Preventing psychological and sexual harassment at work in schools

Who is this kit for?

This kit is intended for staff in educational establishments.

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Description

In collaboration with the Fédération des centers de services scolaires du Québec (FCSSQ), PRDSA has produced a kit for educational staff, aimed at fostering a healthy and civilized work and educational environment. The kit includes educational vignettes featuring role-playing situations that address work climate issues in the form of short scenes, including testimonials and expert commentary, short vignettes on specific topics, a summary guide for managers and a general information leaflet. The kit is available online for all school service centers.

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The episodes

1. Catherine's Story: Horizontal Harassment Among Colleagues
   Newly hired as a special education technician, Catherine is confronted with student taunts after an awkward comment by teacher Katherine.
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2. Julie's Story: Sexual Harassment
   Inhabited by a sense of unease since her school's holiday party, Julie questions how she should react to events. Should she denounce Michel's actions or simply put the evening out of her mind?
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3. Thierry's story: The right to manage and abuse of authority
   Downtrodden, humiliated, depressed, Thierry is quickly stripped of his means when he is appointed assistant principal of the school run by Mrs. Tremblay. "Negligent, incompetent, insubordinate", Mrs. Tremblay doesn't mince her words when the human resources department questions her about her relationship with Thierry, her new assistant principal. Exercising management rights and psychological harassment, how do you draw the line between employer expectations and employee rights?
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4. Daniel's story: Third-party harassment
   After a series of anonymous, derogatory and offensive comments about staff start circulating on social networks, Daniel, an experienced manager, is convinced that young Samuel is the author. But things get even more complicated when Daniel has to deal with Samuel's father, himself known for his intimidating temperament.

Mini-capsules, expert testimonials :

1. Preparing for a difficult conversation
   Preparing for a difficult conversation at work can be a source of high anxiety, whether in relation to a colleague, an employee, a superior or even a pupil or parent. The fear of expressing yourself badly and the fear of being misunderstood are often the main obstacles to this type of conversation. Here are some tips to help you communicate better and keep your fears under control. In a short 5-minute vignette, organizational psychologist Éveline Marcil-Denault offers simple, effective advice that can help you find the courage to approach this type of discussion in a way that achieves the desired objectives.
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2. The right to manage
   Whether it's a question of evaluating a worker's performance, modifying his or her tasks, reorganizing his or her work, imposing a tight schedule or simply managing his or her attendance, the exercise of the right to manage entails legitimate prerogatives on the part of the employer to ensure the proper pursuit of work. But these prerogatives are not absolute. In this video, mediator and investigator^Me Noémie Raza presents the main elements that distinguish the right to manage from abuse of authority. In less than 4 minutes, you'll learn more about legitimate employer interventions and those that could constitute psychological harassment.
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3. Stress and psychological needs
   What are the essential needs of workers to maintain good psychological health? What are the main sources of stress for workers? In this 7-minute vignette, organizational psychologist Éveline Marcil-Denault offers advice based on two simple, tried-and-tested models: the C.A.A model and the C.I.N.É model. Can you recognize these acronyms?
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4. Ingredients for constructive feedback
   Feedback is an essential step in improving work. It benefits the organization and helps people to identify areas for professional development. But constructive feedback can be tricky for managers. People's reactions when faced with criticism can sometimes be unpredictable, making the exchange counterproductive. Organizational psychologist Éveline Marcil-Denault offers a few tips for managers on how to approach staff feedback.
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5. ‍Mediation
   Mediation is a dispute resolution process involving the presence of a neutral, impartial third party who facilitates discussion between the parties in the search for a mutually beneficial solution. What makes mediation particularly interesting in labor disputes is that it enables potential solutions to be found towards a mutually satisfactory way forward. In this capsule,^Me Jean Marois presents the ingredients of a simple but effective recipe for successful mediation.
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6. Admissibility analysis and provisional measures
   ‍Whena situation that may correspond to psychological or sexual harassment is brought to his or her attention, and even before beginning an investigation, the manager must proceed to analyze the admissibility of the complaint. The manager should base his or her analysis on five criteria identified by the courts. If the complaint is admissible, he or she should investigate to verify the substance of what has been reported, and take the necessary and appropriate action. In most cases, provisional or appeasement measures will have to be taken during these stages to protect individuals and ensure the confidentiality of the investigative process, in order to avoid contaminating the investigation. The manager may decide to change the hierarchical structure, modify people's tasks and even temporarily suspend people, generally with pay, for the period required to validate the information. Since these measures are not disciplinary in nature, a person cannot invoke the double sanction. In these two 5-minute vignettes, mediator and investigator^Me Jean Marois explains the steps involved in analyzing the admissibility of a complaint and implementing interim measures.
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7. ‍Theadministrative investigation
   The investigation is one of the most important management steps in a context of alleged harassment. Me Jean Marois presents the steps of a good investigation protocol to ensure the confidentiality of the process and respect for the rights of each party involved. This capsule will answer the following questions: Who should be interviewed? In what order should they be interviewed? How to assess the credibility of testimonies? What measures need to be put in place to ensure that the investigation runs smoothly and that the investigator has all the information required to analyze the complaint?