ADDENDUM TO CANADA

PAPER: SUSAN J.

COLDWELL,

NSGEU, FEBRUARY 2013

WORKING TOWARD BULLY-FREE WORKPLACES

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Workplace bullying is a risk to employees’ health.

Take steps to end it now!

NSGEU Working Toward Bully-Free Workplaces

Nova Scotia Government and General Employees Union (NSGEU) Nova Scotia’s largest union

Representing approximately 30,000 workers within the province

Vision to address workplace bullying, launched 2010

Commitment to employers and their employees

Began with two hour awareness session or six hour workshop

BACKGROUND

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WHAT DOES CIVILITY LOOK LIKE?

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U N I O N ( N S G E U ) image used

with permission

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Characteristics of a Bully&

Bullying Behaviors

EFFECTS OF BULLYING

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Personal:

Psychological and Emotional

Behavioral Changes

Physical Symptoms

Organizational Impact

WORKPLACE BULLYING

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Witnesses/Bystanders are part of the change

Educate yourself Build a culture of civility Develop and promote your workplace policy to change culture Communicate the policy widely

PSYCHOLOGICAL HEALTH AND SAFETY IN THE WORKPLACE- PREVENTION, PROMOTION, AND GUIDANCE TO STAGED IMPLEMENTATION - NATIONAL STANDARD OF CANADA JANUARY 16, 2013

On January 16, 2013 Canada became the first country in the world to outline a voluntary national standard for Canadian workplaces

Developed in collaboration with The Canadian Mental Health Association and the Canada Standards Association there is a strong correlation and application in the arena of workplace bullying as a particular form of psychological harassment.

A journey of continual improvement …

RATIONALE• Estimated 51.8 billion in economic costs related to mental health

(CMHA 2013)

• 69% of Long Term Disability Claims related to mental health issues (CMHA 2013)

• Presenteeism costs 1.5 times more than absenteeism.

• WCB-BC has expanded coverage for work-related mental disorders

• 65% NS Human Rights complaints related to the workplace

• Perception of justice and fairness key reason why people do not return to work after illness or disability, or remain at work (Sullivan 2008) As perceived injustice increases so does bullying

PSYCHOLOGICAL SAFETY AND HEALTH ARE DEMONSTRATED IN THE WAY

• people regularly interact

• working conditions and management practices are structured

• decisions are made and communicated

• promotion of workers’ psychological well-being

• prevention of harm to workers’ mental health in negligent, reckless or intentional ways

WORKPLACE INFLUENCES AFFECTING MENTAL HEALTH AT WORK risk factors – work overload, unreasonable work pace, high

demand/low control, conflicting tasks, perceived unfairness protective factors: self-efficacy, skill discretion, decision

authority, social support, civility and respect. Unique human responses

Require strategies to increase protective factors and reduce risk factors

UNION ROLE• Demonstrate shared concern for worker well-being• Create harassment/ bully-free workplaces• Help workers navigate through complaint and grievance

processes• Provide expertise to create accommodations that work• Work with employee(s) and management to problem-

solve and provide constructive solutions that also repair relationships

• Provide an ongoing resource

IMPORTANCE OF WORKPLACE CULTUREB U L LY I N G W O R K P L A C E S

• Escalation of incivility

• High staff turnover,

• Low morale

• High levels of informal complaint and grievances

• Inconsistent application of policies and rules

• Poor performance and reprisal of those who protest

R E S P E C T F U L W O R K P L A C E S

• Greater trust amongst workers and their employers

• Productivity gains

• Higher levels of commitment to the organization

• greater staff retention

• higher levels of job satisfaction

• Lower levels of stress

• Less conflict between work and family responsibilities

IMPORTANCE OF A HEALTHY AND RESPECTFUL CULTURE

Policies and procedures on their own do not prevent or address bullying. Appropriate leadership that demonstrates skills and confidence in addressing this issue are also required. High level commitment to making positive changes has a big influence on the culture of workplaces.

