Bill C-65 Implementation
Date: April 29, 2021
Classification: unclassified
Fully releasable (ATIP)? Yes
Branch/Agency: RCMP
Issue:
To update the Minister on the RCMP’s progress towards implementation of changes brought about by Bill C-65
Proposed Response:
- The RCMP has been working towards ensuring a safe, healthy and supportive work environment for all employees and implementing a harassment and violence resolution process that is accessible, timely and accountable with the goal of reducing or eliminating workplace the occurrence of workplace harassment and violence within our organization.
- The RCMP has established new processes and procedures to be compliant with the new Regulations. This includes key improvements based on the recommendations of experts, including centralized complaint intake, case analysis and resolution, additional training and support for decision-makers to help ensure consistency in decision making, contracting of external investigators in cases that are not resolved informally, and expanding access to informal conflict management tools to address workplace conflicts at the earliest opportunity.
- A National Work Place Assessment Survey was jointly developed with all of the bargaining agents to assess employee perceptions of existing training, policies, and procedures to determine gaps, identify risk factors that enable violence and harassment, and provide recommendations for preventative measures to reduce occurrences and impact workplace culture.
- A local workplace assessment tool has been drafted to identify risk factors at each workplace, in order to develop prevention measures to address occurrences at the local level.
- The RCMP worked closely with all of the bargaining agents to ensure employees’ best interests were well represented throughout the development of the new Work Place Harassment and Violence Prevention Policy and Process. They had three rounds of consultations and are finalizing the review of input with the objective of having the Policy in place in the very near future.
- All of these elements and more will be featured in the new Independent Centre for Harassment Resolution.
If pressed:
- To prevent retaliation or a re-occurrence, the new resolution process includes measures to ensure that these incidents are reported and addressed in a timely fashion.
- Additional resourcing is being implemented to ensure all notices proceed to the negotiated resolution stage within the 45-day time limit.
- Managers and supervisors will be provided with the necessary tools and resources to perform workplace restoration activities, which will be tracked in the Conflict Resolution Plan as part of the overall case resolution process.
- A national communication strategy for managers and supervisors is being developed to support efforts of building trust and consistent enforcement of a zero tolerance for retaliatory actions and breach of confidentiality.
- In order to ensure that competent investigators are able to perform a fair and impartial investigation and maintain confidentiality, a new process for identifying external investigators jointly with the bargaining agents has been established, including vetting of potential candidates, and the identification of appropriate competencies and training requirements.
- The investigations will focus on identifying the causal factors and corrective measures to implement in order to mitigate/eliminate the risks;
- the investigator reports will feed back into prevention efforts as part of ongoing workplace assessment process.
Background:
The Work Place Harassment and Violence Prevention Regulations came into effect on January 1, 2021. The RCMP has implemented a new process to provide employees with a centralized unit to intake and process a Notice of Occurrence. All steps in the regulated process are being undertaken with the goals of prevention, enhanced response and resolution options and ensuring employees are supported throughout the process.
The RCMP has engaged bargaining agents in multiple joint activities in the areas of workplace assessments, policy development, and identification of external investigators. Work is still ongoing in these areas to meet the needs of the employees and comply with the legislative requirements.
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