GFM Environmental Services Workplace Violence and Harassment Policy and Procedures
GFM Environmental Services believes in the prevention of violence and harassment and promotes an abuse-free environment in which all people respect one another and work together to achieve common goals. Any act of violence or harassment committed by or against any worker or member of the public is unacceptable conduct and will not be tolerated. We are committed to:
(a) investigating reported incidents of violence and harassment in an objective and timely manner;
(b) taking necessary action; and
(c) providing appropriate support for victims.
No action shall be taken against an individual for making a complaint unless the complaint is made maliciously or without reasonable and probable grounds. No employee or any other individual affiliated with GFM Environmental Services shall subject any other person to violence or harassment.
Purpose
The purpose of the policy is to ensure that individuals are aware of and understand that acts of violence or harassment are considered a serious offence for which necessary action will be imposed. Those subjected to acts of violence or harassment are encouraged to access any assistance they may require in order to pursue a complaint and individuals are advised of available recourse if they are subjected to, or become aware of, situations involving violence or harassment.
Definitions
Violence and harassment include behaviours such as:
Personal Harassment
The Canadian Human Rights Commission considers personal harassment to include:
(1) verbal abuse or threats
(2) unwelcome remarks, jokes or innuendoes or taunting about a person’s body, attire, age, martial status, ethnic or national
origin, religion, etc.
(3) displaying pornographic, racist or other offensive or derogatory picture
(4) practical jokes which cause awkwardness or embarrassment
(5) unwelcome invitations or requests, whether indirect or explicit, or intimidation leering or other gestures
(6) condescension or paternalism which undermines self-respect
(7) unnecessary physical contact such as touching, patting or pinching, or punching
(8) physical assault.
Sexual Harassment
“Sexual harassment, being discrimination on the grounds of gender, is a violation of the Individual Rights Protection Act.
Unwanted sexual advances, unwanted requests for sexual favors, and other unwanted verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature constitute sexual harassment when
(1) Submission to such conduct is made either explicitly or implicitly a term or a condition of an individual’s
employment.
(2) Submission to or rejection of such conduct by an individual affects that individual’s employment.
Sexual harassment can include such things as pinching, patting, rubbing or leering, dirty jokes, pictures or pornographic
materials, comments, suggestions, innuendoes, requests or demands of a sexual nature. The behaviour need not be intentional in order to be considered sexual harassment. It is offensive and in many cases intimidates others”
- physical assault or aggression,
- unsolicited and unwelcome conduct, comment,
gesture or contact which causes offense or humiliation, and - physical harm to any individual which creates fear or mistrust, or which compromises and devalues
the individual.
Personal Harassment
The Canadian Human Rights Commission considers personal harassment to include:
(1) verbal abuse or threats
(2) unwelcome remarks, jokes or innuendoes or taunting about a person’s body, attire, age, martial status, ethnic or national
origin, religion, etc.
(3) displaying pornographic, racist or other offensive or derogatory picture
(4) practical jokes which cause awkwardness or embarrassment
(5) unwelcome invitations or requests, whether indirect or explicit, or intimidation leering or other gestures
(6) condescension or paternalism which undermines self-respect
(7) unnecessary physical contact such as touching, patting or pinching, or punching
(8) physical assault.
Sexual Harassment
“Sexual harassment, being discrimination on the grounds of gender, is a violation of the Individual Rights Protection Act.
Unwanted sexual advances, unwanted requests for sexual favors, and other unwanted verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature constitute sexual harassment when
(1) Submission to such conduct is made either explicitly or implicitly a term or a condition of an individual’s
employment.
(2) Submission to or rejection of such conduct by an individual affects that individual’s employment.
Sexual harassment can include such things as pinching, patting, rubbing or leering, dirty jokes, pictures or pornographic
materials, comments, suggestions, innuendoes, requests or demands of a sexual nature. The behaviour need not be intentional in order to be considered sexual harassment. It is offensive and in many cases intimidates others”
General
Acts of violence and harassment can take the form of physical contact or non-physical behaviours. Abuse in any form is an insidious practice that erodes mutual trust and confidence which are essential to GFM Environmental Services operational effectiveness. Acts of violence and harassment destroy individual dignity, lower morale, engender fear, and break down work unit cohesiveness. Supervisors at every level must be knowledgeable about and sensitive to the many forms that violence and harassment can take. These may involve unwarranted or inappropriate comments, gestures, physical contact or assault, or the display of offensive material. It may or may not be deliberate. It may in fact be unintended; the test is whether a reasonable person knows or ought to have known that the behaviour would be considered unwelcome or offensive by the recipient.
