Welcome, Guest

Help

Online Store

Search:

Home

City Business

City Hall

City Living

City Transportation

City Visitors

My Pages

The City of Calgary: Respectful Workplace Policy

	Policy/Guidelines

	Respectful Workplace Policy

	Acceptable Use of City Technology Resources

	Acceptable Use - Management Guidelines

Respectful Workplace Policy

Administration Policy:

Policy number:	Number to be assigned by Policy Co-ordinator
Policy title:	Respectful Workplace Policy
Approved by:	Administrative Leadership Team (ALT)
Effective date:	2001 August
Revision date:	2005 August 15
Department:	Corporate Services
Business unit:	Human Resources

Background

The City of Calgary is committed to creating and sustaining a vibrant, healthy, safe and caring work environment. To do so, all people (see Scope) are to be treated with respect, honesty and dignity. Behaviour and/or situations that run contrary to such treatment will not be tolerated.

The City recognizes that conflicts, disagreements or inappropriate behaviours will occur. We expect these issues to be resolved in a manner that contributes to a healthy and productive workplace.

The City of Calgary promises to respond quickly to complaints about inappropriate behaviour in the workplace, and to resolve issues speedily, openly, honestly and with appropriate consideration for privacy and confidentiality.

Purpose

The City of Calgary is committed to working in collaboration with its employees, unions and associations to create a respectful workplace by:

a) Promoting and maintaining a common understanding of the expectations and behaviours considered appropriate and inappropriate in City workplaces and in the delivery of or access to City services, and;

b) Taking action to prevent and/or deal with inappropriate behaviour wherever City business is being conducted.

Scope / Exceptions

This policy applies to the following people and places:

People:

City of Calgary employees (including job applicants)
Contractors providing service for or to The City
Suppliers delivering material to The City
Volunteers
Members of City Council
Members of the public who are accessing City services or City operated facilities

Places:

City buildings, facilities, sites, offices or work environment
Locations visited by employees while traveling on City related business including conferences, meetings, vendor/supplier or customer sites
Locations of work-based social gatherings.

Consequences of Non-compliance

Any employee, who violates this policy, will be subject to appropriate disciplinary action, which may include termination of employment.

Members of the public, visitors to City facilities or individuals conducting business with The City of Calgary, are expected to adhere to this policy. This includes refraining from inappropriate behaviour towards employees, elected officials, and persons acting on behalf of The City of Calgary. If inappropriate behaviour occurs, The City will take appropriate action to ensure a respectful workplace. This could include barring the person from facilities or discontinuing business with contractors or suppliers.

Criminal Offences

Where behaviour may constitute a criminal offence, The City will refer these matters to the Calgary Police Service for further investigation.

False or Frivolous Complaints
Complaints that are found to be false, frivolous or made in bad faith will not be tolerated and will be subject to appropriate disciplinary action or denial of service.

Retaliation

Everyone has the right to report, in good faith, incidents of discrimination, harassment or inappropriate behaviour without fear of retaliation.
Retaliation by any person against anyone involved in informal or internal or external formal complaint processes will not be tolerated and will be subject to discipline, up to and including dismissal or denial of City services.

1. Appropriate Workplace Behaviours

It is not possible to itemize every instance of appropriate or inappropriate behaviour. In general terms, the kinds of behaviours that are to be encouraged are those which support and create a respectful workplace and its related business objectives.

Examples include:

Being polite, courteous and respectful of others,
Using common greetings, farewells or brief enquiries about others' well-being which are seen as an acknowledgement of others as unique individuals,
When reviewing others' ideas, suggestions or work, identifying what is positive or good about the proposal as well as where it can be improved,
Treating others equitably and fairly,
Listening to what others have to say,
Being open-minded to others' ideas, comments and suggestions,
Seeking input and the active involvement of appropriate people in planning, decision-making and implementing initiatives,
Ensuring that decision-making takes into account relevant factors, is fair and is seen to be fair,
Recognizing and valuing the diversity among workgroup members, customers and citizens, and
Willingly and sincerely apologizing to people when something you said or did may have offended them.

