These are policy definitions established by the Human Resources Department and applies to the following policies:
Respectful Workplace, Anti-discrimination Anti- Harassment Policy
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| Abuse of Authority | "Abuse of Authority" involves an individual using undue authority or power related to their position with the intention of compromising an employee’s job performance and adversely affecting their career. |
| Anti-Black racism | "Anti-Black racism" according to the Ontario government glossary, is prejudice, attitudes, beliefs, stereotyping and discrimination that is directed at people of African descent and is rooted in their unique history and experience of enslavement and its legacy. Anti-Black racism is deeply entrenched in Canadian institutions, policies and practices, to the extent that anti-Black racism is either functionally normalized or rendered invisible to the larger White society. Anti-Black racism is manifest in the current social, economic, and political marginalization of African Canadians, which includes unequal opportunities, lower socio-economic status, higher unemployment, significant poverty rates and overrepresentation in the criminal justice system. |
| Anti-hate | “Anti-hate” refers to actions, attitudes, or policies that oppose or counter hatred, discrimination, and prejudice against individuals or groups based on their identity characteristics. Key aspects of anti-hate include: • Actively opposing prejudice and discrimination; • Promoting equality and respect for all people; • Challenging hateful speech, actions, or ideologies; • Supporting and protecting targeted individuals or groups, and • Educating others about the harm caused by hate. Anti-hate efforts can take many forms, such as: • Policies to protect vulnerable groups; ·Educational content to promote understanding and tolerance; ·College community initiatives to build inclusive environments, and ·Reporting and countering hate crimes and incidents. The goal of anti-hate work is to create a college culture where all people are treated with dignity and respect, regardless of identity characteristics, i.e. Indigeneity, race, sexual orientation, gender, and disabilities. |
| Anti-Indigenous racism | "Anti-Indigenous racism" according to the Ontario government glossary, is the ongoing race-based discrimination, negative stereotyping, and injustice experienced by Indigenous Peoples within Canada. It encompasses beliefs and actions that create, reinforce, and sustain unequal power dynamics, ongoing systemic obstacles, and unfair results, all of which are rooted in the historical impact of colonial policies and practices in Canada. Systemic anti-Indigenous racism is evident in discriminatory federal policies such as the Indian Act and the residential school system. It is also manifest in the overrepresentation of Indigenous peoples in provincial criminal justice and child welfare systems, as well as inequitable outcomes in education, well-being, and health. Individual lived experiences of Indigenous racism can be seen in the rise in acts of hostility and violence directed at Indigenous people. |
| Antisemitism | "Antisemitism" according to the Ontario government glossary, is latent or overt hostility, or hatred directed towards, or discrimination against, individual Jewish people or the Jewish people for reasons connected to their religion, ethnicity, and their cultural, historical, intellectual, and religious heritage. |
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| Bullying | "Bullying" may include acts or verbal comments that could psychologically hurt or isolate an individual in the workplace. Bullying usually involves repeated incidents of a pattern of behaviour which intimidates, degrades, humiliates and ultimately undermines the self-confidence of an individual. It is generally repetitive, although a single serious incident of such behaviour may constitute bullying if it has a lasting harmful effect. |
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| College Community | "College Community" includes employees, students, volunteers, consultants, visitors to campus and contractors. |
| Colonialism | According to the Ontario government glossary, "colonialism" is the historical practice of European expansion into territories already inhabited by Indigenous peoples for the purposes of acquiring new lands and resources. This expansion is rooted in the violent suppression of Indigenous peoples’ governance, legal, social and cultural structures. Colonialism attempts to force Indigenous peoples to accept and integrate into institutions that are designed to force them to conform with the structures of the colonial state. |
| Complaint | “Complaint”, in the context of the applicable policy, is any concern, issue or allegation raised by one or more individuals. |
| Complainant | “Complainant” is the person who brings a complaint forward under this Policy because the person was the target of or a witness to discrimination or harassment. In legal and criminal justice contexts the terms “accuser” or “witness” are commonly used. |
| Confidential or Confidentiality | “Confidential or Confidentiality” refers to information that is meant to be kept secret or not disclosed to unauthorized people, often for legal, ethical, or professional reasons. |
| Cyberbullying | “Cyberbullying” is a form of harassment. Cyberbullying occurs when someone uses electronic means to communicate in a way that harms or could harm another person's health or well-being. This applies when this person either purposely aims to hurt the recipient or shows a reckless disregard for the possible negative impact on the other person's welfare. |
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| Discrimination | “Discrimination” is any form of unequal treatment, whether intentional or not, that is based on the “Protected Grounds” under the Code. See additional definitions below for Systemic Discrimination and Workplace Discrimination. Examples of discrimination may include, but are not limited to: • Refusal to work with a person based on protected grounds; • Decisions of recruitment, promotion, pay increases or employment practices based on one or more of the protected grounds, and • Indirect actions and behaviours such as microaggressions. |