Workplace Bullying, We just want it to stop, house of representatives, standing committee on education and employment , parliament of the Commonwealth of Australia, 2012

CULTURAL SHIFT • Requires common definitions

• Duty of Care• Good faith• Frivolous and vexatious• Reprisal free• Confidentiality (provides clear information while

acknowledging the right to privacy, dignity and respect of the individual)

LEADERSHIP

Leaders whether managers or workers have significant input into the culture of an organization and can therefore demonstrate to their workers what standard of behaviour is expected.

As an aspect of corporate social responsibility this is demonstrated by;

• The ability to be conscious of and notice incidents of subtle bullying;

• The ability to speak up constructively in that moment; and

• employers that take complaints of bullying seriously.

LEADERSHIP…Applies to workers who have a designated role in handling reports of

bullying should undertake specific training to assist them to carry out their role effectively.

Includes, stewards, chief stewards and local presidents

Must have leadership from the employer to achieve sustainable culture-shift

Strategies and information about bullying at work will better enable bystanders/witnesses to speak out

TA N G I B L E S K I L L S

• Policy• Key performance

indicators• Transparency• Role clarity• Job facts

‘ S O F T ’ S K I L L S

• Negotiation• Conflict resolution• Problem solving• Listening• Role modeling

Mediation

Short term one-off solutions

Anti-bullying curriculum

Self-esteem for bullies

Assertiveness training for targets

More punitive discipline

Anger management training for bullies

Zero tolerance Policies

INTERVENTIONS THAT ALONE DO NOT WORK TO PREVENT BULLYING

QUESTIONS THAT HELP FIND SOLUTIONS

What do you need from the workplace to be successful in your job? workplace culture a key determination in whether bullying will

occur

How do you want future workplace issues to be addressed? policy – defines, solutions based, options from earliest intervention

For your contribution towards your success at work, what will you commit to?

Self-care/ informal at work/request from employer/agreement…

WHY TAKE A RESTORATIVE APPROACH TO WORKPLACE BULLYING?

• Inequality and power disparity are relational

• Our human rights are relational

• Approach is more than settling interpersonal conflict, and more than alternative dispute resolution

• Respect/dignity grounded in understanding others

• Forward-focused/remedial

• Offers processes capable of supporting sustainable accommodation

• Accommodation is a way of relating rather than an outcome or entitlement

• Works to establish and understanding or perspectives as a prelude to problem solving, conflict resolution and repairing harm

• Supports right to respect and dignity at work (NSGEU) and promotes

• Transformation of social relationships

PERCEPTIONS OF JUSTICE

Is it fair? Is conduct honest, respectful and of goodwill Personal interactions/relationships

between the parties

Who is responsible?• What are the process(es) • Who makes the decisions and decides outcomes• How and why around decision making are explained

Fairness and justice is made visible/tangible through policy

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RESTORATIVE APPROACH IS A RELATIONAL APPROACH (NSRJ-CURA)• Relationships are central between human beings and the world

• Relationships are relevant at all levels of human interaction; interpersonally, socially, institutionally and nation to nation

• Relationships can be positive/harmful or unhealthy/healthy

• Approach is central; to recognizing, understanding and addressing harmful relationships

• Restored relationships focus on conditions in relationship that enable social equality

• Approach is constructive and forward thinking

• Equality of relationship requires mutual respect, concern/care and dignity

PRINCIPLES FOR PRACTICE IN A RESTORATIVE APPROACH

• Relationship focused

• Brings together the ‘right’ people – people who need to come together

• Inclusive

• Participatory

• Democratic/deliberative

• Comprehensive/holistic – not only incident focused but considers the contexts and causes

• Forward-focused - remedial

RESTORATIVE/RESOLUTION CONFERENCES

Goal: to develop understanding of what happened, its affects among the people involved ,and determine what is needed to move forward

• Facilitate understanding among the participants (those affected)

• Understanding why what happened matters (what are systemic issues)

• Understanding is not agreement

• Identify issues that need further clarification or attention (who might affect the outcome)

• Reach agreement on what needs to happen to move forward (repair the harm)

• Also addresses systemic issues, increases perception of fairness

• Builds capacity to deal with future concerns (NSRJ-CURA)

scoldwell@nsgeu.ca