[PANDM-L] HR Guideline on Civil Conduct - Information for Managers

To: Professionals/Managers
From: Christina Sass-Kortsak
Re: HR Guideline on Civil Conduct - Information for Managers

Human Resources issued a Guideline on Civil Conduct some months ago. The Guideline is available at http://www.hrandequity.utoronto.ca/Assets/news/civility.pdf. Managers have specific responsibilities under the Guideline and we have now developed an Information sheet to highlight the role of the manager in addressing complaints that may arise under the Guideline. Please review the attached information to ensure you are familiar with the Guidelines, how concerns can be raised and the role of the manager in addressing these concerns. A similar communication is being circulated to academic administrators via the PDAD&C listserv. A general communication about the Civility Guideline will appear in the e-Bulletin later this week.

If you have any questions about this information please contact your Divisional HR office.

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Human Resources Guideline on Civil Conduct
Information for Managers

The Human Resources Guideline on Civil Conduct expresses the University of Toronto’s commitment to providing a safe and inclusive work environment in which people feel respected and valued. The guideline is one of the tools available to help you as managers respond to employee concerns and enhance good working relationships.
What does the guideline say?

The guideline outlines the University’s expectation that all employees will conduct themselves in a civil manner and will treat people with courtesy and respect. It also provides a mechanism for employees to raise concerns about unacceptable conduct and to have those concerns addressed.

The guideline does not lay out a code of conduct or attempt to define “good manners”; it acknowledges that the University is a diverse and pluralistic environment and that people have different individual expectations.
The guideline does identify conduct which will generally fall below the University’s standard.

Unacceptable conduct includes such things as shouting, the use of abusive language, insulting and belligerent conduct, and threats. A single incident of unacceptable conduct will not usually warrant action under the Civility Guideline; it is when the unacceptable behaviour persists, so that it forms a pattern of conduct, that use of the Guideline is appropriate.

Conduct which serves a legitimate management purpose – supervision, direction, correction, performance management – is not actionable under the guideline, unless it is conducted in an inappropriate manner.

What are the obligations of the University?
The University’s obligations under the Civility Guidelines are:
▪ to listen to the complainant’s concerns
▪ to assist and advise the complainant in determining whether and how to proceed
▪ to tell the complainant about available resources
▪ to tell the complainant who will be taking primary responsibility for the complaint
▪ to tell the complainant if the complaint is going to be investigated, and what the investigation process will be
▪ if there is no investigation, to discuss other options with the complainant
▪ to conduct any investigation in a confidential manner, providing information to people only on a need-to-know basis
▪ to treat all parties to a complaint fairly and to follow a fair process
▪ to advise the complainant in a timely manner about the outcome of the complaint.

What are the obligations of managers?
As a manager you act for the University, and are responsible for creating a positive work environment and responding to concerns your staff bring forward. In discharging these responsibilities, you have the support of your divisional Human Resources office. It is important to respond quickly and discreetly to concerns, in order to prevent escalation.

When do you act?
• when a staff member comes to you with a concern
• when you witness or hear about incidents or issues

What do you do?
If an employee comes directly to you:
• Tell her or him that you take the complaint seriously. Remember that you are hearing allegations, not proven fact, and avoid saying anything that suggests you have made any judgements.
• Take notes of the conversation and maintain them in a confidential file.
• Assure the employee that his/her concern will be addressed, and that as much information as possible will remain confidential. At the same time, you cannot guarantee complete confidentiality, so be careful not to offer it.
• Contact your Human Resources office for assistance, and let the employee know you will be doing so.
• Provide the employee with relevant information about the Employee and Family Assistance Program and the Health and Wellbeing Office, if appropriate.
• If the employee feels that his or her safety may be threatened, contact the Community Safety office.

If you hear about an issue indirectly, contact your Human Resources office to confer about how to respond.

What if there’s a complaint about you?
Your Human Resources office may be asked to address a complaint about your conduct. The role of the Human Resources team is an impartial one and accordingly you can seek advice and assistance during the complaint process from your human resources office. However, if you prefer, you may discuss the matter with your manager or the Assistant Vice-President, Human Resources; you may also want to consult someone from another divisional Human Resources office.

Where can you get help?
You can find the HR Guideline on Civil Conduct here:
http://www.hrandequity.utoronto.ca/Assets/news/civility.pdf?method=1

Your Divisional Human Resources Office is your first point of contact for assistance with all aspects of applying the guideline.

If necessary, you can also seek advice from another divisional Human Resources office. This may be helpful if you are responding to a complaint about an employee from another division, or if a complaint has been made about you. In either case, you should let your own Human Resources office know about the issue, and keep them informed.

A list of the Human Resources offices is available here: http://www.hrandequity.utoronto.ca/about/divisional.htm

An employee may bring a complaint forward under the Civility Guideline that in fact involves an issue of prohibited discrimination or discriminatory harassment. If you think that you have such a case, you should contact the relevant University of Toronto Equity Office, which can assist you with such complaints. A list of the equity offices is available here: http://www.equity.utoronto.ca/

The office of the Quality of Work/Life Advisor offers information about policies and programs that support employees’ work/life experience. Individual consultations are available to employees and managers. Information about this office is available here:
http://www.utoronto.ca/hrhome/odlc/about.htm

Information about the Employee and Family Assistance Program is here:
http://www.hrandequity.utoronto.ca/support/EFAP.htm
Where there are issues of safety, you can contact the Community Safety Office.

Information about this office is available here: http://www.communitysafety.utoronto.ca/cso-home.htm