Procedures

Employees may experience or witness discrimination in the workplace. When this happens, there are certain steps they can take. The first step is to follow procedures established by the employer. This can be done in consultation with the relevant union/faculty association representative.

Internal Procedure

Bow Valley College has outlined a procedure in conjunction with the Respectful Workplace Policy. This can be accessed at the following link: https://mycampus.bowvalleycollege.ca/bog/GovDoc/200-1-11%20Respectful%20Workplace%20Procedure.pdf

The collective agreements also have procedures for resolving complaints. Below are the links to the collective agreements for faculty and staff:

Faculty:
https://bvcfa.com/faculty-members/94-2/

Staff:
https://www.aupe.org/locals/071

Notes

1. When an investigation is initiated, the person(s) who undertakes the investigation must meet some criteria. The Alberta Human Rights Commission (AHRC, 2010) describes an effective investigator as:
   • independent and objective
   • not perceived to be taking the side of either party
   • not your supervisor and does not have authority over you
   Mediation or conciliation may also be used to resolve the complaint (AHRC, 2010).
2. The Alberta Human Rights Commission can be contacted at any point to discuss a concern. The Commission has a confidential inquiry line to discuss the complaint with a human rights officer (AHRC, 2010).
3. If a decision is made to make a complaint to the Alberta Human Rights Commission, the complaint must be made within one year of the alleged discriminatory act (AHRC, 2010).
4. According to the ARHC (2010), it is important to keep careful written notes. These include:
   • what happened: a description of the events or situation
   • when it happened: dates and times of the events or incidents
   • where it happened
   • who witnessed the events or incidents
   • any supporting documents or material, such as letters, notes or offensive pictures, connected to the behaviour or course of conduct that you are complaining about
   The Bow Valley College Respectful Workplace Policy procedures have additional useful recommendations. These can be accessed at the following link: https://mycampus.bowvalleycollege.ca/bog/GovDoc/200-1-11%20Respectful%20Workplace%20Procedure.pdf
5. The Alberta Human Rights Act protects employees and/or witnesses from employer retaliation for making a human rights complaint. If retaliations are made, they can be reported under the prohibitions section of the Act. Complaints can also be made under this section of the Act when a human rights complaint has been made against an individual maliciously (AHRC, 2010).

References

• Alberta Human Rights Commission. (2010). What to do if you believe you have experienced discimination. Retrieved from
  
  https://www.albertahumanrights.ab.ca/employment/employee_info/what_to_do/Pages/what_to_do.aspx
• Alberta Human Rights Commission. (2010). How do I make a human rights complaint? Retrieved from
  
  https://www.albertahumanrights.ab.ca/complaints/faqs/Pages/how_to_complain.aspx
• Mattjeacock. (Photographer). (n.d.). Law matrix background [Digital image]. Retrieved from
  
  https://www.gettyimages.ca/detail/illustration/law-matrix-background-royalty-free-illustration/597674500

To learn more, go to: https://www.albertahumanrights.ab.ca/employment/Pages/employment.aspx