What is Workplace Harassment?

Humber Polytechnic and the University of Guelph-Humber are committed to fostering a respectful and inclusive culture in which all members of the Humber community study, work and live free from discrimination and harassment. Humber has the right and the legal and moral responsibility to ensure that all Humber community members are treated fairly, equitably, and respectfully and to provide a learning, working and living environment free from discrimination and harassment.

Harassment is a form of discrimination and a breach of the Ontario Human Rights Code (Code) and Humber's Human Rights & Harassment Policy.

What is Harassment?

Harassment in section 10(1) of the Ontario Human Rights Code and workplace harassment (personal/psychological harassment) in section 1(1)(a) of the Occupational Health and Safety Act (OSHA) is defined as "engaging in a course of vexatious comment or conduct that is known or ought reasonably to be known to be unwelcome." This definition includes any behaviour that is known or ought reasonably to be known to be offensive, embarrassing or humiliating to other individuals. Such conduct may or may not be based on any of the prohibited grounds identified in the Code and includes visual representations, electronic messages including emails and social media posts, written messages, and verbal and/or physical conduct.

Examples of harassment include but are not limited to:

• Unwelcome remarks, jokes, slurs, innuendoes or taunting;
• Hazing, stalking or shunning;
• The repeated mistreatment of one employee or student, targeted by one or more employees or students with a malicious mix of humiliation, intimidation and sabotage of performance (bullying);
• Displaying derogatory or offensive pictures, graffiti or materials either through printed copy or personal computer;
• Verbal abuse;
• Insulting gestures or practical jokes which cause embarrassment or awkwardness;
• Unauthorized and/or unnecessary physical contact;
• An impassioned, collective campaign by co-workers to exclude, punish and humiliate a targeted worker.

What isn't harassment?

Harassment or workplace harassment does not occur when a supervisor/manager gives legitimate direction or instructions to an employee in the course of their employment. It also does not occur when performance reviews are conducted in accordance with the Humber's Faculty Evaluation Procedure, or its equivalent.

Incivility is generally defined as an instance of behaviour such as rudeness, discourteousness, or impoliteness. Incivility, while inappropriate behaviour in the workplace, on its own, would not meet the threshold of harassment.

For more information, please refer to Humber's Human Rights & Harassment Policy.

If you have any questions about harassment or to report any harassment experienced or witnessed, please get in touch with humanrights@humber.ca.

Please note: the Run Hide Defend (RHD) video from York Regional Police is a dramatization of an active attacker situation. There is no blood, but weapons are used. We are mindful of the fact that some people may not want to watch the video for various reasons and that is okay. Anyone who does not want to watch the video is free to leave the room while it plays. As noted, the video will also be played on the Humber TV screens across campus, so if you do not want to watch the video, please avoid hallways and areas where Humber TVs are located. 

For anyone who may feel stress as a result of the video, there are supports available for you. 
Staff can obtain support through EAP services offered through Benefits. 
Students can obtain support by contacting the Student Wellness and Accessibility Centre, or SWAC. 

Humber Polytechnic and the University of Guelph-Humber (Humber) take the safety of our community seriously. As part of that commitment to safety, Humber will conduct its annual active attacker drills in September 2024.

The goal of these drills is to test our procedures and mass notification systems, and to ensure community members know and understand what to do in the unlikely event of an active threat on any of our campuses or locations. Active attacker drills take place every year during the third week of September. Please see the new 2024 drill information below.

Active drills will be held on the Tuesday of the third week of September at all campuses and locations. The active attacker drills will take place on Tuesday, September 24, 2024 SIMULTANEOUSLY at ALL CAMPUSES (North, including 30 and 100 Carrier and residences, Lakeshore, including residences, and IGS) as follows:

• The drill will start at 10 a.m. and end at approximately 10:10 a.m.
• The first part of the drill involves testing the mass notification and PA systems and will last 3-5 minutes.
• Note: IGS does not have an accessible PA system, so this only applies to North and Lakeshore campuses.
• The second part of the drill requires all Humber faculty who are in class at the time of the drill to play the Run Hide Defend (RHD) video (5:42 minutes) as part of the 10-minute time allotment for the drills.
• There will not be a mass notification test for evening classes, however, instructors are required to play the RHD video for their students on September 24, 2024. Community members not on campus are encouraged to watch the video as well.
• New for this year, the Run Hide Defend video will also be played on all Humber TVs across all campuses. There are limited HTVs that have audio associated with them, however, Closed Captioning has been added to video.

