You are on page 1of 5

!

POLICY:!

Respect!in!the!Workplace!!

APPLIES!TO:!

Everyone!

!
!

!
The!company!values!the!diversity!of!its!workforce,!its!customers!and!the!community!in!which!it!
operates,!and!respects!the!differences!that!make!people!unique.!!

It!is!the!policy!of!the!company!to:!

Ensure!that!all!employees!have!a!workplace!free!of!intimidation,!discrimination!or!
harassment;!and!

Provide!an!environment!supportive!of!human!dignity!and!respect.!

!
Any! form! of! harassment! in! the! workplace! by! or! towards! employees! (including! managers),!
contractors,! customers,! clients,! suppliers! or! visitors! is! unacceptable.! Every! effort! will! be!
made! by! the! Company! to! identify! possible! sources! and! minimize! the! risks! created! by! such!
situations.!Consistent!with!the!value!we!place!on!diversity,!on!protecting!our!employees!and!
on!our!legal!and!social!obligations!as!an!employer,!the!companys!management!will!treat!any!
complaint!of!harassment!or!discrimination!as!a!serious!matter.!
Employees!who!are!found!to!have!been!involved!in!acts!of!discrimination!or!harassment!may!
be!subject!to!disciplinary!action!up!to!and!including!dismissal.!!
!
DEFINITION!OF!KEY!TERMS!
Workplace! I! The! workplace! includes! company! premises,! company! property,! offI
premises! companyIsponsored! functions! and! meals,! travel! venues! while! on! company!
business!or!any!site!where!the!employee!is!conducting!company!business.!
!
Discrimination! I! Discrimination! means! treating! someone! differently! through!
behaviour! or! process! because! of! any! of! the! prohibited! grounds! of! discrimination,! as!
identified! in! human! rights! codes.! Prohibited! grounds! include! race,! ancestry,! place! of!
origin,! colour,! ethnic! origin,! citizenship,! creed,! religion,! sex! /! pregnancy,! sexual!
orientation,! gender! identity,! gender! expression,! disfigurement,! age,! record! of! offenses,!
unrelated! criminal! conviction,! marital! status,! family! status,! disability,! political! belief,!
source! of! income,! receipt! of! public! assistance,! social! disadvantage,! and! any! other!
prohibited! ground! of! discrimination! as! outlined! in! the! human! rights! codes! of! the!
jurisdictions!where!the!company!operates.!!!!
Harassment! I! Workplace! harassment! means! engaging! in! a! course! of! vexatious!
comment!or!conduct!that!is!known!or!ought!to!be!known!to!be!unwelcome.!!Depending!
on! the! circumstances,! one! incident! could! be! significant! or! substantial! enough! to! be!
considered! harassment.! ! According! to! the! human! rights! codes,! harassment! can! occur!
based!on!any!of!the!prohibited!grounds!of!discrimination.!!!

LAST REVISED: September 6, 2016

Page 1 of 5

Contd!

Respect!in!the!Workplace!

!
!

Sexual! Harassment! I! Workplace! Sexual! Harassment! is! defined! as:! (1)! engaging! in!
comment! or! conduct! in! the! workplace! because! of! sex,! sexual! orientation,! gender!
identity! or! gender! expression,! where! the! course! of! comment! or! conduct! is! known! or!
ought!reasonably!to!be!known!to!be!unwelcome;!OR!(2)!Making!a!sexual!solicitation!or!
advance!where!the!person!making!the!solicitation!or!advance!is!in!a!position!to!confer,!
grant!or!deny!a!benefit!or!advancement!for!the!worker!and!the!person!knows!or!ought!
reasonably!to!know!that!the!solicitation!or!advance!is!unwelcome.!!!
Personal! Harassment! I! Personal! harassment! (e.g.! jokes,! name! calling,! touching,! etc.)!
while! not! based! on! one! of! the! protected! grounds! named! above! can! be! equally! as!
demeaning,! intimidating! or! humiliating.! ! Such! conduct! is! considered! unacceptable! in!
our!workplace!and!is!covered!by!this!policy.!
Poisoned!Work!Environment!I!A!poisoned!work!environment!is!a!form!of!harassment!
that! may! not! be! directed! at! any! one! individual! but! by! nature! is! considered! offensive.!
These!may!include!slurs,!profanity,!derogatory!or!demeaning!posters,!graffiti,!pinIups!or!
drawings,!offensive!jokes!or!literature.!Such!behaviour!is!prohibited!in!our!workplace.!
Unwelcome! Behaviour! W! Unwelcome! behaviour! is! a! course! of! comments! or! actions!
that!are!known!or!ought!reasonably!to!be!known!to!be!unwelcome.!A!reasonable!person!
would! be! genuinely! offended.! A! reasonable! person! would! find! the! behaviours! to! have!
caused!the!work!environment!to!be!offensive!or!intimidating.!
Examples!of!Sexual!Harassment!

Sexual! advances,! requests! for! sexual! favours,! or! other! verbal! or! physical! conduct! of! a!
sexual!nature!when:!!

