Merci, madame la présidente.
Good morning, and thank you for inviting me to appear before you today on behalf of the Library of Parliament related to your study on sexual harassment in the federal workplace.
I am accompanied by Lynn Potter, Director General of Corporate Services. In that capacity, she is responsible for providing leadership in managing Library internal services, including the HR Directorate.
Let me start by saying a little about the governance structure of the Library of Parliament.
The direction and control of the Library of Parliament is vested in the Speaker of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Commons, assisted, during each session, by a joint committee appointed by the two Houses. Like the House of Commons, the Library is separate from the federal public service and not subject to Treasury Board policies.
Instead, the library is bound by the Parliamentary Employment and Staff Relations Act, known as PESRA, that governs the terms and conditions of employment of its staff. Our workforce of about 350 employees includes a range of subject matter experts. Our employees, for example, provide reference and analysis service to parliamentarians, their staff, parliamentary committee associations and delegations, and to senior Senate and House of Commons officials. They cover the broad spectrum from economists to lawyers to different scientists and social policy experts, as well as librarians.
Two thirds of our staff are women. Similarly, women represent 60% of the library's management cadre. We are committed to providing a work environment in which all persons are treated with respect and dignity, and where employees are expected to treat others in the same way. Employees are not expected to tolerate offensive behaviour in the course of their work, whether it be in person, over the phone, or any other circumstance. The library is a relatively small organization in which access to management at all levels is relatively easy to achieve. There is less hierarchy and fewer protocols compared with large government departments. As such, senior management at the library has a depth of knowledge and experience with our front-line worker realities and pressures they work under.
When difficulties arise, they are communicated and addressed as quickly as possible in a constructive and collaborative manner. Informal conflict resolution is encouraged and used where possible and appropriate.
Over the course of the past five years, the Library has received four allegations of harassment, three of which were abuse of authority and one was personal harassment. There were no cases identified as sexual harassment.
In March 2011, the library introduced a new policy on the prevention and resolution of harassment in the workplace, replacing an earlier policy that has been in place since 1993. The new policy is based on the principles of confidentiality, consistency, fairness, timeliness, and prevention. It was developed in relation to other federal public sector models, as well as similar policies in place in the Senate, the House of Commons, and private sector approaches to prevent harassment.
Our new policy incorporates many of the progressive best practice models in place that are grounded on prevention and resolution of harassment in the workplace. Our belief is that the best way to address workplace harassment is to prevent it from happening in the first place.
The definition of harassment in our policy includes abuse of authority, bad faith, discrimination, and sexual harassment.
Every employee has a part to play in fostering a respectful workplace. To support the understanding and application of the policy, the Library of Parliament provides mandatory training sessions in order to help employees better understand what constitutes harassment, including sexual harassment, educate staff on the role we each play in ensuring a respectful workplace, and promote how best to prevent or successfully resolve situations involving harassment.
Given the important role managers have in the prevention and resolution of harassment in the workplace, customized training for managers includes an assessment tool for determining instances of harassment—and if you're interested we can make copies available to you—an overview of examples of best practices for managers, possible scenarios in the workplace, and a quick reference aide-memoire highlighting management responsibility. Union presence in employee training sessions on this policy is also encouraged and will occur during every session with new employees. Also, all of this information is available to our employees through our Intranet site.
Each allegation of harassment is serious and our policy provides for measures to address both the informal and formal resolution of issues. In the informal procedure, early resolution is encouraged and managers must make every effort to resolve the issue between the parties as quickly as possible.
There are various forms of early resolution. Discussions between management and union representatives are encouraged, as are problem resolution mechanisms such as counseling, coaching, facilitation and mediation to help prevent the situation from escalating.
Under a memorandum of understanding signed in October between the Library of Parliament and the House of Commons, library employees now have access to the House's Finding Solutions Together, which provides access to a conflict resolution expert to discuss issues such as conflicts with peers, managers, as well as workplace issues that deal with harassment in any of its forms and stressful situations employees may encounter.
Library collective agreements include an article that recognizes the right of employees to work in an environment free from sexual harassment, and states that sexual harassment and abuse of authority will not be tolerated in the workplace. As such, library employees who believe they have been treated in an improper and offensive manner always retain the right to file a formal harassment complaint.
The complaint is subjected to an internal review. An investigation by an impartial and experienced person from within or outside the library is undertaken as required. The findings and recommendations are reviewed by myself, as the Parliamentary Librarian, to determine any corrective measures or disciplinary actions to be taken.
It is important to note that even if the complaint is unfounded, the Library will undertake to apply resolution initiatives to correct the situation that led to the complaint. Conflict does happen in the workplace. However, employees can expect they will be treated without fear of embarrassment or reprisal whether allegations are founded or not. As formal processes can take a toll on the individuals immediately involved as well as colleagues around them, restorative measures such as counselling or team-building are examples of approaches that may be taken to support the return to a positive work environment.
In September of this year, the library also introduced a new values and ethics code, replacing a former policy on conflict of interest. The code provides a set of guidelines that also support appropriate behaviour and decision-making for all employees at the library. In this sense, the code complements provisions in place under the prevention and resolution of harassment policy.
Again, a similar approach to training and awareness of the code’s provisions is under way with employees across the library.
I am sensitive to the fact that policies alone are not enough. How management approaches problems of conflict in its broadest sense can make the difference between a productive, healthy and respectful workplace and one that is not. I believe that the Library has successfully established positive working relationships and practices that facilitate informal communication and ongoing dialogue. We work to maintain these relationships on an ongoing basis.
In 2011, the library introduced a practice to systematically capture exit interview data from departing employees. There is no indication from this data that employees leave the library due to concern or experience related to harassment. The library received positive scores with regard to the organizational culture, fairness of policies and procedures, and management treatment of employees as fair and respectful.
Our strategic Human Resources Plan now includes the review and tracking of our policies every two years so our practices remain in step with evolving workplace needs and best practices. We also monitor the application of our policies and procedures with union representatives.
In addition to a union–management committee which was referenced earlier, we have a health and safety committee, which is another venue for managers and union representatives to voice concerns on topics of particular interest to our workplace. These measures and opportunities for dialogue, in addition to building awareness through training and use of our electronic portals, reflect our commitment to preventing and addressing instances of harassment in our workplace.
I would like to thank you for the opportunity to update you on the Library of Parliament's effort to ensure a workplace free of harassment.
Lynn and I are happy to answer any questions members might have.