Prior to the drill beginning, an announcement will be made using the public address system, where possible, to let community members know immediately before the drill is about to start.

Please note that during the drill, the actual active attacker message will be played – not a test message. This is to familiarize the community with the message they would hear during a real incident. DO NOT call 911 or public safety during the drill unless you have a real emergency.

During the drill, all activity on campus is to stop and community members should pay attention to the emergency messages being played over the PA system, where available, and displayed on computer screens across all campuses. Once the drill is complete, an announcement will be made on the public address system advising that the drill is over and normal activities can resume. Drills are expected to last between 10 to 15 minutes.

The Active Attacker Response procedures can be found on the Department of Public Safety website. Also, look for the Active Attacker Response posters located in classrooms, lecture halls and private meeting spaces across campus.

Please note that online Active Attacker training is also available.

The training is approximately 30 minutes in length.

All community members are encouraged to take the training prior to the drills to ensure they know how to properly respond.

If you have any questions please contact Kathy Branton, Manager of Business Continuity and Emergency Management at kathy.branton@humber.ca or via Teams at 647.577.8802.

Rob Kilfoyle
Director, Public Safety and Emergency Management

All full-time and non-full-time employees are invited to complete the Employment Equity Questionnaire (EEQ).

Humber Polytechnic and the University of Guelph-Humber are committed to workplace equity, diversity and inclusion. Employment Equity is a term used in Canada to describe a process for achieving equality in all aspects of employment. Humber complies voluntarily with the Employment Equity Act under the Federal Contractors Program.

The information that you provide in the EEQ will be kept confidential and will only be reported in aggregate form for Employment Equity purposes. In other words, the reported data will not contain any personal identification.

Having up-to-date knowledge of our workforce representation is essential in accurately identifying where underrepresentation exists and allows for targeted efforts toward removing barriers and addressing that underrepresentation.

The Goal of Employment Equity is to:

• Eliminate employment barriers for the designated groups: Indigenous people, women, persons with disabilities, and members of racialized groups. At Humber, we also provide individuals with the opportunity to identify their sexual orientation and gender identity;
• Remedy past discrimination in employment opportunities and prevent future barriers;
• Improve access and distribution throughout all occupations and at all levels for members of the identified groups; and
• Foster a climate of equity and inclusion.

View more information on the People(s) and Culture webpage.

Please note: the completion of Humber’s Employment Equity Questionnaire is voluntary.

How can I access the Employment Equity Questionnaire?

Employees can access the EEQ directly in the HRMS by following the steps below:

• Go to http://hrs.humber.ca
• Click on HRMS Sign In
• Enter your Humber credentials to sign in
• Click on Personal Information
• Click on Personal Details
• Expand the section titled Biographical Info
• Click on the pencil icon to add/update your responses to the EEQ
• The steps are also listed in the HRMS Knowledge Base website titled View and Update Personal Information.

If you require the EEQ in an alternate format or have any questions, please contact humanrights@humber.ca.

As part of Humber's commitment to student well-being, this program (offered through our international insurance provider Morcare) is available for the 2024-2025 academic year, running from September 1, 2024, to August 31, 2025.

Key Services Available to Students:

• In-Person Sessions: Students can book 1-hour sessions through Dialogue’s 24/7 Call Centre.
• Enhanced Provider Selection + Multilingual Support: Students can select a professional based on their language, gender identity, or area of expertise. Services are available in multiple languages, including Hindi, Spanish, Mandarin and many more!
• Available For All Registered Students: Students can access mental health services even when they are outside Canada.
• Women’s Health: Specialized services covering topics such as reproductive health, pregnancy, postpartum care, and parenting.
• Wellness Program: A comprehensive program that helps students adopt healthier lifestyles, including well-being scores, activity challenges, and more.

If you encounter students who may benefit from these services, please encourage them to take advantage of the WeConnect program. For more information, staff can direct students to www.morcare.ca, advise them to contact Dialogue's 24/7 Call Centre at 1.855.853.0565 or contact the International Centre via the contact form.