CORONAVIRUS (COVID-19) AND SCSBC’S RESPONSE: Find the lastest updates here for students, faculty and staff.
CORONAVIRUS (COVID-19) AND SCSBC’S RESPONSE: Find the lastest updates here for students, faculty and staff.
A grim reality exists in our workplaces across the country. The National Survey on Harassment and Violence at Work in Canada, conducted between October 2020 to April 2021, found that:
I still remember incidences during my career where I experienced moments of unease and intimidation as a result of another person’s actions. With hindsight and knowledge gained over the years, I can look back and acknowledge that I experienced harassment and discrimination in the workplace. Sadly, at the time, I didn’t feel capable of addressing the behaviour as I was a young adult in my first real job and didn’t feel able to speak up, nor did I realise I should have reported the behaviour to someone.
Sadly, Christian schools and other faith-based organizations are not exempt from employees engaging in inappropriate bullying and harassing behaviour. But I believe that we, more so than any other organization, are called to model Christ’s love and acceptance for all and not behave in ways that would damage or diminish others.
As an HR professional and a Christian school parent, my deep hope is that our schools are workplaces where staff feel safe, accepted and valued, where individuals can bring their authentic selves to school and be treated with kindness and respect. When people engage in unlawful discriminatory, bullying, and harassing behaviour in their workplace and these issues are not effectively addressed, the feeling of safety is diminished, often resulting in difficulty attracting and retaining staff, low morale, and high absenteeism. It also exposes an organization to costly and stressful grievances and complaints that can result in significant financial and reputational damage. Courts and tribunals are awarding complainants with increasingly higher amounts in damages: a discrimination complaint in 2022 resulted in the highest award given in BC in the amount of $176,000 for injury to dignity, in addition to lost wages and future earnings for a total remedy of nearly $1 million.
One of the most important tools an organization has in combating this behaviour is a policy that clearly defines what constitutes unlawful discrimination, bullying and harassment, individuals’ responsibilities, and how to address such behaviours if they occur. Commonly called a Respectful Workplace Policy or a Bullying and Harassment Policy, organizations are required by legislation (including the BC Human Rights Code and the Workers Compensation Act) to have such a policy in place. Employers must also ensure that all staff are made aware of this policy through a training session that allows for an examination and discussion of its contents. In the face of a complaint, having a policy and having staff trained on this policy are the most basic mitigations. “Do you have a policy that prohibits bullying and harassment, and have you trained your staff on it?” is usually the first question that a judge or tribunal member would ask an organization defending against a complaint.
Where there has been inappropriate behaviour substantiated, resulting in a breach of this policy, the Respectful Workplace Policy will be sited in the investigation report and/or the disciplinary paperwork. In my years working in HR, the Respectful Workplace Policy is probably one of the most used policies and is often relied upon in investigations, disciplinary actions, and termination proceedings.
While Respectful Workplace training is considered mandatory for all staff, managers have unique responsibilities because they play such a pivotal role in the management of issues and complaints. Therefore, school administrators and staff with management responsibilities should first learn how to deal with complaints and how to restore the workplace following a complaint.
To support schools in adopting a Respectful Workplace Policy, SCSBC is in the process of updating its Bullying and Harassment Policy to a more comprehensive Respectful Workplace Policy template that schools can adopt and implement as their own. SCSBC will also support training efforts to help schools be compliant with their employer obligations.
As I reflect on the start of another school year, I recall the excitement and eagerness in the faces of our newest employees, and I know their hope is that they have found a school community that respects and values them and where they will feel a sense of belonging. Schools can help achieve that goal by implementing policies, building awareness, and having honest conversations about appropriate behaviour in the workplace.
Wendy Leong, CPHR
HR Consultant to SCSBC
