Vancouver Park Board publicly accused of toxic workplace culture
During Monday night’s park board meeting in Vancouver, a man who claimed he was an operations worker for the city did not hold back, making some serious allegations about workplace bullying and harassment.
“I’ve witnessed widespread fear of management. I’ve been subjected to racism in the workplace by supervisors. I’ve witnessed repeated violations of the city’s current bullying and harassment policies,” said Jose Raphael.
Raphael felt compelled to speak to commissioners when the board was discussing its new code of conduct policy, one of the items on the agenda. However, he was cut off mid-sentence by board chair Camil Dumont.
“Jose, I am just going to stop you for a second. What you’re describing sounds very serious and I’ve just been informed by our general manager, it’s clearly a human resources matter. And your presence here, may have repercussions for yourself and so on,” he said.
“I would suggest this may not be appropriate time to bring these items to the board. I would consider maybe even speaking to a staff member here and figuring out what the best course of action will be, because I think it’s important you be heard,” he added. .
Raphael agreed and finished by saying he’s witnessed a divide between city policies and operations.
“I hope whatever new policies do come, that it actually reflects the operations of the city,” he said.
WORKPLACE POLICY
Under section 3.1 in the city of Vancouver’s corporate policy for human rights and harassment, it states “An individual who believes he or she is being harassed … may consult an (Equal Employment Opportunity) advisor, who can assess whether the complaint falls under this policy and discuss possible courses of action.”
“What we don’t know, is if this employee actually tried to do the right thing and followed the policy or if he just chose to disregard it,” said Debby Carreau, human resources expert at
“If employees do speak out -- even if it's not the way an organization wants them to -- they still deserve the right to be heard and to be treated with respect,” she said.
Employment Lawyer, Sara Forte with Forte Workplace Law, says every employer in B.C. is mandated to have a bullying and harassment policy, and training on how to approach these sensitive issues.
“The first thing I tell workers who are suffering from bullying and harassment at work is to find their employer's policy. That policy needs to address what the expectations are. So, what is bullying and harassment, how to report it and then have an investigation protocol that will be followed,” said Forte.
Forte adds that workers also have the right to bring a complaint to the BC Human Rights Tribunal, if it relates to discrimination under prohibited grounds such as race or sex, among others.
CITY RESPONDS
As for whether Rapheal’s concerns were addressed, the city of Vancouver’s Board of Parks and Recreation said in a statement that bullying and harassment is not tolerated.
“The City of Vancouver has two policies which address workplace harassment and bullying: the Respectful Workplace Policy and the Human Rights and Harassment Policy. Staff are informed of both policies and the process for making complaints during their orientation, and throughout the course of their employment, including through regular safety talks, crew talks, and through online resources," it read.
"While we cannot comment on any specific employee complaint due to privacy legislation, we can confirm that retaliation against staff for raising concerns of bullying or harassment in good faith is prohibited.”
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
PWHL Minnesota defeats Boston to win inaugural Walter Cup
Minnesota won the inaugural championship of the Professional Women’s Hockey League on Wednesday night, getting 17 saves from Nicole Hensley to beat Boston 3-0 in a winner-take-all Game 5 and claim the Walter Cup.
Canadians are eyeing moves to these cities for more affordable housing
Faced with elevated housing prices, half of Canadians in the country's largest cities are considering moving to places with more affordable housing.
B.C. mortgage broker ran $270-million Ponzi scheme, then fled Canada, bankruptcy trustee says
The trustee appointed to manage the bankruptcies of a Victoria mortgage company and its owner has concluded that they committed "numerous offences" and operated as a "massive Ponzi scheme."
Oilers rally to beat Stars, tie Western Conference Final
With the Edmonton Oilers down two goals late in the first period of Game 4, Rogers Place was quiet, fans seemingly bewildered at the early, quick scoring of the Dallas Stars and the slow start by the home team. Ryan McLeod's marker with six-and-a-half minutes in the opening frame left changed all that.
McDonald's says $18 Big Mac meal was an 'exception' and their prices haven't risen that much
McDonald’s is fighting back against viral tweets and media reports that it says have exaggerated its price increases.
'Targeted again': Montreal police investigate after gunshot fired at Jewish school
Police are investigating another building in Montreal's community was struck by gunfire.
Tessa Virtue reveals she's expecting her first child. Here's what Canadians had to say
Canadian figure-skating icon Tessa Virtue is expecting her first child, she revealed via social media Tuesday.
Poilievre says Canadians 'fleeing' to Nicaragua, Liberals say it shows he 'doesn't have a clue'
Liberal parliamentarians are criticizing Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre over a new video in which he promotes the idea that some Canadians are 'fleeing' Canada to live in Nicaragua because they can't afford a house in this country.
'Do not drive': Nissan warns Canadian drivers of explosion risk impacting 48,000 vehicles
Car manufacturer Nissan has issued a do-not-drive warning for some older vehicles equipped with Takata airbag inflators, due to the risk of explosion during a crash.