Chemainus Harvest House Society is committed to fostering a harassment-free and violence-free environment where all people are treated with respect and dignity.

The Canadian Human Rights Act protects employees from harassment based on race, national or ethnic origin, colour, religion, age, sex, sexual orientation, marital status, family status, disability or pardoned conviction.

Harassment and violence at Chemainus Harvest House Society is not tolerated. People who are found to have harassed or been violent against another individual may be subject to disciplinary action. This includes any person who: interferes with the resolution of a harassment complaint; retaliates against an individual for filing a harassment or violence complaint; or files an unfounded harassment complaint intended to cause harm.

Application

This policy applies to all current employees, volunteers, or clients of Chemainus Harvest House Society. This policy also applies to job applicants.

This policy applies to all behaviour that is in some way connected to work, including during off-site meetings, training and on business trips.

Definitions

Harassment is: offending or humiliating someone physically or verbally; threatening or intimidating someone; or making unwelcome jokes or comments about someone’s race, national or ethnic origin, colour, religion, age, sex, sexual orientation, marital status, family status, disability or pardoned conviction.

Sexual harassment is: offensive or humiliating behaviour that is related to a person’s sex; behaviour of a sexual nature that creates an intimidating, unwelcome, hostile or offensive work environment; or behaviour of a sexual nature that could reasonably be thought to put sexual conditions on a person’s job or employment opportunities.

Violence: the attempted or actual exercise by a person, other than a worker, of any physical force so as to cause injury to a worker, and includes any threatening statement or behaviour which gives a worker reasonable cause to believe that the worker is at risk of injury.

Responsibilities and Expectations

Chemainus Harvest House Society is responsible for providing all employees a harassment-free workplace.

Chemainus Harvest House Society has the responsibility to instruct workers who may be exposed to violence on:

• how to recognize the potential for violence;
• procedures, policies and work environment arrangements which have been developed to minimize or effectively control the risk of violence;
• appropriate responses to violence, including how to obtain assistance; and
• procedures for reporting, investigating and documenting incidents of violence.

The Chairman of the Board of Directors is responsible for:

• ensuring that this policy is applied in a timely, consistent and confidential manner
• determining whether or not allegations of harassment or violence are substantiated
• determining what corrective action is appropriate where a harassment or violence complaint has been substantiated.

The Board of Directors is responsible for:

• the administration of this policy
• reviewing this policy annually, or as required
• making necessary adjustments to ensure that this policy meets the needs of the organization.

The Food Bank Coordinator(s) are responsible for:

• fostering a harassment-free and violence-free work environment and setting an example about appropriate workplace behaviour
• communicating the process for investigating and resolving harassment or violence complaints made by employees
• dealing with harassment or violent situations immediately upon becoming aware of them, whether or not a harassment or violence complaint has been made
• taking appropriate action during a harassment investigation, including separating the parties to the harassment complaint, when appropriate; and ensuring harassment situations are dealt with in a sensitive and confidential manner.
• taking appropriate action when violence or one threatens violence occurs

Employees, Volunteers and Clients are responsible for: 

• treating others with respect while at the food bank
• reporting harassment or violence to the Food Bank Coordinator(s)
• cooperating with a harassment or violence investigation and respecting the confidentiality related to the investigation process

Employees, Volunteers and Clients can expect:

• to be treated with respect in the workplace
• that reported harassment or violence will be dealt with in a timely, confidential and effective manner 
• to have their rights to a fair process and to confidentiality respected during a harassment or violence investigation 
• to be protected against retaliation for reporting harassment or cooperating with a harassment investigation.
• to be protected against retaliation for reporting violence or cooperating with a violence investigation

Procedures for Addressing Complaint

Filing a Harassment Complaint

A volunteer or client may file a harassment complaint by contacting the Food Bank Coordinator(s). The complaint may be verbal or in writing. If the complaint is made verbally, the Food Bank Coordinator(s) will record the details provided by the employee.

Any employee may file a harassment complaint by contacting the Chairman of the Board of Directors. The complaint may be verbal or in writing. If the complaint is made verbally, the Chairman of the Board of Directors will record the details provided by the employee.

Anyone who files a harassment complaint should be prepared to provide details such as what happened; when it happened; where it happened; how often and who else was present (if applicable).

Complaints should be made as soon as possible but no later than within one year of the last incident of perceived harassment, unless there are circumstances that prevented the employee from doing so.

The Chairman of the Board of Directors or the Food Bank Coordinator(s) will tell the person that the harassment complaint has been made against, in writing, that a harassment complaint has been filed. The letter will also provide details of the allegations that have been made against him or her.

If either party to a harassment complaint believes that the complaint is not being handled in accordance with this policy, they should contact the Board of Directors.

Violence Prevention

At Chemainus Harvest House Society, our employees and volunteers work together and serve clients, who may be under different circumstances. Some may come in with heightened emotions. It is the job of employees and volunteers at Chemainus Harvest House Society to remain calm and collected, using a steady voice, while interacting with anyone. Chemainus Harvest House Society is committed to routinely assessing how to better serve employees, volunteers and clients in a safe environment. 

Chemainus Harvest House Society takes violence and threats of violence very seriously. If at any point an employee, volunteer or client feels unsafe due to the threat of violence taking place or violence is taking place, the appropriate emergency services must be contacted. Phone numbers and directions are posted on the safety bulletin board by the delivery doors. 

Mediation

Wherever appropriate and possible, the parties to the harassment complaint will be offered mediation prior to proceeding with a harassment investigation.

Mediation is voluntary and confidential. It is intended to assist the parties to arrive at a mutually acceptable resolution to the harassment complaint.

The mediator will be a neutral person, agreed upon by both parties. The mediator will not be involved in investigating the complaint.

Each party to the complaint has the right to be accompanied and assisted during mediation sessions by a person of their choosing.

Investigation

If mediation is inappropriate or does not resolve the issue, a harassment or violence investigation will be conducted. All investigations will be handled by an individual who has the necessary training and experience. 

The investigator will interview the person who made the complaint, the person the complaint was made against and any witnesses that have been identified. All people who are interviewed will have the right to review their statement, as recorded by the investigator, to ensure its accuracy.

The investigator will prepare a report that will include:

• a description of the allegations
• the response of the person the complaint was made against;
• a summary of information learned from witnesses (if applicable)
• a decision about whether, on a balance of probabilities, harassment did occur.

This report will be submitted to the Board of Directors. 

Substantiated Complaint

If a harassment complaint is substantiated or a violent interaction takes place, the Board of Directors will decide what action is appropriate.

Remedies for the employee who was harassed may include: an oral or written apology or compensation for lost wages. Remedies for the volunteer who was harassed may include: an oral or written apology; 

Corrective action for the person found to have engaged in harassment may include: a reprimand; a suspension; a transfer; a demotion; and/or dismissal. Corrective action for the person found to have engaged in violence may include: a dismissal; a reprimand; find an alternative service time (for clients only).

Privacy and Confidentiality

All parties to a harassment complaint are expected to respect the privacy and confidentiality of all other parties involved and to limit the discussion of a harassment complaint to those that need to know.

Chemainus Harvest House Society and all individuals involved in the harassment complaint process, will comply with all requirements of the [if applicable: title of privacy legislation] to protect personal information.

Review

Chemainus Harvest House Society will review this policy and procedures as required, and will make necessary adjustments to ensure that it meets the needs of all employees, volunteers and clients.

Enquiries

Enquiries about this policy and related procedures can be made to the Food Bank Coordinator(s).