Submission!to!such!conduct!is!made!explicitly!or!implicitly!a!term!or!condition!of!
employment.!!

Submission! to! or! rejection! of! such! conduct! is! used! as! the! basis! for! decisions!
affecting! an! employees! employment,! promotion,! or! movement! within! the!
organization.!!

Such! conduct! has! the! purpose! or! effect! of! humiliating! an! individual! or!
substantially! interfering! with! an! employees! work! performance! or! creating! an!
intimidating,!hostile!or!offensive!work!environment.!!

Unwelcome! remarks,!jokes,!innuendoes!or!taunting!of!a!sexual!nature!about!a!persons!
body,!attire,!age,!marital!status,!sex,!sexual!orientation!or!personal!relationships.!!

Unwelcome! or! intimidating! invitations! or! requests! with! sexual! overtones,! whether!
indirect!or!explicit.!!

Leering!or!other!gestures.!!

Unwelcome!physical!contact!such!as!touching,!petting!or!pinching.!

Unwelcome!display!of!objects!or!pictures!of!a!sexual!nature.!!

Physical!assault.!!

LAST!REVISED:!September!6,!2016!

Page!2!of!5!

Contd!
!

Respect!in!the!Workplace

!
Examples!of!Racial!or!Ethnic!Harassment!!

Displaying!of!racist,!derogatory!or!offensive!pictures!or!materials.!!

Unwelcome! remarks,! jokes,! innuendoes! or! taunting! about! a! persons! racial! or! ethnic!
background,!colour,!birthplace,!citizenship!or!ancestry.!

Refusing! to! converse! or! work! with! an! employee! because! of! his! or! her! racial! or! ethnic!
background.!

Insulting! gestures! or! practical! jokes! based! on! racial! or! ethnic! grounds,! which! cause!
embarrassment,!awkwardness!or!humiliation.!!

Workplace!harassment!does!not!include:!!

Performance! management,! including! situations! where! management! advises! an!


employee!that!their!performance!is!below!the!level!required.!

Assignment! of! work! by! management,! including,! but! not! limited! to,! implementation! of!
policies,!assignment!of!tasks,!shift!scheduling,!work!station!assignments!or!job!duties.!!!

Other! reasonable! actions! taken! by! management! relating! to! the! management! and!
direction!of!employees.!

!
RESPONSIBILITIES!
Employees!

It!is!every!employees!responsibility!to!identify!and!report!violations!of!this!policy,!
regardless! of! whether! the! behavior! was! directed! toward! the! employee! herself! or!
himself,!or!toward!another!individual.!!!!

Employees!must!show!respect!for!others!both!in!the!workplace!and!in!any!capacity!
where! they! are! representing! the! Company.! Employees! are! responsible! for! their!
actions!and!are!expected!to!change!their!conduct!when!advised!that!their!behaviour!
is!not!acceptable!to!others.!

!
Management!

It!is!the!responsibility!of!managers!and!supervisors!to!ensure!that!staff!are!aware!of!
this! policy,! that! complaints! are! handled! immediately! with! sensitivity! and! that!
incidents!of!violence,!discrimination,!intimidation!or!harassment!are!addressed!and!
resolved!as!quickly!as!possible.!

It! is! the! responsibility! of! managers! and! supervisors! to! foster! a! workplace! that! is!
respectful!and!values!individual!contributions!and!achievements.!!!

It! is! the! responsibility! of! managers! and! supervisors! to! ensure! protection! from!
retaliation!for!any!employee!who!has!made!a!complaint!in!good!faith.!This!includes!
situations!involving!outside!parties!such!as!contractors!or!suppliers.!

LAST!REVISED:!September!6,!2016!

Page!3!of!5!

Contd!

Respect!in!the!Workplace!

!
!

HR!and!executive!management!will!conduct!an!annual!review!of!the!Respect!In!The!
Workplace! Policy! and! associated! procedures.! ! ! HR! will! also! conduct! an! annual!
review!of!harassment!complaints!and!cases,!with!the!aim!of!identifying!trends!and!
potential!systemic!issues!in!the!workplace.!!!

COMPLAINT!RESOLUTION!PROCESS!
Addressing!discrimination,!harassment!or!unwelcome!behaviour!

If! you! believe! that! you! have! experienced! or! observed! harassment,! discrimination! or!
unwelcome! behaviour,! you! should! immediately! advise! the! individual! that! their!
behaviour!is!unwelcome!and!unacceptable!and!that!it!should!stop!immediately.!!Keep!a!
written!record!of!dates,!times,!nature!of!the!behaviour!and!the!names!of!any!witnesses.!
If! you! are! uncomfortable! confronting! the! individual,! you! may! request! assistance! from!
human!resources!or!a!member!of!management.!!!

In! all! cases,! even! if! the! discrimination,! harassment! or! unwelcome! behaviour! stops,!
employees! should! report! it! to! human! resources! or! a! member! of! management.!!!
Managers!contacted!in!these!cases!should!inform!human!resources.!!

