Respectful Workplace Tips and ideas Presentation

Tips on Role

1. Respect and Your Role
2009

2. Team Issues
•
Conflict / Stress
•
Expectation - Quality Service
•
Impact of Change
•
Mental Health Needs
•
Respectful Workplace
•
Work-Life Balance
•
Brainstorm

3. Ability to Cope and Deal
with Stress & Change:
What impacts?
•
Team approach – group attitude
•
Past successes
•
Amount of recent change in your personal &
work life
•
Significance of the losses
•
Thinking of the change: threat or challenge
•
Supports to help cope

4. Basic Mental Health Needs
in the Workplace
•
Respect and appreciation
•
Feeling heard or listened to
•
Freedom to speak up
•
A sense of confidence and self worth
•
A sense of belonging to a meaningful and
supportive work group
•
Freedom from chronic symptoms of
distress,
•
Skills to manage anxiety and depression
•
Periods of relative calm and peace of mind

5. Work Factors Threatening
Mental Health & Physical
Safety
Examples of “Stressors”
•
Work overload and time pressure
•
Lack of influence over day-to-day work
•
Lack of training and/or preparation
•
Too little or too much responsibility
•
Ambiguity in job responsibility (too many masters)
•
Lack of recognition
•
Discrimination
•
Poor communication
•
Disrespect in the Workplace

6. Consequences of Excessive
Stress
•
Rushed, stressed
and helpless
•
Abused
•
Nervous
•
Depressed
•
Angry and upset
•
Lack of
concentration
•
Easily distracted
•
Eat poorly
•
Drink excessively
•
Use too many
medications
•
No time for exercise
•
Sleep poorly
•
Prone to infections
•
More likely to get
injured
•
Cardiovascular risk
Mental
Consequences
Physical
Consequences

7. •
Ability to form and
maintain
relationships is
threatened
•
More socially
isolated
•
More quarrelsome
and argumentative
•
Waste time
•
Likely to damage things
•
High absenteeism
•
Less creative
•
Less productive
•
Less efficient
•
Less courteous with
customers
•
High medical and drug
claim costs
Social ConsequencesEconomic
Consequences

8. Ongoing Destructive
Conflict and Stress can
Result in a
DISRESPECTFUL
WORKPLACE

9. What is Disrespectful or
Inappropriate Behavior?
Disrespectful or inappropriate
behavior/conduct may be defined as:
behavior or conduct that is known or
ought reasonably to be known to be
unwelcome, objectionable or
offensive

10. Examples of Disrespectful
Behaviour

Yelling or using
profanity

Physically abusing or
threatening abuse

Intruding on a
persons privacy by
spying or stalking

Constantly
interrupting

Spreading malicious
rumors or gossip

Name Calling

Sarcasm

Rolling eyes

Offensive jokes

Demeaning a person

Not helping
someone

Humiliating
someone

Belittling someone

Ignoring someone

Yelling, shouting

Making Fun

Being impolite

11. Effects of “Disrespect”
Individual
•
Feelings of
frustration
•
Anger &
helplessness
•
Loss of confidence
•
Inability to sleep
•
Panic & anxiety
•
Depression
•
Family tension &
stress
•
Inability to
concentrate
Workplace
•
Increased absenteeism
•
Increased turnover
•
Increased stress
•
Decreased morale
•
Increased risk of injury
•
Decreased productivity
•
Avoidance of specific
units/skill deterioration
•
Increased safety risks
for patients

12. Respectful Workplace:
What’s Your
Responsibility?

13. 
All employees are encouraged to address disrespectful
behavior when it happens, tell the person to stop it!

Refuse to participate in disrespectful behavior

Support your colleagues who are the target of that
behavior

Be aware of your own role in perpetuating
disrespectful behavior

Report
Laws, regulations, and procedures are important, but they do not by
themselves ensure a respectful workplace.
Each employee can have a powerful impact on the environment in
which they work.
Creating a Respectful
Workplace – Employee’s
Role

14. Resolution Options
Direct
Response
Manager
Handles
Situation

Mediation /
EAP
Collective
Agreement
Harassment
Policy
Human Rights
Commission
RNC or
Lawyer
Option becomes more formal
Staff
Address

15. Leader Role - What to do if
you Observe Disrespectful
Behavior

If you observe someone being treated in a
humiliating, degrading or disrespectful
manner, address the issue.

Address disrespect and bullying in the
workplace

Discipline where appropriate

Harassment Policy
Role Model
Respect

16. What to do if You are
Accused of Disrespectful
Behavior:

If your behavior becomes the focus of an respectful
workplace discussion, you are encouraged to become
involved to help resolve the conflict.

Be willing to listen to what the problem is about.

Try to be open to the other person’s perspective and
see if there could be a misunderstanding. Something
you consider to be humorous, for example, may be
offensive to someone else.

Consider the impact of your actions on the other
person and be willing to make reasonable changes
that could make a difference.
You are encouraged to discuss your concerns with
others – Supervisor, Director, VP.

17. Respect is a Serious
Matter…

All complaints of disrespectful behavior
must be taken seriously and dealt with
in a confidential and impartial manner.

Retaliation against an individual
because they have made a complaint is
considered unacceptable behavior and
will be dealt appropriately.

Malicious complaints or complaints
with a specific intent to harm will also
be dealt with as unacceptable behavior
and may result in disciplinary action.

18. Who is Responsible to
Prevent Disrespect?
A REVIEW
Everyone has a Responsibility to Prevent Disrespect
•
Source The person whose action offends others. If you think your
behaviour offends someone else, stop the behaviour. 
•
Target Tell someone if their behaviour offends you. Ask them to stop. Give
a respectful response and avoid blaming. If the behaviour continues or is
serious, report the incident to the appropriate person in the workplace.  
•
Observer The person who sees disrespectful behaviour occur. You are not
innocent. You have a responsibility to call attention to the disrespectful
behaviour. Offer suggestions for more respectful behaviour. 
•
Person with Authority Supervisors and managers should address
disrespect immediately. Ultimately, it is the employer's responsibility
to provide a respectful and harassment free workplace.