| Diversity | “Diversity” is any factor that differentiates people from one another. Being accepting of diversity means having respect for and appreciation of people’s differences. These differences include ethnicity, gender, age, national origin, ability, sexual orientation (2SLGBTQIA+), faith, creed, socio-economic status and class. |
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| Employee | “Employee” sometimes referred to as personnel or a worker is a person hired to perform work for the college under the terms of a collective agreement, the Terms and Conditions of Employment for Administrative Employees or an individual employment contract. Other people who will be treated as employees for the purpose of this Policy include: • A secondary school student who performs work or supplies services without pay. They work as part of a work experience program permitted by the school board that governs the school in which the student is enrolled; • A person who performs work or supplies services for no monetary compensation under a program approved by a college of applied arts and technology, a university, or other post-secondary institutions, and • Other persons approved to perform work or supply services to the college for no monetary compensation. |
| EDI | “EDI” stands for Equity Diversity and Inclusion which is defined individually in the definition section. |
| Equity | “Equity” means treating people fairly by giving them what they need to succeed, even if that means giving different support to different people. It recognizes that: • Not everyone starts from the same place in society; • Some people face more challenges than others due to their circumstances, and • Giving everyone the exact same resources (equality) might not be enough to achieve fairness. Equity aims to create a fair situation where everyone has the same opportunities to succeed by: • Identifying barriers that some groups experience; • Providing targeted support or resources to overcome these barriers, and • Working towards equal outcomes, not just equal treatment. |
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| Family | “Family” members (in no particular order) include parent, guardians, grandparent, aunt, uncle, sister, brother, cousin, spouse, common-law spouse, same sex partner, child, stepchild, grandchild, step-grandchild, sister-in-law, brother-in-law, daughter-in-law, son-in-law, spouse’s aunt, spouse’s uncle, spouse’s grandparent, and spouse’s guardian. Chosen family, a group of people who provide support, care and sense of belonging regardless of their composition or structure, is also considered family. |
| Formal Resolution | “Formal Resolution” is the outcome of a formal complaint process. It involves a thorough investigation, findings, and official decisions or actions taken by the college to address the complaint. All parties must fully cooperate with any investigation. The process and outcome are documented, and the resolution is communicated to the relevant parties in accordance with college policies and procedures. This may include disciplinary action up to and including termination. |
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| Harassment | “Harassment”, see the definition for “Workplace Harassment”. |
| Hate Crime | “Hate Crime” is a criminal act committed against an individual or group that is motivated, in whole or in part, by bias, prejudice, or hostility toward a person based on their actual or perceived race, colour, religion, national origin, ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, or disability. Hate crimes are distinguished from other crimes by the perpetrator’s intent to target the person because of their membership in, or association with, a particular social group. |
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| Inclusion | "Inclusion" is the active, intentional and ongoing engagement with diversity. This includes people of diverse cultural backgrounds, locations, spiritualities, sexual orientations, ages, family statuses, disabilities, classes and intersectionalities. |
| Informal Resolution | “Informal Resolution” is resolving a concern or complaint through non-formal means. This process does not involve a formal investigation or official findings. Instead, it focuses on mutually agreeable solutions, restoring working relationships, and addressing concerns in a collaborative and flexible manner. Informal resolution is voluntary and relies on the willingness of all parties to participate. The primary goal is to resolve the issue quickly and discreetly, often through conversation or facilitated discussion. |
| Intersectionality | “Intersectionality”, according to the Canadian Human Rights Commission, is a concept that recognizes that different kinds of discrimination reinforce and influence each other. The different aspects of a person's identity, such as race, class, gender, physical or mental ability, or sexual orientation, can influence the discrimination they experience in life. |
| Intimidation | “Intimidation”, according to the OHSA, refers to actions by an employer, supervisor or another person that attempt to discourage or prevent a worker from exercising their rights under OHSA. |
| Investigator | “Investigator” is a Manager of Human Resources (HR), designate or any third-party Investigator who is retained to conduct investigations under this Policy. The college reserves the right to retain an external third party to investigate allegations against Senior Management, HR employees or other employees depending on the situation. |
| Islamophobia | "Islamaophobia", according to the Ontario Human Rights Commission, includes racism, stereotypes, prejudice, fear or acts of hostility, directed towards individual Muslims or followers of Islam in general. |
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| Malicious Complaints | “Malicious Complaints” are complaints which are made in bad faith (dishonest) with the intent to harm the Respondent. |
