Workplace Harassment and Bullying

Introduction

Increasingly, bullying at the school level is becoming a concern, not only as it affects students, but also as it affects teachers and other education workers. These school employees experience aggressive behaviour from students, parents, colleagues, and school administrators.

ETFO and the other teacher federations are seeking a number of actions to address the problem, including policies at the school board level and amendments to the Employment Standards Act and the Occupational Health and Safety Act.

What is Workplace Bullying?

Bullying is a form of harassment and a form of violence in the workplace. Bullying or harassment can be based on the grounds set out in the Human Rights Code, or it can be a form of psychological or personal harassment apart from the Human Rights Code. Often, bullying and harassment are manifestations of abuse of power.

It is objectionable conduct or comment directed towards a specific person, which serves no legitimate work purpose, and creates an intimidating, humiliating, hostile or offensive work environment.

Member Survey Conducted

A survey, entitled Bullying in the Workplace, conducted by James Matsui and Lang Research and commissioned by the Elementary Teachers’ Federation of Ontario, the Ontario English Catholic Teachers’ Federation of Ontario, and the Ontario Secondary Teachers’ Federation of Ontario, found that:

• Over one-half of ’s elementary and secondary teachers have been personally bullied during their professional careers;
• About one in 15 teachers have been a target of physical violence while teaching;
• Aggressive behaviour on the part of students is the most common form of bullying reported by the survey respondents. Thirty-six per cent of those surveyed have been bullied by students;
• The highest incidence of bullying by students is among intermediate teachers (50%);
• Bullying by parents is the second most prevalent form of bullying, with 36% of teachers working in elementary schools and 22% of teachers working in secondary schools being bullied.
• Bullying by administrators or colleagues is less likely to be reported formally.
• Teachers who have been bullied by administrators are the most likely to take time off work and to take the longest time off;
• Teachers who are bullied by administrators are the most likely to suffer stress-related consequences.

The survey also underscored that the personal consequences of bullying include absences from work, increased fear, loss of sleep, loss of self-confidence, anxiety, appetite loss, and depression. Severe panic attacks, and loss of appetite, self-confidence, and concentration are most prevalent reactions when bullied by an administrator.

Definitions of Harassment

Schools are workplaces, governed by the Occupational Health and Safety Act. Under that legislation, school board supervisors and administrators must take every reasonable precaution in the circumstances to protect all workers, including teachers, in the school setting.

Recent studies have shown that teachers are subjected to a vast range of abusive treatment from students, including verbal assaults, physical assaults and threats, and damage to their property.

Teachers may also be harassed by parents, colleagues, or by managers. This type of harassment may consist of:

• verbal abuse, threats, belittling or humiliating;
• physical gestures that intimidate or threaten;
• ostracism, isolation;
• inequitable and harsh treatment;
• excessive monitoring;
• denial of opportunities;
• yelling, swearing, public reprimands; and
• other objectionable behaviour designed to torment, pester, or abuse someone.

Teachers have a right to protection from violence in their workplace. They are not required to tolerate behaviour which threatens their safety and well-being. Reasonable measures must be established to achieve this goal. Harassment is not the normal, reasonable exercise of managerial authority.

What to Do If You Are Being Harassed

Respectful communications are key to all workplace interactions. If you are being harassed:

• If you are able to do so, ask the harasser to stop.
• Document the incidences.
• Seek assistance early.
• Speak to your local ETFO president.
• Contact staff in Professional Relations (PRS) at the provincial office.
• Seek some assistance to invoke an informal mechanism for addressing the situation; ask about a grievance under your collective agreement or a complaint under a board policy.

ETFO Position

Teachers and education support workers also have a right to protection from violence in the workplace.  They should not have to tolerate behaviour that threatens their safety and well-being.  Reasonable measures must be established to achieve this goal.

ETFO believes the government should require school boards to:

• Provide mandatory management training for all principals and vice-principals that focuses on respectful and professional management techniques. The training should focus on the negative impact of bullying managerial styles.
• Revise all existing human rights/harassment policies to ensure that they cover not only Human Rights Code infringements but also abuses of authority/psychological harassment.
• Establish clear definitions of bullying and abuse of authority and ensure that such policies apply to administrators in the exercise of their managerial rights.

Appropriate amendments are also required to give teachers and other education workers a legal framework for addressing incidents of workplace harassment.

Specifically, ETFO is seeking an amendment to the Employment Standards Act similar to the provisions of the Labour Standards Act that protect employees from workplace psychological harassment.

The Federation is also requesting an amendment to the Occupational Health and Safety Act to include protection from psychological harassment and violence.

Sources

- Bullying in the Workplace survey conducted by James Matsui and Lang Research and commissioned by the Elementary Teachers’ Federation of Ontario, the Ontario English Catholic Teachers’ Federation of Ontario, and the Ontario Secondary Teachers’ Federation of Ontario.

- Bill 45, the Occupational Health and Safety Amendment Act (Harassment), 2005.