Respect in the Workplace

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Respect in the Workplace
Lisa Hollett Director of Human Resources
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Overview
At Memorial, all persons have the RIGHT to be
treated with civility, decency, respect and
dignity.
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MUN views harassment seriously

• Prevention activities education and
  awareness
• prohibited
• any member may lodge complaint
• support from highest levels
• Context Katz Report
• cost to employer
• cost to victim

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Policies and Procedures

• Respectful Workplace Policy
• Sexual Harassment Policy

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Respectful Workplace Policy

• Draft document
• Covers work related activities
• Prohibited grounds under the provincial human
  rights code
• Personal harassment
• Provides for support and resolution through the
  offices of faculty relations and human resources

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Sexual Harassment Policy and Procedures

• Covers sexual harassment
• Verbal, gestures, visual, physical and
  psychological
• Provides for support and advice through the
  office of sexual harassment advisor

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What is Sexual Harassment?

• conduct of a sexual nature that is unwanted
• directed at individuals
• by a person who knows (or ought reasonably to
  know) that such conduct is unwanted

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What is Sexual Harassment?

• "conduct" is of a broad scope, including
• gender-based insults
• sexist remarks
• comments about looks, dress, appearance or
  sexual habits

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What is Sexual Harassment?

• "unwanted"
• regarded by victim as undesirable or offensive
• victim did not solicit or incite
• victim demonstrates (despite possible
  "participation") to harasser or supervisor
• victim's demonstration(s) is timely

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What is Sexual Harassment?

• consider reasonable/usual limits of social
  interaction in the particular context
• it is less the intent (of the harasser) and more
  the impact (on the victim)
• harasser has burden of proof

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Responses if you experience or witness harassment

• document incident(s) and your response(s)
• seek advice of experts
• Sexual Harassment Advisor
• Faculty Relations/Human Resources
• consider alerting Supervisor(s)
• if it is a case of assault or sexual assault,
  victim should contact Police

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Immediate responses to a harasser

• interject
• express emotional reactions
• name it (as discrimination and/or harassment)
• disagree or question validity of a statement
• point out hurtfulness and offensiveness
• empathetically confront
• approach and support victim
• approach co-witness(es)

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Roles and responsibilities of Supervisors

• act on behalf of the university
• Memorial has legal obligation to provide a safe
  and healthy working/learning environment
• recognize that power differentials exist
• be vigilent for
• unwanted behaviour
• sudden changes in work/academic performance
• prevalent rumours
• high rates of absenteeism or turnover

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Roles and responsibilities

• be familiar with University-Wide Procedures for
  Sexual Harassment Complaints (2001) and upcoming
  Respectful Workplace Policy

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Interim Sexual Harassment Advisor
Isobel OShea UC3000, University Centre Memorial
University of Newfoundland sexualharassment_at_mun.c
a [phone] or [phone] www.mun.ca/sex
ualharassment
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Examine yourself
We all have individual responsibility to look out
for cues that our behaviour might be
unwanted. At Memorial, all persons have the
RIGHT to be treated with civility, decency,
respect and dignity.
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Questions?