| Manager | “Manager” is the individual who is directly in charge of an employee and includes supervisors as defined by the OHSA. |
| Marginalization | "Marginalization, according to the Ontario government, is a long-term, structual process of systemic discrimination which creates a class of disadvantaged minorities. Marginalized groups become permanently confined to the fringes of society. Their status is perpetuated through various dimensions of exclusion, particularly in the labour market, from full and meaningful participation is society. |
| Microaggressions | “Microaggressions” are a form of discrimination and harassment. Microaggressions are statements, actions, or behaviours regarded as indirect, subtle, intentional or unintentional discrimination against members of a marginalized group. |
| Microinsults | “Microinsults” are another form of discrimination and harassment. Disrespecting, expressing insensitivity and diminishing a person's racial culture or identity is referred to as microinsults. It is important to note that although micro is used as part of these terminologies, they are not small but have a harmful and negative impact on people over time. |
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| Poisoned Work Environment | “Poisoned Work Environment” sometimes referred to as a toxic work environment, is one where hostile, unwelcoming, insulting or degrading comments or actions occur in the workplace. This can exist regardless of who these comments or actions are being directed towards. For example: Being subjected to offensive jokes about members of a protected group, i.e. marginalized people. |
| Positive Space | “Positive space” is a place that is open and welcoming to people with marginalized sexual orientations and/or gender identities, including people who identify as 2SLGBTQIA+. |
| Power Imbalance | "Power Imbalance” happens when one individual or group holds greater influence or authority over another within a relationship, partnership, or system. The abuse of a power imbalance, which may lead to discrimination or harassment, is what is detrimental not the power imbalance itself. |
| Private or Privacy | “Private or Privacy” is when an entity is intended for or restricted to the use of a particular person or group and not for public knowledge. A person's personal information therefore is private if it is not shared with the community at large. |
| Protected Grounds | “Protected Grounds” also known as Prohibited Grounds refers to various characteristics, identities, or groups that people belong to, which are protected by the Code from discrimination and harassment in employment, services, goods, facilities, and housing. An individual can identify as belonging to more than one protected ground or group, i.e. people with intersectional identities. The protected grounds are: •Race: Group based on physical traits such as skin colour. • Ancestry: Family lineage or heritage. • Place of origin: Country or region of birth. • Colour: Skin tone or pigmentation. • Ethnic origin: Cultural background or identity. • Citizenship: Legal membership in a nation. • Creed: Beliefs, spirituality or religious faith. • Sex (includes pregnancy and breastfeeding): Registered biological classification at birth • Sexual orientation: Attraction to specific genders. • Gender identity: Personal sense of gender. • Gender expression: External presentation of gender. • Age: Length of time lived. • Record of offences: History of criminal convictions. • Marital status: Relationship status (single, married, common law, divorced, separated, widowed). • Family status: Family relationships and responsibilities. • Disability: Social barriers to participation based on physical or mental abilities. |
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| Reprisal | “Reprisal” is any act of retaliation that occurs because a person has complained of, or provided information about, an incident of workplace discrimination or harassment. |
| Respect | “Respect” means treating others with kindness and consideration. It involves recognizing their feelings, rights, and opinions, even if you don’t agree with them. Showing respect can include listening when someone speaks, valuing their contributions, and being mindful in your actions and words. Overall, respect is about acknowledging the worth of others. |
| Respondent | “Respondent” is sometimes referred to as the offender or alleged offender, the Respondent is the person named by the Complainant who is alleged to have engaged in discrimination or harassment under this Policy. |
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| Safe Space | “Safe space” is similar to Inclusive space, Accountable spaces and Brave spaces. Safe space is both a physical and ideological space. It is a space where people are free to take risks and take part in discussions about difficult topics. It is also used to describe marginalized groups who seek respect, safety, trust, and inclusion with like-minded and/or lived experienced individuals. |
| Sexual Harassment | “Sexual Harassment” For a comprehensive definition, please review the Sexual Assault and Sexualized Violence Policy. |
| Support Person | “Support Person” A support person is an individual that accompanies a Complainant, Respondent or Witness to meetings. Their purpose is to provide emotional support. They may take notes on behalf of the person they accompany. They are not permitted, however, to question or make comments during the proceedings. Possible types of support persons include, but are not limited to, family members, interpreters, individuals that assist people with disabilities, Elders or Knowledge Keepers, union representatives, and friends. Support persons cannot also be acting as legal counsel in an investigation or informal resolution process. Support persons should not be anyone who has a potential or real conflict of interest with the situation. The Investigator has the right to assess the appropriateness of the chosen support person to protect the integrity of the investigation. The direct manager, HR team members, or senior leadership may need to be engaged if questions about the appropriateness of a specific support person arise. |
