Violence in the Workplace
You tried to bring me down,
You tried to make me leave town,
The days of torment, teasing and pain,
Just made me want to look past the rain,
What is it about me that makes you feel fear,
That is why bullies like you find pleasure in someone’s pain and tears,
Well it is a New World order and things will slowly start to change,
Bullies like you will have no range,
What will you do, bully, when you have to face your own fears?
And not hide in your victims’ tears?
This poem was written by a woman who had been part of a focus group researching violence against women in the workplace.
The issue of violence in the workplace is beginning to be recognized as an issue in our society that must be dealt with.
Workplace violence mirrors domestic violence in its complexity, lack of recognition of the signs of violence and in denial by employers of the seriousness of the issue.
Extreme cases of violence, which grab media headlines, get the public’s attention. Cases that involve killing of co-workers by a disgruntled former employee, or the killing of a taxi driver by a passenger are clearly understood as workplace violence.
It’s the subtle and often not so subtle abuse such as a demeaning joke or teasing, criticism that is unfair or unwarranted, racial and sexual harassment and bullying that makes the workplace a nightmare for those who are its victims. Often victims don’t complain about this treatment because they don’t want to be seen as being weak, not able to “take the heat”.
The Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety describes workplaces violence as follows: Most people think of violence as physical assault. However, workplace violence is a much broader problem. It is any act in which a person is abused, threatened, intimidated or assaulted in his or her employment.
Workplace violence includes:
Workplace violence is not limited to incidents that occur within a traditional workplace. Work-related violence can occur at off-site business-related functions (conferences, trade shows), at social events related to work, in clients’ homes or away from work but resulting from work (a threatening phone call to your home from a client).
Frema Engle, in her book Taming the Beast – Getting Violence Out of the Workplace, states that violence reflects the society in which we live. Violence is rampant throughout the world, in our homes, in our schools, on the street, in our communities and between countries. We seem to have a love-hate relationship with violence. We applaud those who perform violent acts in movies, yet are horrified when those same acts are committed in real life.
Economic pressures, social conditions, poverty and life experiences may be leading causes of violence.
Whatever the causes are, workplace violence negatively impacts the working and personal lives of employees and poisons the atmosphere of the workplace. Victims of workplace violence suffer physical and emotional problems including sleeplessness, twitching, stomach upset, crying easily, nervousness, and loss of self-esteem, guilt, fear and even contemplating suicide. Workplace violence affects productivity and profitability.
Although both men and women are workplace abusers as well as victims, the affects of workplace violence and harassment against women is the purpose of this paper.
After contacting a large national financial institution, it became clear that although there was a policy in place, and that support services were offered, no-one was certain of how to proceed. Employees are given a policy booklet when hired but most could no longer locate it. Neither human resources nor any other department of this large company were familiar with the procedures necessary to file a complaint and/or seek support. This appears to be typical of many organizations.
The Canadian Autoworkers Union on the other hand has a policy available on the web. It is a well-written, clear policy that described what harassment was; the different forms of harassment – gender, racial, ethnic; what the effects of harassment are on the victim and the workplace. The policy included a clear procedure for reporting of incidents. There were several choices of people who would accept reports. The local union president is to be kept updated and all issues must be resolved within a certain time frame.
The director of the Women’s Division of the CAW reviewed the effectiveness of the policy. The union negotiates with employers to accept the union policy on harassment. Each workplace has a women’s advocate – a union member who receives 40 hours initial training to act as a peer counselor and resource for women who are having problems in the workplace as well as in their home lives. The women’s advocates also receive additional training of three days each year to update their information. The union holds frequent workshops, seminars and conferences to educate members about workplace harassment. The CAW is currently working on a video about sexual and racial harassment that will be used in workplace education.
Many workplaces have harassment policies in place; however, often these policies are not effective because of lack of training for those whose job it is to deal with harassment complaints. Lack of education for employees about the issue of harassment and how to make a complaint leaves women in a vulnerable position.
On October 7, 2004, the Toronto Star ran an article about a study of workplace harassment and violence that had just been released. The four-year study was funded by Status of Women Canada and co-authored by Sandy Welsh, a University of Toronto sociologist and Barbara MacQuarrie of the Centre for Research on Violence Against Women and Children at the University of Western Ontario. This study interviewed 67 women of all races and backgrounds and found problems existed at all levels of society.
The report is dedicated to Theresa Vince of Chatham. The veteran Sears Canada employee was murdered by her boss in 1996. This was more than one year after she made a sexual harassment complaint as well as complaining of a poisoned work environment. After shooting Theresa, her boss took his own life.
Theresa was a 25-year employee of Sears and at the time of her death she was the Human Resources Training Administrator. She excelled in her role and was described as highly competent. Things began to change when a new store manager arrived and began harassing her. Theresa planned to take early retirement, which was her final strategy to escape the harassment. Her family watched as this experience changed a strong, confident woman into one who was consumed with self-doubt. She couldn’t sleep, eat or talk anymore. All she could do was curl up into her self-protective ball and wish for her hell to be over, said her daughter.
This particular case is only one, perhaps the most violent one, examined in this study. The major finding of this study is that Ontario should set up a toll-free hotline to help women get justice when they’re sexually, racially or otherwise harassed at work and need more legal protection after making complaints. The study suggests that most women do not report problems because they fear they will be labeled troublemakers or won’t be believed. Others, especially new immigrants who may be facing sexual and racial harassment don’t know where to start the complaint process. The study’s authors would like to see a number in the phone book that says – Workplace Harassment, call…
This very comprehensive study covers the effects of harassment on women, how women cope, how to file a complaint and what women want – policy recommendations.
Marilyn Churley, deputy NDP leader and MPP for Toronto-Danforth plans to introduce a private member’s bill to make workplace harassment an offense under the Occupational Health and Safety Act. The bill is now available as well as a petition in support of the bill.
Workplace violence is an emerging issue that is more deeply rooted and widespread than previously acknowledged. JWIC is interested in this issue because 57.15% of Canadian Women are in the workforce and the policies that are currently in place to protect them from workplace violence are not working. Canada is recognized as a country that has serious violence in the workplace. We need to restructure the culture of work and the work dynamic.
JWIC is creating a task force to study the issue of violence against women in the workplace. We invite you to join this important work. Call JWIC toll free at 1-866-333-5942.