Acts of violence and harassment may occur as a single event or may involve a continuing series of incidents. They may involve the abuse of authority or position, or may involve relations among peers, visitors and external stakeholders. Abuse can victimize both men and women, and may be directed by or towards (this organization’s) workers, visitors or members of the public. Sexual harassment is a form of discrimination prohibited by law; that is, harassment of a sexual nature has a sexual purpose or might reasonably be perceived as placing a condition of a sexual nature on any term or condition of employment.
Right to Assistance
Any person who believes they have been subjected to violence and harassment has the right to access assistance
in communicating their objections and, if warranted, in pursuing the complaint more formally. This is particularly important in cases where the alleged offender is in a position of authority, or where there are communication barriers. As a minimum, assistance may be provided by GFM Environmental Services management and may also include support by a co-worker. Individuals have the right to address their concerns to the Alberta Human Rights Commission.
in communicating their objections and, if warranted, in pursuing the complaint more formally. This is particularly important in cases where the alleged offender is in a position of authority, or where there are communication barriers. As a minimum, assistance may be provided by GFM Environmental Services management and may also include support by a co-worker. Individuals have the right to address their concerns to the Alberta Human Rights Commission.
Incident Reporting
When incidents of violence or harassment occur, the incident shall be reported immediately and management will initiate a formal investigation.
Step 1.
The victim is required to make his or her feelings known to the alleged offender directly or with the assistance of GFM Environmental Services management. It is imperative that the alleged offender immediately be made aware that the behaviour or conduct is offensive to the victim and be given the opportunity to cease such behaviour. The victim will carefully record
details of the incident including the date and time, nature of the behaviour and names of any persons who may have witnessed the behaviour. A form is available on the GFM Environmental Services website for this purpose.
Step 2.
After rendering assistance during or immediately after an incident, filing a report is the first step of the process in a case of
abuse, or the second step to be followed in case of more subtle abuse when action taken as listed above is unsuccessful i.e. the behaviour persists. Victim to document concerns, appending the written record to a record of any previous incidents. The Operations manager is to receive all formal reports in Step 2 and immediately inform the CEO. In cases where the Operations Manager is in a conflict of interest the formal complaint will be forwarded directly to the CEO.
Step 1.
The victim is required to make his or her feelings known to the alleged offender directly or with the assistance of GFM Environmental Services management. It is imperative that the alleged offender immediately be made aware that the behaviour or conduct is offensive to the victim and be given the opportunity to cease such behaviour. The victim will carefully record
details of the incident including the date and time, nature of the behaviour and names of any persons who may have witnessed the behaviour. A form is available on the GFM Environmental Services website for this purpose.
Step 2.
After rendering assistance during or immediately after an incident, filing a report is the first step of the process in a case of
abuse, or the second step to be followed in case of more subtle abuse when action taken as listed above is unsuccessful i.e. the behaviour persists. Victim to document concerns, appending the written record to a record of any previous incidents. The Operations manager is to receive all formal reports in Step 2 and immediately inform the CEO. In cases where the Operations Manager is in a conflict of interest the formal complaint will be forwarded directly to the CEO.
No Recrimination
It is the responsibility of all persons involved in the processing of a complaint to ensure that the complainant is neither penalized nor subjected to any prejudicial treatment as a result of making the complaint. No correspondence pertaining to a complaint, other than that which is the complainant’s
personal property, shall be placed on the complainant’s personal
file.
Intervention, Investigation and Follow-Up
Management of abusive incidents after their occurrence is as critical as efforts towards prevention. Incidents need to be documented,
investigated and remedied as effectively as possible, to reduce
further damage. Intervention must be timely and address the rights and responsibilities of both victim and alleged
abuser. Post-assault stress among workers can result in an
escalation in the number of cases of violence and harassment. Policies and procedures will be reviewed following an incident to ensure they adequately address any potential abusive situation. All GFM employees will be encouraged to participate in the review, subsequent development, or revision of such policies.
Victim Support
GFM employees who have been victims of abusive behaviour need to be debriefed shortly after the incident. Workers need to understand that they are not to blame for aggressive behaviours directed at them and that being the victim of an abuse does not reflect on their professional competence.
