- Respect and Safety at Carleton
- Violence and Harassment Prevention
- Seeking Support
- Resources for Managers: Dealing with Harassment
Workplace violence and harassment will not be tolerated at Carleton University. Carleton is committed to the protection of the health, safety and well-being of all staff, faculty, students, and visitors of Carleton University and will take every precaution reasonable to prevent workplace violence and harassment and maintain an environment of respect and safety. The Violence and Harassment Prevention programs have been created in accordance with the Occupational Health and Safety Act (OSHA) and the Criminal Code of Canada. Their purpose is to provide guidelines on how to:
- Develop and implement preventative measures
- Report and investigate Workplace Violence and Harassment
- Follow-up on incidents
The Canadian Center for Occupational Health and Safety (CCOHS) has put together this useful infographic on bullying in the workplace.
Respect and Safety at Carleton
History
Launched in 2011, the “Respect and Safety” campaign has been part of Carleton’s commitment to providing a safe and respectful workplace. Respect and Safety Training (formerly Violence and Harassment prevention training has since become mandatory for all Carleton employees.
The Occupational Health and Safety Act (OHSA) was first amended in 2010 to provide protection for workers from workplace violence and harassment. In 2016, the definition of workplace harassment was expanded to include sexual harassment.
Carleton hosted panel discussions in 2011 and 2014. These forums offered the campus community an additional opportunity to learn about the various ways to prevent harassment and violence in the workplace and to hear from experts in the field.
Violence and Harassment Prevention
Carleton’s harassment and violence prevention policies and programs apply to students, visitors, volunteers and contractors engaged by the university. Carleton strives to promote a culture of safety and well-being. If you witness an act of violence or harassment on campus, be part of the culture and report it immediately.
Workplace violence is defined as:
- The exercise of (or an attempt to exercise) physical force by a person against a worker that causes or could cause physical injury
- A statement or behaviour that is reasonably interpreted by a worker as a threat to physical force against the worker in the workplace that could cause physical injury to the worker.
— Occupation Health & Safety Act (OHSA)
Workplace harassment is defined as:
- Engaging in a course of vexatious comment or conduct against a worker in a workplace that is known or ought to be known to be unwelcome, or
- Workplace sexual harassment;“Workplace Sexual Harassment”, as defined by the Occupational Health and Safety Act, means,- engaging in a course of vexatious comment or conduct against a worker in a workplace because of sex, sexual orientation, gender identify or gender expression, where the comment or conduct is known or ought reasonably to be known to be unwelcome, or
- 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 to the worker and the person knows or ought reasonably to know that the solicitation or advance is unwelcome.
— Occupational Health & Safety Act (OHSA)
Policies
The Workplace Violence Prevention Policy and the Workplace Harassment Prevention Policy reconfirm our commitment to a workplace free of violence and harassment, provide an overview of the responsibilities of all Carleton community members and outlines the procedures for reporting and investigating workplace violence and harassment.
Programs
Carleton’s Workplace Violence Prevention Program and Workplace Harassment Prevention Program outlines the steps that Carleton is taking to minimize the risk of violence and harassment in the workplace, respectively. The programs contain specific information on how to avoid, report, investigate and remediate violence and harassment incidents in the workplace.
Shared Responsibility
There is a shared responsibility among the members of Carleton University to create and maintain an environment free from workplace violence and harassment. Anyone who is witness to an act of violence or harassment is responsible for bringing it to the attention of their Manager or to the Department of University Safety.
We all have the social responsibility of being positive role models and promoting a safe, violence and harassment-free environment in which to learn and work. The first step is completing the Respect and Safety (formerly Workplace Violence and Harassment Prevention) Training.
An Environment free of Reprisal
It is strictly prohibited under the Occupational Health and Safety Act to engage in the reprisal of an employee who submits a complaint in good faith. Any person who engages in reprisal or threats of reprisal may be disciplined up to and including dismissal.
Seeking Support
Witnessing Violence or Harassment
As a witness, it is your responsibility to report any incident involving violence and/or harassment to the victim’s or transgressor’s manager/supervisor. The manager/supervisor is responsible for taking the complaint seriously and taking appropriate steps to ensure the safety of all those involved. More information on reporting can be found here.
Violence and Harassment will not be tolerated at Carleton. We all play a role in building a respectful, safe workplace.
Counselling
Members of Carleton’s community are urged to seek support if they have been victim to violence or harassment, or when experiencing stress or other personal difficulties. The Employee and Family Assistance Program (EFAP) is a confidential counselling service offered without cost to Carleton’s employees and immediate family members. Carleton’s Health and Counselling services are available to students seeking support.
Resources for Managers: Dealing with Harassment
The Managers Toolkit has been designed as a tool to help managers prevent and resolve harassment complaints. Managers have a legal obligation to take all complaints seriously and to take remediation steps in a timely manner. This toolkit provides useful information to guide managers in being a role model, raising awareness, maintaining a healthy workplace and performing interventions.
Community Engagement
Panel Discussions
Carleton has hosted panel discussions over the years to bring focus to a particular aspect of harassment. These forums offer the campus community an additional opportunity to learn prevention strategies and to hear from experts in the field.
Most recently, two panel discussions (one for students; one for staff/faculty) were hosted on February 14th, 2017 to discuss the implications of cyberbullying on the lives of students and employees. This year, participants were also invited to join the conversation on twitter using #CUpanel. Follow the link to view the reactions on twitter.
- Jen Sugar, Director of Student Affairs
- Robert Monti, Director of Labour Relations, Employee Relations and Compliance
- Jacques Charron, Manager of Workplace Relations and Case Management
- Tina Daniels, Associate Professor in Psychology and Chair of the Ottawa Anti-bullying Coalition
Moderator:
- Nancy Delcellier, Director, Environmental Health and Safety
Student Session |
Staff Session |
Click here to view recordings of panel discussions from previous years (2011 and 2014).
Watch & Talk
As part of the 2017 North American Occupational Safety & Health (NAOSH) week celebration, members of the Carleton community gathered to watch and discuss a thought-provoking Ted Talk on bullying. Dr. Tina Daniels (Chair of the Ottawa Anti-Bullying Coalition) mediated the discussion, provided meaningful insight and suggested powerful intervention strategies.
Watch for yourself: