Ensuring Your Success!

GENERAL & SEXUAL HARASSMENT POLICY

Grand River Personnel Limited has attempted to provide a work environment that is pleasant, healthful, comfortable, and free from intimidation, hostility or other offences, which might interfere with work performance.  Harassment of any kind – verbal, physical, or visual – will not be tolerated.  Harassment can take many forms.  It may be but is not limited to: words, signs, jokes, pranks, intimidation, physical contact or violence.  Harassment is not necessarily sexual in nature (See “Sexual Harassment Policy” Below).  All Grand River Personnel employees are charged with the responsibility for keeping our work environment free of harassment.  Any employee, who becomes aware of an incident of harassment, whether by witnessing the incident or being told of it, must report it to their immediate manager, any management representative or their consultant with whom they feel comfortable.

Appropriate investigation and if necessary disciplinary action will be taken.  All reports will be promptly investigated with due regard for the privacy of everyone involved.  Any employee found to have harassed a fellow employee or subordinate would be subject to severe disciplinary action or possible discharge.  No adverse employment action will be taken for any employee making a good faith report of alleged harassment.  Grand River Personnel Limited accepts no liability for harassment of one employee by another employee.  The individual who makes unwelcome advance, threatens or in any way harasses another employee is personally liable for such actions and consequences.

SEXUAL HARASSMENT POLICY

Our definition of sexual harassment is taken from the Human Rights Code that states that “harassment” means engaging in a course of vexatious comment or conduct that is known or thought reasonably to be known to be “unwelcome”.  We also agree and stand by the Human Rights Code’s statement that:

Sec. 7 (2)

Every person who is an employee has a right to freedom from harassment in the workplace because of sex by his or her employer or agent of the employer or by another employee.

Sec. 7 (3)

Every person has a right to be free from:

A sexual solicitation or advance made by a person in a position to confer, grant or deny a benefit or advancement to the person where the person making the solicitation or advance knows or ought reasonably to know that it is unwelcome; or

A reprisal or a threat of reprisal for the rejection of a sexual solicitation or advance where the reprisal is made or threatened by a person in a position to confer, grant or deny a benefit or advancement to the person. 1981, c.53, s.6.

PROCEDURE

If you wish to make a complaint of sexual harassment, here is what you can do.  First of all, speak to the offender and clearly state that his/her behaviour is unwelcome and must stop or you will be making an official complaint.  If the behaviour continues, write out a clear account of what occurred, when it occurred, if there were any witnesses, the number of times it occurred and the name of the offender; this written complaint should be given to a company investigator (see below), who will the conduct a formal investigation.  The investigator will examine the incident(s) from your perspective as well as that of the accused.  Any witnesses will be questioned.

Discipline, if appropriate, can take several forms, depending on the nature and severity of the case.  A formal apology, a documented warning, or suspension without pay or even dismissal may be necessary.  Every effort will be made to act fairly and justly.

In order to lodge a complaint or investigation, the following people can act as resources for you:

1. Recruiter                          2. Office Manager                              3. President

Grand River Personnel Limited will not tolerate sexual harassment in any form.

PHONE, E-MAIL & INTERNET GUIDELINES

Grand River Personnel Limited established this policy for our staff to ensure appropriate use of phones, e-mail and the internet.

When we place staff with our clients, we expect that all use of electronic information resources like the Internet, will be responsible and ethical.  While on assignment for us:

®     Use Internet resources for authorized research, educational and information purposes only.

®     Do not use the Internet for unauthorized illegal or unethical purposes.

®     Make only authorized copies of copyrighted or licensed software or data.

®     Do not send, receive, display or broadcast text or graphics which may be construed as offensive.

®     Do not make any attempt to damage computer equipment or software.

®     Do not modify existing software or install non – approved software.

®     Do not modify the settings on the computer that you are using.

®     Do not invade the privacy of others.  This includes harassment, libeling or slandering via an electronic medium (email or Internet).

®     Do not display or disseminate sexual explicit materials.

®     Do not access chat lines, games or other sites that are not relevant to the work at hand.

®     Do not use the Internet for personal use of any kind.

®     Remember –passwords do not ensure privacy.  Phones, e-mail and electronic transmissions may be recorded and/or monitored by our clients.

Any member of our staff found to be acting against this policy will have disciplinary action taken against them and may be terminated.  Please act responsibly and respectfully towards our client.  Should you have any questions concerning this policy, please direct them to your Consultant.

STEPS TO TAKE WHEN AN INJURY OCCURS IN THE WORKPLACE

1.                   Obtain proper medical treatment.

2.                   Contact your supervisor and your Grand River Personnel   recruiter as soon as possible.  Fill out the WSIB Form 7 with your recruiter.  Communicate with your Grand River Personnel Recruiter on a weekly basis throughout your recovery.

3.                   Send copies of any medical treatment required to your Recruiter.

4.                   Provide WSIB and Grand River Personnel with any information required.

5.                   Assist Grand River Personnel in identifying suitable work during and after your recovery to ensure an early and safe return to work.

EARLY & SAFE RETURN TO WORK POLICY

Early and Safe Return to Work policies and procedures are a strategy that gives structure and organization to the activity of returning injured workers to the workplace, as soon as possible following a work related accident or disease.  It is our policy and mandate at Grand River Personnel to maintain regular employment through accommodation or suitable alternatives, while you are recovering from a workplace injury.

To ensure that all workplace parties are able to meet their obligations, we will outline what those responsibilities are:

Worker’s Responsibilities

®     Co-operate in the Return to Work process.

®     Contact the employer as soon as possible after injury and maintain communication.

®     Assist employer in identifying suitable employment.

®     Give the WSIB information that is required.

Employer’s Responsibilities

®     Contact worker after injury and maintain contact.

®     Attempt to identify and arrange suitable employment.

®     Give the WSIB information that is requested.

Communication

The Early and Safe Return to Work Policy will be communicated to our employee through our Health and Safety booklet.  Each employee is required to provide a signature stating that they have received, read and understood the booklet.  We will provide regular updates to temporary employees by payroll stuffers/newsletters, and emails.  Our health and safety information will also be posted on our website.

Training

Each new temporary employee whose job description warrants health and safety training beyond our booklet will be required to view a WHMIS video and to complete a WHMIS test.

Cooperation and interaction among management, our contract placement employer, employees and health care professionals are the key components of a successful Early and Safe Return to Work Program.  Management will make every effort required to provide a fair and consistent policy for all injured workers.

Procedures:

The following procedures are required to facilitate the Early and Safe Return to Work:

1)       The Early and Safe Return to Work Policy will be offered to all temporarily disabled employees.   All modified/alternative work will be offered at the normal rate of pay for the modified position whenever possible.

2)       Grand River Personnel undertakes to provide meaningful employment for temporarily disabled employees, returning valuable human resource, benefits, and productivity to the corporation.

3)       Employees injured while on work assignment with Grand River Personnel will report injury immediately to both their workplace supervisor and to their Grand River Personnel recruiter.

4)       Temporarily disabled workers will report to the Grand River Personnel office immediately after appropriate medical treatment has been sought to complete a written accident report, review the Functional Abilities, and to discuss Early and Safe Return to Work.

5)       Where possible, Grand River Personnel Limited will design a modified/alternative work program for all temporarily disabled employees based on the injured employee’s functional abilities.

6)       Temporarily disabled employees will be expected to accept the modified work program designed, provided the duties meet the specifications determined by a professional medical practitioner or the WSIB Suggested Standard Restrictions.  If you refuse the modified work, you will be required to sign a work refusal sheet.

Any concerns or questions regarding the early and Safe Return to Work job offer will be reviewed with supporting medical information.