| Systemic (Indirect) Discrimination | “Systemic (Indirect) Discrimination” is when the rules, practices, or culture of an organization or society unfairly disadvantage certain groups of people. It happens when a system is established or done regularly makes it harder for some people to succeed or be treated fairly, because of their inherent characteristics. Systemic discrimination: • Is built into the system, not just individual actions; • Is often hard to see for those who aren't affected by it; • Can be unintentional, happening even when no one means to discriminate; • Can be found in various areas like workplaces, and schools, and • Affects entire groups of people, not just individuals. |
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| Temporary Direction | “Temporary Direction” refers to an order by the Director of Security Services (or their designate) directing a person to leave and remain off campus, off college property and away from college-related events for a period of time. This direction is limited for the duration of the investigation and is not punitive in nature. |
| Threat | “Threat” is a statement or action that can be reasonably interpreted as an intention to inflict pain, injury or damage even in the absence of any threat to immediate bodily harm. |
| Trivial Complaints | “Trivial Complaints”, also referred to as Frivolous Complaints, are those without merit. In other words, they lack real importance or have no real basis. The Complainant is not necessarily trying to hurt anyone. |
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| Witness | “Witness” means an individual who has direct knowledge of the events in question, such as those who saw or heard something relevant to the complaint. They can also be experts who offer specialized opinions to help the college or Investigators interpret facts. |
| Work Mediums | “Work Mediums” refers to a broad range of communication or work actions taken to accomplish assigned work, including behaviours both in person, and on any information technology (IT) platforms owned or leased by the college. This includes e-mail, chat, web postings, social media, electronic presentations, virtual meetings and text messaging. |
| Worker | “Worker” see “Employee” definition. |
| Workplace | “Workplace” is any location where employees perform any work-related function. The meaning of workplace may also be extended if discrimination and harassment occur outside the workplace but has an adverse effect on employee relationships in the workplace. This may include • Work-related social functions; • Training sessions; • Conferences; • Business travel; • Meetings held at restaurants, hotels, or other business facilities, and • Communications conducted via telephone, email, or other methods. |
| Workplace Harassment | “Workplace Harassment” is defined in the OHSA and the Code as: • A course of vexatious comment or conduct that is known or ought reasonably to be known to be unwelcome; or • Workplace sexual harassment. Harassment can also result from a serious single comment or action, and it does not matter whether the harasser was intending to harm or annoy the other person. Workplace harassment can involve unwelcome words or actions that are known or should be known to be offensive, embarrassing, humiliating, or demeaning to an employee or group of employees in a workplace. It can also include behaviour that intimidates, isolates, or discriminates against the targeted individual(s). Examples of workplace harassment may include, but are not limited to: • Making remarks, jokes or innuendos that demean, ridicule, intimidate or offend; • Displaying or circulating offensive pictures or materials in print or electronic form; • Bullying (includes Cyberbullying); • Making repeated offensive or intimidating phone calls or emails; • Gossiping or spreading rumours; • Belittling an employee’s opinions, and/or • Making false or unfounded complaints against someone. In addition to contravening this Policy, workplace harassment may violate the Code, where the course of comment or conduct is linked with a prohibited ground. Examples of discriminatory harassment under the Code may include, but are not limited to: • Unwelcome remarks, jokes, innuendos, or taunting that disparage or ridicule a person's membership in one of the protected grounds; • Practical jokes based on one of the protected grounds which cause awkwardness or embarrassment; • Displaying or electronically transmitting discriminatory pictures, jokes or other offensive material; • Condescending behaviour which undermines self-respect based on a person's membership in one of the protected grounds; • Offensive gestures based on a person's membership in one of the protected grounds; • Refusing to converse or work with an employee because of their inherent background, or for any other protected ground, and • Imitating a person's accent, speech or mannerism. Harassment does not include: • Reasonable action taken by the college or a manager relating to the management and direction of employees or the workplace even if there are unpleasant consequences for the employee. Examples include: • Appropriate direction, delegation or discipline administered under the course of supervision; • Job assessment and evaluation; • Workplace inspections; • Requesting medical documents in support of an absence from work or accommodation; • Disciplinary action, and • Normal workplace conflict that may occur between individuals, involve differences of opinion or minor disagreements between employees. Differences of opinion or disagreements between employees are acceptable, so long as they do not infringe upon any protected grounds outlined in the Code. |
| Workplace Discrimination | "Workplace Discrimination" includes any intentional or unintentional action, rule, standard or practice that puts persons at a disadvantage for reasons prohibited by the Code. |
| Workplace Violence | "Workplace Violence" For reference: |
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