19. Employer / Manager Role
Emerging case law
- obligations for employers to take active steps to
ensure that employees experience civil, kinder,
gentler, respectful interactions from co-workers,
supervisors and managers. (Respectful Workplace
Initiatives)
- Employers who make the mistake of treating uncivil
or volatile interactions between co-workers or
supervisors as personality conflicts are at serious risk.
- Employers who fail to effectively deal with persons in
authority who provide direction that includes yelling,
screaming, rudeness, demeaning, belittling or
threatening conduct or communications are at risk.

20. Legal & Ethical
Responsibility

Human Rights Legislation

Occupational Health & Safety Legislation

Canadian Labor Code

Duty of Care in Employment Law

Due Diligence

Tort Law (negligence)

21. Nancy Sulz vs Donald Smith
(RCMP)
British Columbia Supreme Court –
January 19, 2006
A recent decision of the Supreme Court of British
Columbia sends the latest, reminder of the serious
risk of significant employer liabilities where an
employee loses the capacity to earn a living in
connection with mental health.
The plaintiff, Ms. Sulz, initiated a civil action against
the RCMP, and her immediate supervisor, Donald
Smith; claiming that as a result of the intentional or
negligent harassment she was exposed to by Staff
Sergeant Smith, she became clinically depressed and
ultimately had to accept a medical discharge from her
employment.

22. The Facts
Ms. Sulz experienced a relatively uneventful and
relatively successful career with the RCMP for a
period of approximately six years after joining the
RCMP (between 1988 and 1994).
This all changed between 1994 and 1996. In 1994, the
defendant, Don Smith, became Ms. Sulz’s Detachment
Commander. In December of 1994, Ms. Sulz took
medical leave in connection with complications
attending her first pregnancy.
Ms. Sulz alleged that she was exposed to a course of
harassment in 1994 and 1995 that destroyed her
mental health and resulted in a medical discharge. A
summary of the acts of harassment that she
attributed primarily to Donald Smith were the
following:

23. •Being advised that she had done something
“stupid” and would have to pay the price. This was
in response to her making a visit to the U.S. while
on her medical leave without specific permission
from her Detachment Commander.
•Receiving the following message on her voice mail
while on medical leave, “Don says get your ass
down here and sign this form or you won’t get any
more pay cheques”.
•Exposed to the following message delivered on
behalf of Don Smith, “I could fill out these forms for
you should I so desire, but I don’t – so I won’t….”.
•Reports that Smith disseminated the following
comments regarding Sulz, “She could not cut the
mustard and had no place in the RCMP.”

24. Court Conclusion
1. The defendant, Don Smith, as an
officer in charge, owed a duty of care
to ensure a work environment free
from harassment.
2. Don Smith breached his duty of care:
was based on the following factual
findings of the court:
i) Evidence of angry outbursts by Smith directed at or about
Sulz.
ii) Failure of Smith to curb his temper.
iii) Failure of Smith to prevent rumours regarding the plaintiff.

25. The court determined that the defendant’s
harassment materially contributed to the plaintiff’s
mental health issues:
“The evidence shows that the harassment which
the plaintiff experienced between 1994 and 1995
was the proximate cause of her depression; which
in turn, ended her career with the RCMP.”
Summary of Damages
Past wage loss -$225,000
Future wage loss - $600,000
General damages - $125,000
Total - $950,000 + legal costs

26. Where Should Western
Health Go From Here?
1. Develop and implement civil, respectful workplace
policies.
2. Take steps to position our Organization to limit
exposure to risk to employees whose ability to work is
temporarily or permanently disrupted as a result of
mental illness triggered by co-worker/ supervisor/
manager’s conduct inconsistent with an employee’s
well-being.
3. Deliver relevant training to employees and management
regarding respectful workplace requirements.
4. Take steps to ensure that everyone in our workplace is
equipped with the knowledge, tools, skills and
commitment to conduct themselves in a manner that
complies with current requirements for workplace
environments and interactions.

27. 6. Equip supervisors and managers with the knowledge,
sensibilities and skills they require to direct, manage,
supervise and performance manage employees
consistent with current standards.
7. Monitor, reinforce and enforce compliance with
respectful workplace standards. Take issues of
conduct below the standards seriously.
8. Respond in a timely, effective and meaningful manner
to all incidents of conduct below the required
standards.
9. Take the issues seriously: Investigate and remediate.

28. Current Initiatives
Respectful Workplace Sessions
Mediation
Employee Wellness Program
Employee Assistance Program
Violence Prevention Policy
Harrassment Policy

29. As STRESS increases…
so does, disrespect, sick leave
and anxiety….
Take a Step Back
Take Care of Yourself

30. Exploring Your Balance
A balance
that fits:
there is no
“right”
balance

31. Tips to Manage Stress
•
Talk it out !!!
•
Escape…for a short while
•
Assess where feelings come from
•
Establish personal goals
•
Do something for others
•
Shun the “Superwoman” role
•
Schedule “ me time”
•
Schedule exercise
•
Laugh

32. Employee Assistance
Program
A Component of Wellness
•
Counselling
available to
employees to
address work
related or personal
problems
•
Confidential

33. How Do You Access EAP?
•
Call 637 – 5306
•
Toll Free – 1-866-637-5306
•
All calls are strictly confidential

34. Everyone has the
Right to be Respected
and the Responsibility
to Respect Others
Questions/
Comments