St. Leonard's Community Services

The Agency acknowledges that workplace violence is a growing concern in society, and that every staff has the right to work free from intimidation and co-worker violence.

Bullying is a term used to describe any demeanor, action, or verbal exchange, whether overt or subtle on the part of one staff, with the goal of creating fear, tension, or trepidation in one or more co-workers, and thereby creating a hostile work environment.

The Agency is committed to providing a work environment that is free of bullying of any type. It is the policy of the Agency that it will not tolerate any such bullying in the work place or at any Agency sponsored function.

Bullying generally means engaging in a course of intimidating comment or conduct, including transmitting offensive e-mails that is known or ought reasonably to be known to be unwelcome or that creates a sense of insecurity that results in a feeling of unease or tension.

threats of physical harm;
intimidating stance, posture, or physical demeanor;
implied or overt promise of unpleasant consequences in the event a fellow staff does not comply with the wishes of another;
derogatory or degrading remarks directed towards a co-worker;
threatening or obscene comments or gestures;
withholding support and assistance in the course of workplace duties in an attempt to control the actions of another;
threats of reprisal for a co-worker’s actions;
intimidating para-verbal cues such as tone of voice, cadence, and pitch;
attempts to damage another’s employment relationship as retribution, or threats to that effect;
any other action that would reasonably be known to create an environment of fear.

All staff are expected to refrain from participating in, or condoning, any type of bullying.

All complaints of bullying will be investigated promptly and in an impartial and as confidential a manner as possible, by the Supervisor or Service Director. If a staff is not satisfied with the handling of a complaint or the action taken by the Supervisor, then the staff should follow the process set out in Grievance Procedures 6-550 in this policy manual. In all cases, the staff will be advised of the Supervisor’s or Service Director’s findings and conclusions.

Any staff who is found, after appropriate investigation, to have engaged in harassment of another staff, will be subject to appropriate disciplinary action, depending on thecircumstances, up to and including termination.

6-580 PRODUCTIVE WORK ENVIRONMENT (BULLYING) Approved January 2007

6-580 PRODUCTIVE WORK ENVIRONMENT (BULLYING)
Approved January 2007