Respectful Workplace Policy

Equity commits to ensuring safe and respectful workplaces through education, providing tools for the prevention of inappropriate behaviour, empowering all people working on a production to speak up without reprisal and responding promptly to incidents of inappropriate behaviour, in accordance with Equity’s principles of shared responsibility, fairness for all, and accessibility.

Maintaining a respectful workplace is a collaborative effort involving engagers, Equity and its staff, and members of the Association who contribute by adhering to Equity’s Standards of Professional Conduct, as outlined in Equity’s Constitution & Bylaws. This policy is intended for use by Equity Staff to help meet the objectives of the Association, as detailed in its Organizational Results and Council Policies. It is not a substitute for or duplication of Equity’s Bylaws.

What is the Respectful Workplace Policy?

Equity’s Respectful Workplace Policy asserts the Association’s commitment to safe and respectful workplaces for those working under its contracts by:

• Providing support and resources to prevent, de-escalate and respond to unsafe and/or inappropriate behaviour.
• Monitoring engagers’ adherence to the provisions of their respective scale agreement or engagement policy and their obligation to provide a safe work environment.
• Providing advice and logistical support for those members who have experienced or witnessed inappropriate behaviour in the workplace.
• Providing assistance for those members with accessibility needs to access the protections and services detailed in this policy.

Who is covered by this Policy?

The protections, provisions and support resources under this policy apply to:

• Equity members, both under contract and while pursuing work under Equity’s jurisdiction.
• Non-members in the workplace on an Equity contract.
• Non-members in the workplace who have been subjected to inappropriate behaviour by an Equity member.

It should be understood that throughout this policy, the use of ‘member’ refers to all artists covered by this policy, unless otherwise stated.

Where and when does this Policy apply?

This policy applies to:

All workplaces in person, or on digital platforms, as defined by provincial occupational health and safety regulations and related to an engagement under Equity’s jurisdiction including, but not limited to:

• rehearsals
• performance
• fittings
• production meetings
• transportation and accommodations on tour
• social or other events organized by an engager and related to an engagement

Any additional workplaces related to the pursuit of work under Equity’s jurisdiction including, but not limited to:

• auditions
• meetings
• interviews

Member interactions outside their formal or physical workplace while under contract, including on digital platforms, where inappropriate behaviour has the potential to negatively affect the workplace.

What situations are not harassment?

The following do not commonly constitute harassment:

• Respectfully expressing differences of opinion.
• Offering direction, feedback, guidance, or advice related to work, with the authority to do so.
• Making a legitimate complaint about inappropriate behaviour through a prescribed process.

Equity will provide support in resolving concerns of inappropriate behaviour in the workplace, regardless of whether a formal complaint is made.

This support will include:

• Working constructively to resolve the issue before it escalates.
• Enforcing the appropriate scale agreement or engagement policy, affirming the engager’s obligation to provide a safe work environment free from inappropriate behaviour.
• Ensuring a timely, transparent, thorough, and impartial investigation is conducted in good faith, should one be required.
• Ensuring an Engager has an anti-harassment policy and assisting members in locating and reviewing it.
• Utilizing a reporting service or platform for members to report experiencing or witnessing incidents of inappropriate behaviour in the workplace.
• Emergency support through an Equity emergency telephone number.
• Guidance in identifying additional resources for support including:

– The appropriate provincial workplace safety commission

– Sister organizations

– Where to source legal assistance (i.e., for advice on non-disclosure agreements, etc.)

Role of the Respectful Workplace Advisor (RWA)

RWAs are Equity staff members with specialized training to provide informed and supportive strategies for addressing questions and concerns related to inappropriate behaviour in the workplace specific to Equity’s jurisdiction.

Examples of RWA assistance may include:

• Suggesting approaches for de-escalating and resolving the issue to facilitate the resumption of work.
• Assistance in notifying an appropriate Engager representative of an incident of inappropriate behaviour or with the member’s consent, contacting the representative directly.
• Assistance in submitting a complaint under Equity’s Complaints Process.

When filing a report of inappropriate behaviour, an Equity member may request a follow-up conversation with an RWA. Members may also contact RWAs directly at any time for guidance in a situation of inappropriate behaviour.

In advance of providing support to members, RWAs will disclose any personal relationship with any of the parties that might prevent them from representing the member’s interest with impartiality. RWAs cannot provide emotional/psychological counselling or legal advice.

Complaint and Disciplinary Process

Pursuing the Complaints Process is intended as a final option when addressing the issue in the workplace has been unsuccessful.

For incidents where a member has indicated that they wish to file a formal complaint against an Equity member, Equity will provide the member with support in navigating the Equity Bylaws’ Complaints Process by providing:

• The Complaints Process Guide
• Assistance in filing a formal complaint
• Forms for complainants and respondents
• Access to Equity’s Complaints Manager

Resources

Equity will provide:

• Digital and/or hardcopy materials to help members identify, prevent, respond to, and report inappropriate behaviour in the workplace (e.g., the Member Guide to Respectful Workplaces)
• A template anti-harassment policy for small scale engagers, collectives, or other memberdriven projects
• Display materials that promote safe and respectful workplaces (e.g., Not in Our Space! materials)
• Materials to help Equity Liaisons and stage managers guide members to appropriate resources for assistance

Equity will keep these materials updated and current.

Training and Education

To empower members in promoting safe and respectful workplaces, Equity will provide initiatives such as:

• Orientation for new Equity members, explaining:

– Equity’s Standards of Professional Conduct

– A member’s right to a safe workplace

– The Engager’s obligation to provide a safe workplace

– A member’s obligation to maintain a safe workplace

– The benefit of reaching out to Equity as soon as possible with concerns to pre-empt incidents of inappropriate behaviour and find prompt resolutions

– A list of resources for support in the event of an incident of inappropriate behaviour

• Ongoing education for all members on topics pertaining to safe and respectful workplaces, such as bystander intervention, conflict resolution, assertiveness training, etc.

Equity will arrange for the Complaints Manager, Respectful Workplace Advisors (RWAs) and Business Reps to receive ongoing training aimed at providing practical tools that support the objectives of this policy in:

• Providing calming and supportive assistance
• Understanding what questions are most helpful/useful to ask in a given situation
• Assessing the situation and offering appropriate courses of action to de-escalate the situation and/or resolve the issue
• Remaining neutral/impartial
• Recognizing and addressing personal bias
• Understanding applicable workplace legislation

Agreement Language

In all scale agreements and engagement policies, Equity will work to:

• Include strong language to prevent and address all forms of inappropriate behaviour in the workplace
• Include strong language to promote diversity, equity, inclusion, and cultural sensitivity
• Require engagers to maintain a current copy of their anti-harassment policy on file with Equity
• Require a joint statement (suggested template of the PACT/Equity statement found here) be made on the first day of rehearsal, as well as on the first day in the theatre, regarding the shared commitment between engagers, members, and Equity to maintain a safe and respectful workplace. In addition, the statement would provide all persons involved in the production clear definitions for what constitutes inappropriate behaviour, a list of resources for support, and Equity and engager contact information

Collaboration

• Equity and its Council will continue their efforts to eliminate inappropriate behaviour in the workplace in collaboration with engagers, and other industry partners such as PACT, IATSE, ACTRA, UBCP, ADC and CFM.