City Dance Corps prohibits discrimination or harassment and protects the right to be free from hate activity based on race, age, ancestry, citizenship, creed (religion), colour, disability, ethnic origin, family status, gender identity, level of literacy, marital status, place of origin, membership in a union or staff association, political affiliation, receipt of public assistance, record of offences, sex, sexual orientation or any other personal characteristic, by or within City Dance Corps.
For the purposes of this policy, equity-seeking groups include Aboriginal/First Nations people, Black and POC, women, people with disabilities, racial minorities, the socio-economically disadvantaged, lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender persons.
Definitions:
Anti-racism: a set of practices and systems designed to eliminate racism. Racism includes racist ideologies, prejudiced attitudes, discriminatory behaviours, structural arrangements and institutionalized practices resulting in racial inequality as well as the fallacious notion that discriminatory relations between groups are morally and scientifically justifiable.
Access: the ability of, or extents to which communities or individuals can attain needed services and achieve full participation in the planning, development, administration and delivery of those services. Access includes client access to programs and services and organizational access means access to employment opportunities.
Equity: practices designed to remove systemic barriers to equality of outcome by identifying and eliminating discriminatory policies and practices.
Discrimination: the act of treating a person unequally by imposing unequal burdens or denying benefits, rather than treating a person fairly on the basis of individual merit. Discrimination is usually based upon personal prejudices and stereotypical assumptions related to at least one of the grounds set out in this policy. It is not necessary to have an intent to discriminate under the Anti-Racism Policy. Workplace rules, policies, procedures, requirements, qualifications or factors may not be directly or intentionally discriminatory but may nonetheless have an adverse effect. This may create barriers to achievement and opportunity.
Harassment: a course of conduct, comments or actions that are unwelcome or should be known to be unwelcome. A person has the right to be free of humiliating or annoying behaviour that is based on one or more grounds in the Ontario Human Rights Code.
Employment
City Dance Corps is committed to achieving representation of equity-seeking groups on its staff by ensuring that members of equity-seeking communities have equitable access to employment. This includes maintaining equitable recruitment practices.
1. All job postings will clearly indicate that City Dance Corps has in place a policy of anti-racism, access and equity.
2. City Dance Corps is committed to developing and retaining working partnerships with other organizations to increase awareness of job opportunities to ensure equal representation.
3. City Dance Corps is committed to maintaining an environment where all individuals are treated with dignity and respect and are free from all forms of discriminatory treatment, behaviour or practice. Discrimination, harassment, violence, and any other form of discriminatory practices will not be tolerated by City Dance Corps. Discrimination does not have to be intentional. It can result from practices or policies that appear to be neutral but, in reality, have a negative effect on groups or individuals based on race, religion, gender, etc.
5. City Dance Corps’ anti-racism policy will be provided to all staff members.
6. City Dance Corps’ anti-racism policy will be posted in the staff room visible to all staff.
Information and Communications
City Dance Corps is committed to ensuring that all of its communications, including information on its services and programs, are accessible to diverse communities to the point of undue hardship to the organization. City Dance Corps will follow Human Rights guidelines on the communication of information on its services and programs to ensure that they are accessible to diverse communities.
HUMAN RIGHTS COMPLAINT PROCEDURE
Definitions:
Complainant: the individual alleging the discriminatory treatment or behaviour.
Respondent: the individual against whom the allegation of discrimination is made.
Employee: for the purpose of this policy, the term employee includes employees, volunteers, contractors and consultants working with City Dance Corps.
Process:
Avenues of Complaint: Complaints will be dealt with by the Directors. If the Directors feel they are unable to resolve the issue, the Directors will consult with an external mediator.
Right to Complain Individuals have the right to complain about situations they believe to be discriminatory or harassing in nature. This policy prohibits reprisals against employees because they have complained or have provided information regarding a complaint. Alleged reprisals are subject to the same complaints procedures and penalties as complaints of discrimination. Reporting a Complaint Although individuals may first choose to make a verbal complaint, a written summary of the incident will be required. Complaints should be reported as soon as possible. If the complaint is delayed beyond three months, the complainant should outline the reason for the delay in reporting the incident(s). A letter of complaint should contain a brief account of the offensive incident(s), when it occurred, the person(s) involved and the names of witnesses, if any. The letter should be signed and dated by the complainant.
Investigation Within three working days of receiving a complaint, the Directors must initiate the investigation process. As soon as possible after receiving the complaint, the Director will notify the individual(s) being named in the complaint. All individuals named in the complaint have a right to reply to the allegations against them. Individuals named in the complaint as witnesses will be interviewed.
Settlement and Mediation With the consent of the complainant and the respondent, the investigator may attempt to mediate a settlement of a complaint at any point prior to or during an investigation. Every effort will be made to reach a settlement satisfactory to the complainant and the respondent.
Confidentiality All individuals involved with a complaint must ensure the matter remains confidential. The investigator will release information only on a need-to-know basis. Whenever possible, investigation reports are presented in a summary format without the names of witnesses.
Findings and Recommendations Once the investigation is complete, the investigator (whether a Director or mediator) will prepare a written report summarizing investigation findings.
Final Decision The individual(s) who filed the complaint and those named in the complaint have the right to review and comment on the investigation findings with the Directors.
Remedy A response to a founded complaint could include remedial action ranging from:
• requiring the respondent to provide a verbal or written apology;
• giving a verbal or written reprimand with a copy to the respondent’s personnel file;
• dismissal of the respondent.
If the findings do not support the complaint, City Dance Corps might:
• make a recommendation for training or better communications; or
• recommend that no further action is necessary.
It may be that no action is taken against the respondent, but there might be a need for some management or systemic activity. A person who is found to have made a frivolous or vexatious complaint may be subject to disciplinary action.
Timeframe
Complaints should be reported within three months of the incident. If the report is made after three months, an explanation of the delay should accompany the complaint. Complaints will be dealt with in a timely manner.
Records
When remedial action requires discipline of an employee, a record of the disciplinary action will be placed on an individual’s personnel file. All other records of the investigation will be kept separate and apart from the personnel file.
Ontario Human Rights Commission
This internal procedure is available to individuals to resolve complaints of discrimination. Parties also have recourse to the Ontario Human Rights Commission, however, once a grievance is filed with OHRC, the internal procedure is not an option.