Workplace Harassment Policy — full text

This is an automated transcription (OCR) of the captured official document — minor recognition errors are possible; the source document governs. Snapshot a3849199bb90 · verified 2026-06-04 · original document · archived snapshot · unofficial consolidation, the official version is held by the municipal clerk.

## Purpose The purpose of this policy is to prevent and investigate harassment in the workplace. The policy applies to the Council (the employer) and to all employees of the Rural Municipality of Victoria. ## Definition of Harassment Harassment is any single or repeated occurrence of inappropriate conduct, comment, display, action or gesture or incidents of bullying that the person knows or ought reasonably to know could have a harmful effect on the employee's psychological or physical health and satety. Harassment includes conduct that is based on any personal characteristic such as, but not limited to, race, creed, religion, colour, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, pregnancy, marital status, family status, disability, physical size or weight, age, nationality, ancestry or place of origin. Harassment also includes any inappropriate sexual conduct that is known or ought reasonably to be known to the person responsible for the conduct to be unwelcome, such as, but not limited to sexual solicitation or advances, sexually suggestive remarks, jokes or gestures, circulating or sharing inappropriate images or unwanted physical contact. Reasonable action taken by the Council, the CAO and other RMV supervisor related to the management and direction of employees, such as performance reviews, work evaluation, and disciplinary measures taken for any valid reason, is not harassment. ## Rights and Responsibilities The Rural Municipality of Victoria recognizes that everyone has the right to work free of harassment. No employee will be subjected to reprimand, reprisal or discrimination for reporting a harassment complaint in good faith. This policy is not intended to discourage, prevent, or preclude a complainant from exercising their legal rights under any other law or filing a complaint under the PEl Human Rights Act. ## Everyone at the Rural Municipality of Victoria - including the Council members, the CAO and RMV employees - are responsible to: - Maintain a respectful and harassment-free workplace. - Report all incidents of workplace harassment and keep a record of the details of the incident to assist with the investigation. - Cooperate in the investigation of a workplace harassment complaint as required. - Understand and follow the workplace harassment prevention policy. In addition to the rights and responsibilities of all employees, the Council and the CAO have additional responsibilities. ## As the employer, the Rural Municipality of Victoria Council is responsible to: - Take all reasonable measures to ensure that no RMV employee is subjected to harassment in the workplace. - Develop and implement a written harassment prevention policy. - Ensure the policy is readily available to all Council members and employees. - Train the Council members, CAO and other supervisors on how to recognize and address workplace harassment. - Have a process for reporting and investigating workplace harassment. - Ensure the source of harassment is identified and the harassment is stopped. - Take corrective action against any Council member and employee who subjects another to workplace harassment. - Take all reasonable steps to remedy the effects of harassment and prevent or minimize future incidents. ## Workplace Harassment Policy Rural Municipality of Victoria(RMV) (adopted by the RMV Council on December 8, 2025, motion # 2025-75) ## The CAO is responsible to: - Ensure all Council members and employees are trained on the workplace harassment prevention policy. - Treat all reports of workplace harassment seriously and respond promptly. - Address any behaviors that may lead to a workplace harassment complaint. ## Complaints of Workplace Harassment ## Informal resolution If an RMV employee other than the CAO feels he has been subject to workplace harassment, there may be informal ways to resolve the issue, such as asking the person to stop the behavior or getting assistance from the CAO. The CAO may speak to the harasser and may also arrange for mediation, to help the people involved reach an acceptable resolution. If the CAO is the harassed employee, he will refer to the Mayor for mediation. The mediation process will be defined by the mediator. ## Formal complaint process If an RMV employee other than the CAO is unable to resolve the matter by dealing directly with the person or is uncomfortable approaching the person, the employee must notify the CAO or another member of management immediately to file a formal complaint. If a Council member is the source of harassment, the formal complaint will be sent to the Mayor and the CAO. If the Mayor is the source of harassment then the employee will file his complaint with the CAO. If the CAO is the source of harassment then the employee will file his complaint with the Mayor. If the CAO is the harassed employee, he will file a formal complaint with the Mayor. A complaint form for the employee is available on the RMV website and must be completed to initiate the formal process. ## Investigation into Workplace Harassment The Council as employer will investigate all reports of workplace harassment. - Once a complaint is received, the Council will immediately adopt a motion to start an investigation by hiring an investigator or by mandating the CAO to hire an investigator. - The complaint will be investigated thoroughly and promptly by an impartial party (either internal or external) trained to investigate such matters. - The investigator will review any related documentation and interview the complainant, the alleged harasser, and witnesses, if applicable. - When the investigation is complete, the investigator will provide a written report to the Council and to the CAO. - If it is determined that workplace harassment occurred, the harasser will be subject to corrective actions. - The Council will communicate the findings to the complainant and the accused harasser in writing following the completion of the investigation report. - The Council will determine if corrective actions are necessary and if so, the Council will adopt a motion in a closed session of a Council meeting to apply the corrective actions needed. The harasser and the harassed employee will not be present during this portion of a closed session but will be informed readily about the content of the adopted motion. ## Confidentiality All complaints must be kept confidential. Information about the people involved and the circumstances of the complaint can only be disclosed to the extent required to report the harassment, conduct the investigation, take corrective action, or when permitted by law. ## Policy Review This policy will be reviewed as required to ensure it is up to date.   In your own words, describe the conduct, comments or display you found unacceptable. Give details of date and location of the incident(s) that is/are the basis of your complaint. ## Declaration I hereby confirm the statement(s) contained in this complaint are true to the best of my knowledge. I understand a copy of this complaint will be provided to the alleged harasser(s) for the purpose of investigating this complaint. Signature: \_ Date I acknowledge receipt of this complaint. Mayor or CAO Signature: Date