2. Inappropriate Workplace Behaviour

Inappropriate behaviour is that which is objectionable and/or unwelcome to an individual. Such behaviour serves no valid work related purpose and can create a poisoned work environment. There are three categories of inappropriate behaviour addressed in the policy. They are:

Disrespectful Behaviour
Discrimination/Harassment
Damage to People or Property

2.1 Disrespectful Behaviour

Disrespectful Behaviour is:

Vexatious: Conduct, comments, actions or gestures which are humiliating, offensive, hurtful or belittling,
Repeated: Conduct, comments, actions, or gestures when taken in isolation seem minor but when repeated can lead to a conclusion of harassment, OR
A single incident of sufficient seriousness to have a significant impact on the recipient or the work environment,
Hostile or unwanted,
Affecting the employee's dignity, wellbeing, or physical integrity,
Resulting in a harmful or poisoned work environment.

Examples of disrespectful behaviour include, but are not limited to:

written or verbal comments, actions, gestures or other behaviours or 'jokes' which are humiliating, offensive, hurtful or belittling
bullying or intimidation
abusing authority
yelling or shouting (except where intended to alert another to danger)
deliberately excluding an employee from relevant work activities or decision making
decision-making which is influenced by factors which have no work-related purpose
attempting to discredit an employee by spreading false information about him/her

2.2 Discrimination/Harassment

Behaviours, practices, policies or systems which have a direct or adverse impact based on: age, ancestry, colour, family status, marital status, mental or physical disability, place of origin, race, religious beliefs, sexual orientation, source of income, or gender (including pregnancy and sexual harassment), or any other ground covered by Alberta's Human Rights, Citizenship and Multiculturalism Act.

Discriminatory or harassing behaviours include comments or actions which are unwelcome, that are based on a prohibited ground of discrimination and result in a negative or poisoned work environment.

Examples include:

Any previously described inappropriate behaviour that is based on a prohibited ground,
Sexual harassment includes comments or conduct such as: unwelcome advances, requests, comments, physical contact (unnecessary touching, pinching or jostling) or gestures (suggestive or persistent staring) that are of a sexual nature. Implied or expressed threats of reprisal for refusal to comply with a request of a sexual nature or implied or expressed promises of reward for agreeing to comply with a request of a sexual nature
Unwelcome remarks, jokes, taunts, suggestions or speculations about a person's body, attire, sex life, etc.
Displays of pornographic or other sexual materials in the form of pictures, electronic mail, graffiti, cartoons or sayings.

Discriminatory practices, policies, or systems include:

Denial of equitable treatment in hiring or in the terms, conditions, or benefits of employment,
Access to or the processes by which people use City related services, programs and/or facilities, and/or
Failing to accommodate an individual(s) protected under Alberta's Human Rights legislation. (See Policy on Duty to Accommodate in Employment)

2.3 Damage to People or Property

Examples include:

Vandalism or deliberate destruction of City property,
Threats - Any act, gesture or statement that gives an employee reasonable cause to believe that there is risk of injury to themselves, another person or City property. Any statement, either verbal or written, that is reasonably interpreted by a person to be menacing or taunting in nature. This could include, but not limited to, such things as coercion, intimidation, persecution, humiliation, bullying, ridiculing or belittling, and
Violent Acts - Violent acts are defined as any act that causes, or may cause, physical harm or significant emotional distress to a City employee or a member of the public. Behaviours that are threatening to personal safety or are violent require immediate action to prevent escalation and to ensure the safety of others. Incidents of threats or violence should be reported immediately to a leader and the Corporate Security Division. (See Preventing and Responding to Threats & Violent Acts in the Workplace: Guidelines and Procedures).

3. Employee Responsibilities

Every employee has the right to be treated in a fair, reasonable and respectful manner. For this to be a normal part of our environment, we must find strategies which prevent our differences from escalating and resolve them quickly when they do occur.

As an employee of The City of Calgary, you are responsible for creating a respectful workplace environment by:

Ensuring your behaviour is respectful and appropriate at all times,
Accepting responsibility for your own actions, reactions, and behaviours and your impact on others,
Making your concerns known promptly if something is troubling you,
Being a part of the solution, and
Immediately informing a supervisor and Corporate Security if there is an imminent threat or risk of violence that could compromise an individual's safety.

4. Leader Responsibilities

As a leader at The City you have additional responsibilities to create and sustain a respectful workplace environment. They include:

Being a role model for corporate behaviour standards such as the Corporate competencies for leaders, the Respectful Workplace Policy, and Corporate Values and Goals,
Ensuring awareness of and compliance with the Respectful Workplace Policy in your area of responsibility,
Taking appropriate action in a prompt, impartial and confidential manner when Respectful Workplace Policy issues come to your attention,
Supporting all parties involved in resolving issues under the Respectful Workplace Policy, and
Making sure no person suffers reprisal as a result of making a complaint, or for providing information.