Respectful Workplace

A Respectful Workplace Policy
A Respectful Workplace Policy, including provisions on Harassment and Discrimination Prevention, is an essential component’ of a respectful workplace. In many workplaces, when people are asked if they are aware of the harassment policy or the article in the Collective Agreement on non-discrimination, few are. Fewer yet know the content.

Most policies on harassment, if they exist at all, are limited to a reactive response. They are generally complaint based and do not recognize the need for proactive prevention. They rarely reflect recent human rights decisions which impact on the changing responsibilities of managers and organizations. For example, courts have upheld the principle that managers are responsible for maintaining a harassment free environment and that a passive, complaint based approach is no longer adequate.

Existing policies on harassment and discrimination prevention need to be revisited and updated from time to time. Ideally, they adopt a prevention approach, acknowledging that the goal is respect for all.

A good anti-harassment policy should cover the following:

• Emphasize respect for all
• State the principle that there is an emphasis on respect for all staff
• State the values of respect held by the organization and that all staff members are expected to adhere to the policy.
• Clearly define the areas covered by the Human Rights Law.
• Cover the required grounds under the provincial or federal jurisdiction you are under but consider adding additional grounds such as abuse of authority, personal harassment, "bullying" or violence that are not covered by human rights law.
• Alert managers to the fact that, in accordance with the law, managers are responsible for maintaining a harassment free environment.
• Give people options about where they can go to deal with inappropriate or harassing behaviour.
• Allow for informal voluntary resolution if the parties so choose.
• Clearly indicate the process to be followed in handling a complaint.
• Indicate that the organization does not tolerate disrespectful behaviour and misconduct could result in disciplinary action, up to and including dismissal.

It is important for managers to understand their responsibility under the Human Rights Code. They are legally liable for maintaining a harassment free environment. This means that managers must deal with not only complaints from staff to them, but also any harassment that they see or are aware of. People, especially managers, need to be pro-active in dealing with disrespectful behaviour, rather than reactive. Managers have been cited and fined in organizations for not dealing with harassment that they were, or ought to have been, aware of.

Role modeling positive behaviour is another important aspect of a manager's responsibility. Staff take their cue from their managers in terms of what is acceptable behaviour and what is not. Managers need to understand this responsibility and senior managers must hold their immediate staff accountable if they engage in disrespectful behaviour that is not in line with organizational objectives or the Respectful Workplace policy.

It is also important to train managers to have the tools to carry out this responsibility, to identify harassment or disrespectful behaviour and to determine the most appropriate means of resolving the situation.

A respectful workplace is a goal worth aiming for. An organizational policy sets the stage for a workplace where individuals feel respected and appreciated, and know that their concerns will be dealt with effectively.

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