect, and engagement, involves employees voluntarily signing a pledge to respect all individuals and to take action if they see or hear harassment or discrimination. Those who sign the pledge received a C.A.R.E. sticker that is authorized for wear on their hardhat.

Employees also had the opportunity to sign posters that will be hung at various locations around the command. Several thousand employees signed the pledge during the November event, which was held at eight locations throughout the shipyard. The idea for the campaign came from an employee suggestion to the command’s recently formed Command Anti-Harassment and Discrimination Team.

Jim Sutcliffe, a team member, expressed satisfaction over the workforce’s enthusiasm to support the pledge.

“We had a lot of people who made it to all eight tables,” he said. “To see this evolve from concept to fruition is amazing and makes me proud to work here.”

The C.A.R.E. pledge campaign is one of several recent efforts at the shipyard to ensure every employee is treated with dignity and respect. Others include the establishment of an anonymous hotline and email address for employees to report harassment or discrimination, improvements to the investigative process, and signing a pledge with local unions.

“This pledge and sticker are a great way for us to show our support of this initiative,” PSNS & IMF Commander Dianna Wolfson said. “I am proud to see the passion the team showed in putting this event together to ensure that our shipyard is a place where everyone can achieve their full potential.”

The campaign will continue over the next several weeks as the Command Anti-Harassment and Discrimination Team hosts more events aimed at raising awareness of the pledge for employees.