Procedure 1.2.28 VIOLENCE IN THE WORKPLACE
Approved: June 15, 2021
Revised:
1.0. Preventative Measures
Workplace violence risk assessments will be conducted by the Health & Safety Committee/ Representative or designate in each workplace, as often as required, and at least once every five years. The next scheduled assessment is due March, 2023.
The risk assessments will be site specific, and will include:
- Previous workplace violence situations or experiences in that workplace
- Previous workplace violence situations or experiences in similar workplaces
- Workplace violence risks within the workplace environment
- Special event workplace violence risks
- A survey of staff members at the workplace seeking workplace violence risks
- Comprehensive procedures to address workplace violence risks as identified
- Directives, suggestions, and recommendations as developed by the Joint Health and Safety Committee
Provisions of adequate training for staff in workplace violence risks and prevention will be provided as required. This will include training for identified high risk worker settings, as well as subsequent refresher training as identified through reporting.
The safety and security of students and staff will be balanced against the need for confidentiality of information. Specific risks of possible violent behaviour, if known, will be shared directly with staff members involved.
Where a student is known to pose a threat of violent behaviour, Principals will ensure that all relevant staff (teaching, non-teaching, permanent or occasional) are informed, and that the student’s Individual Safety Plan (Appendix B of Policy 2.1.21 – Physical Containment) is available to them.
Where there is a known threat of violence from a source outside the workplace, such as from a family member, partner, or other relation of a student or staff member, Principals will take every reasonable precaution to protect all students and staff. This can include the creation of a General Safety Plan (Appendix A) to be shared with all relevant staff, and/or any of the actions listed in Section 4.0.
2.0 Reporting Requirements
Individuals are required to report concerns about unusual, mildly threatening, or unsafe behaviour, even when the behaviour is not considered to be a direct threat or immediately dangerous.
In the event of assault, abuse, or threat to a staff member, the Principal/Immediate Supervisor or designate, or other supervisor as appropriate to the situation, must be informed as soon as possible by the staff member involved and/or any staff member who witnesses such an incident. Such occurrences shall be reported to the appropriate personnel through the Online Violence Reporting Tool, which is located on the Employee tab of the Board website. In the case of a board workplace outside of a school, staff members will report to the immediate supervisor of the staff members involved.
Please refer to Appendix B, the Workplace Violence Reporting Roadmap, for full details on what type of reports are required in any given situation. This chart outlines requirements for the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Labour and WSIB.
Reprisal against any party for the filing of good faith reports is unlawful.
All involved in the process of reporting or investigating incidents should understand the sensitivity of the information provided and/or alleged in reports provided as it pertains to the individual’s reputation, rights to privacy and confidentiality.
The prosecution of assailants and the provision of legal assistance to staff members who are victims of workplace violence is strongly supported.
3.0 Workplace Violence Incidents Support
In any incident of workplace violence, the Principal/Immediate Supervisor or designate will ensure that all persons involved are safely and securely situated and will determine if any person is in need of emergency first aid, medical attention or emotional or other assistance and ensure that appropriate measures are taken immediately.
The Principal/Immediate Supervisor or designate will inform the respective Superintendent of Education as soon as possible after the initial crisis has passed.
Arrangements for the staff member(s) to have adequate and reasonable time, not to exceed five (5) days, which is not to be deducted from the sick leave register or any other form of leave provided contractually by the Board, to recuperate from the trauma of the incident will be provided as necessary. Appropriate counselling will be found and offered to the staff member(s) involved.
In most situations, the police will need to be involved. Section 8 of the Procedure for Police and School Protocol (Policy 2.1.10) outlines the types of incidents requiring mandatory or discretionary notification of police. Violent incidents must also be reported using the Violent Incident Report Form (Policy/Procedure 2.1.7: Violence Prevention). In circumstances where the Principal/Immediate Supervisor or designate has chosen to not involve the police, the affected staff member will be informed by the Principal/ Immediate Supervisor or designate of their right to involve the police.
A parent or guardian of any student under the age of 18 years must be notified of the incident and the resulting investigation.
An emergency contact or family member of the staff member(s) involved may have to be contacted depending on the severity of the situation.
The appropriate union/federation or association president or designate and the Chair of the respective Joint Health and Safety Committee are to be informed of the incident by the Principal/Immediate Supervisor or designate as soon as possible.The Principal/Immediate Supervisor or designate will forward an Ontario School Boards Insurance Exchange Form and/or a Workers Safety Insurance Form and/or a Violent Incident Report to the appropriate District School Board Ontario North East designates as necessitated by the severity of the incident.
4.0 Investigation
The Principal/Immediate Supervisor or designate will conduct an investigation taking into consideration the requirements of the additional following policies or legislation as appropriate to the incident and the need to not interfere with an ongoing police investigation if that is the case.
- The Occupational Health and Safety Act of Ontario
- Policy 1.2.2: Workplace Harassment
- Policy 2.1.6: Code of Conduct
- Policy 2.1.7: Violence Prevention
- Policy 2.1.12: Tragic Events Response
- Policy 2.1.18: Safe Schools - Student Discipline, Bullying Prevention and Intervention
- Policy 2.1.21: Physical Containment
The findings of the investigation, along with all required and submitted forms and reports, will be preserved in written or electronic format. These will be made available to the appropriate Superintendent of Education, Union President, or Chair of the Joint Health and Safety Committee upon request.
Based on the findings of the investigation, the Principal/Immediate Supervisor or designate will determine the degree of intervention required and will determine appropriate actions directed towards preventing a recurrence.
When the Chair of the Joint Health and Safety Committee reports an incident to the Joint Health and Safety Committee, the actual names of those individuals involved are not to be used.
Actions taken by the Principal/Immediate Supervisor or designate are to be reported clearly in writing to the staff member involved, the appropriate union/federation or association designate and to the appropriate Superintendent of Education. Actions may include but are not limited to the following:
- Police or CAS involvement
- Parent or Guardian involvement
- Restraining order
- Modification of Behaviour Management Plan
- Modification of Individual Safety Plan as required by the Physical Containment Policy Procedures
- Re-entry Plan
- Environmental Modifications
- Issuance of a No-Trespass Order
- Staff training
- Modification of staffing allocation or assignment
- Counseling for staff and/or student
- Suspension
- Expulsion
- Modification of school attendance
- Modification of Individual Education Plan
- Initiate student contract
- Alternate classroom or setting
- Verbal reprimand
- Written reprimand
- Employee suspension or termination
- Other interventions as deemed appropriate
Appendices
Appendix A: General Safety Plan
Appendix B: Workplace Violence Reporting Roadmap
References
Occupational Health and Safety Act
Policy 2.1.7: Violence Prevention
Policy 2.1.10: Police and School Board Protocol