Province sets out measures to ensure a respectful workplace

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Province sets out measures to ensure a respectful workplace

February 22, 2018
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[jaw_v_video clip_id=”https://vimeo.com/257019259″ height=”480″ autoplay=”” ][jaw_clear]

The province of Manitoba has responded to recent allegations of inappropriate touching and sexual harassment by a former NDP cabinet minister.

In a media conference held on Thursday, February 22, 2018, Premier Brian Pallister announced several measures that are being implemented to ensure employees within government, including political employees, have the right to work in a respectful environment free from all forms of harassment, including sexual.

[jaw_quote author=”Brian Pallister” ]I want every employee to know they have a right to a respectful workplace and there will be no reprisals if they assert their rights[/jaw_quote][jaw_clear]

Pallister was joined by Sustainable Development Minister Rochelle Squires, Finance Minister Cameron Friesen, the minister responsible for the status of women and Fred Meier, clerk of the executive council, in announcing five initiatives to ensure complaints of sexual harassment are taken seriously and investigated.

The premier says that employees should feel safe in reporting incidents of harassment without reprisals and that there should be a consistency of policies for political staff and public servants.

“I want every employee to know they have a right to a respectful workplace and there will be no reprisals if they assert their rights,” said Pallister in making the announcement. “I want every mother and father in our province to know their child will be safe, respected and heard if they make a choice in the future to work in the Manitoba government.”

Initiatives being implemented

•   Instituting a ‘no wrong door’ approach for political staff. Political staff will have options to report through other avenues, independent from politics, including the clerk of the executive council or the Civil Service Commission.
•   Launching consultations with government employees to gain insight into their experiences, and to hear about the impacts of policies, practices and other tools that address workplace sexual harassment. The consultations will be led by the Manitoba Status of Women Secretariat and the Civil Service Commission.
•   Engaging an external expert to review the province’s policies and procedures, and make recommendations. Results of the review will be shared with other public-sector employers to ensure consistency in approach.
•   Implementing a public reporting process on statistics related to instances of harassment that occur across government. This reporting mechanism will protect the privacy of complainants while providing accountability to employees and the public.
•   Mandating respectful workplace training for all cabinet and political staff.

“The culture that allowed this behaviour to go unreported and unpunished is not acceptable,” said Pallister. “Our public service and our political staff are the engines that drive government. We need the best and the brightest working here. To get them, we need to offer an environment that makes them want to work here. Today we are taking concrete steps to enshrine that environment.”