!
Filing!a!complaint!

In!the!event!that!discrimination,!harassment!or!unwelcome!behaviour!continues!or!you!
believe!that!the!situation!is!especially!serious!you!should!immediately!inform!any!one!of!
the!following:!human!resources,!any!member!of!management!or!a!union!representative!
(if!appropriate).!Managers!or!union!representatives!who!are!contacted!on!these!matters!
should!immediately!consult!with!human!resources.!Timely!reporting!is!very!important!
for!effective!investigations!and!resolution.!!

Written! complaints! are! preferred! as! they! can! form! part! of! the! record! detailing! dates,!
times,!nature!of!the!behaviour!and!the!names!of!any!witnesses.!However,!if!an!employee!
does!not!wish!to!submit!a!written!complaint,!verbal!complaints!are!acceptable!and!will!
be!acted!on.!

Investigations! are! considered! an! urgent! priority! and! will! be! started! as! quickly! as!
possible.! ! The! extent! and! nature! of! the! investigation! will! depend! on! the! particulars! of!
the!complaint!and!will!be!appropriate!to!the!circumstances!of!the!complaint.!!

Investigations! will! be! kept! as! confidential! as! possible! but! the! person! named! in! the!
complaint! is! entitled! to! know! the! identity! of! the! complainant.! Additionally,! witnesses!
interviewed!during!the!investigation!will!similarly!be!aware!of!the!circumstances!of!the!
complaint.! ! Information! relating! to! a! complaint,! including! any! identifying! information!
about!the!individuals!involved,!will!not!be!disclosed!unless!disclosure!is!necessary!for!
the!purposes!of!investigating,!implementing!corrective!action!or!as!otherwise!required!
by!law.!!!

A! trained! representative! of! human! resources! will! be! generally! responsible! for!
conducting! the! investigation.! ! In! appropriate! cases,! an! independent! third! party!
investigator!will!conduct!the!investigation.!!The!human! resources!representative!or!the!
third! party! investigator! will! interview! the! complainant,! the! person! names! in! the!

LAST!REVISED:!September!6,!2016!

Page!4!of!5!

Contd!
!

Respect!in!the!Workplace

complaint! and! any! other! persons! who! witnessed! the! behaviour! or! might! provide!
relevant!input.!Interviews!will!be!documented!and!kept!in!the!strictest!confidence.!

Once! the! investigation! is! complete! the! human! resources! representative! or! the! third!
party! investigator! will! consult! with! the! policy! subject! matter! expert! to! determine! the!
course! of! action! which! will! be! recommended! to! management.! Legal! counsel! may! be!
consulted! if! necessary.! ! Depending! on! the! circumstances,! a! full! written! report! may! be!
prepared.!!

All!documents,!including!notes,!interview!notes,!recordings!etc.!will!be!held!by!human!
resources! in! a! central! secured! file! in! the! office! of! the! Chief! Human! Resources! Officer!
(CHRO).! Access! to! these! files! is! strictly! limited! to! only! those! with! a! defined! need! to!
know!as!determined!by!the!CHRO.!The!confidentiality!of!all!parties!in!an!investigation!
must!be!respected.!

If! there! is! a! finding! that! harassment! or! discrimination! occurred,! the! recommended!
course! of! action! may! include! discipline! up! to! and! including! termination.! ! Other! steps!
may!be!taken!to!prevent!future!recurrence.!

Management! is! responsible,! with! human! resources! support,! for! communicating! the!
outcomes! of! investigations! to! those! involved,! including! the! complainant! and! the!
employee(s)! who! were! found! to! have! breached! policy.! Management! will! inform! the!
complainant!and!the!person!named!in!the!complaint!of!the!outcome!of!the!investigation,!
as! well! as! any! corrective! action! that! has! been! taken! or! will! be! taken!as!a!result!of! the!
investigation.!

Where! an! employee! is! not! satisfied! with! the! outcome! of! an! investigation! they! can!
request!a!review!of!the!case!by!the!Chief!HR!Officer.!!!

If!the! complaint!is!found!to!be!unsupported!no!documentation!will!be!placed!in!the!file!
of!the!alleged!offender(s).!

!
Protection!from!Reprisal!or!Retaliation!
Persons! who! file! a! complaint! will! be! protected! from! reprisal! or! retaliation! for! making! the!
complaint.!!Incidents!of!reprisal!or!retaliation!against!any!person!for!making!a!complaint!will!
be! taken! very! seriously! by! the! Company;! and! may! result! in! disciplinary! action,! up! to! and!
including!dismissal,!for!the!person!responsible!for!the!reprisal!or!retaliation.!!!
Person(s)! who! make! a! complaint! in! bad! faith! (i.e.! false),! with! malice! or! with! the! intent! of!
causing!harm!or!annoyance!to!another!person!may!be!subject!to!discipline!up!to!and!including!
dismissal.!

LAST!REVISED:!September!6,!2016!

Page!5!of!5!

You might also like