Debriefing should involve:
been initiated, co-workers will ensure that victims are supported throughout the process. Victims may be subjected to a variety of pressures from the abuser, co-workers, managers and lawyers.
Following an incident, the following be provided:
A. physical support to the victim(s) such as immediate medial care;
B. environmental support which may include removing either the victim(s) or the offender(s) from the environment or adjusting the environment in order to reduce the potential for continued abuse;
C. psychological support for affected individuals (the victim, other workers and offender, if appropriate) through appropriate intervention, debriefing, counseling or removal from work environment;
D. social support in the form co-workers, peers, supervisors;
E. assistance to the victim in liaising with appropriate services such as the Workers’ Compensation Board; and
F. information about rights that exist under legislation, and other legal options and support in accessing these services
Victim support on an immediate, intermediate and longer term basis will be provided. Victims willingness to access support
needs to be considered in developing the follow-up plan. Victims of abuse may minimize or deny an incident of violence or harassment. GFM management will be sensitive to, and respect, the individual’s wishes at
this time while monitoring the ability of the individual to function effectively as a GFM team member.
Debriefing should involve:
- review of critical incident facts
- review of victim needs
- assessment for symptoms of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
- social support
- the capacity to make meaningful sense of the episode.
been initiated, co-workers will ensure that victims are supported throughout the process. Victims may be subjected to a variety of pressures from the abuser, co-workers, managers and lawyers.
Following an incident, the following be provided:
A. physical support to the victim(s) such as immediate medial care;
B. environmental support which may include removing either the victim(s) or the offender(s) from the environment or adjusting the environment in order to reduce the potential for continued abuse;
C. psychological support for affected individuals (the victim, other workers and offender, if appropriate) through appropriate intervention, debriefing, counseling or removal from work environment;
D. social support in the form co-workers, peers, supervisors;
E. assistance to the victim in liaising with appropriate services such as the Workers’ Compensation Board; and
F. information about rights that exist under legislation, and other legal options and support in accessing these services
Victim support on an immediate, intermediate and longer term basis will be provided. Victims willingness to access support
needs to be considered in developing the follow-up plan. Victims of abuse may minimize or deny an incident of violence or harassment. GFM management will be sensitive to, and respect, the individual’s wishes at
this time while monitoring the ability of the individual to function effectively as a GFM team member.
Investigation
Investigation of all complaints of violence or harassment will be investigated promptly by GFM management with the CEO directly responsible. Confidentiality will be maintained.
Management of the Offender
GFM management will address an incident of abuse in an objective and consistent manner. In substantiated complaints, the following factors should be considered when determining corrective action:
(a) impact of the abuse on the victim;
(b) nature of the abuse;
(c) degree of aggressiveness and physical contact in the abuse;
(d) period of time over which the abuse took place;
(e) frequency of the abuse; and
(f) vulnerability of the victim.
Referral of the offender to appropriate professional resources for assistance and follow-up should be considered. Consideration needs to be given to specific circumstances and the role of the offender within the organization. The following are
possible options which could be considered when taking corrective action:
(a) apology;
(b) training;
(c) referral to an Employee and Family Assistance Program;
(d) reassignment or relocation;
(e) limiting access to certain areas of the organization;
(f) report to professional body;
(g) discipline;
(h) discharge; or
(i) filing a complaint or criminal charges.
(a) impact of the abuse on the victim;
(b) nature of the abuse;
(c) degree of aggressiveness and physical contact in the abuse;
(d) period of time over which the abuse took place;
(e) frequency of the abuse; and
(f) vulnerability of the victim.
Referral of the offender to appropriate professional resources for assistance and follow-up should be considered. Consideration needs to be given to specific circumstances and the role of the offender within the organization. The following are
possible options which could be considered when taking corrective action:
(a) apology;
(b) training;
(c) referral to an Employee and Family Assistance Program;
(d) reassignment or relocation;
(e) limiting access to certain areas of the organization;
(f) report to professional body;
(g) discipline;
(h) discharge; or
(i) filing a complaint or criminal charges.
Documenting Cases of Abuse
Documenting cases of abuse assists GFM management in analyzing potential high risk situations and taking measures to reduce the occurrence of future incidents. An Abuse Reporting Form is available on the GFM website.
Conclusion
GFM Environmental Services is committed to a safe workplace for all GFM employees which is free from any form of violence or harassment.