Workplace Safety and Prevention Services presents
BACKSTAGE STORIES
Welcome to Backstage Stories.
Today, our discussion may be a sensitive one
it may even be uncomfortable for some
and even difficult to talk about for others.
We're talking about Workplace Violence and Harassment,
and its impact on Mental Health in the workplace.
And before we go any further -
I want to reassure you that this is a safe space
and that you DO have a right to be safe in any situation at work.
The performing arts is an ever evolving and dynamic industry,
one that attracts talent from near and far.
The main focus of this industry is to create magic through TV,
Film or Live Performance for its audiences.
With so many different departments, venues, people and
demands, this business can change in the blink of an eye.
From backstage workers to the performers under the lights
to front of house staff, producers, directors, and wardrobe
the very nature of this industry and its demands on all involved
may create risks.
In this business, with so many moving parts, people, and
locations it is not uncommon to fall upon situations
that may be uncomfortable or unwelcoming.
The key is to always be aware and vigilant of your working
environment, and knowing your rights, as a worker
working in Ontario.
Picture this...
A crew from out of province arrives for a show set
to debut that very night. Your job is to work with these workers,
but you know they don't work with the same health and safety
standards and requirements as we do here in Ontario.
Past experiences show that out of country crews don't believe
that they are bound by the same laws and standards as you are.
Furthermore, you have been met with hostility and resistance
when explaining the expectations in this province.
Even with the best efforts made ahead of time to inform
the incoming crews of the policies and laws in Ontario,
you still may be met with hostility when asking some crew
members to abide to the laws.
Is it your role to enforce the laws?
You can see how this situation could quickly escalate
when there are time pressures involved
Remember it's the day of the show,
time is critical and quickly running out,
it's almost curtain call.
What do you do?
Now think, have you ever been in this kind of situation?
And if so, does this happen often,
and how could it impact your mental health?
WAIT...
What exactly are the laws here in Ontario that protect
your physical and mental well being in the workplace?
The main one that ensures all workplaces in Ontario are
safe and healthy for all workers, including you,
is the Occupational Health and Safety Act.
This Act sets out the rights and duties of all workplace parties,
namely: workers, supervisors, and employers, in efforts
to keep workplaces safe and healthy in Ontario.
The act hinges on the concept where everyone in the workplace
has a shared responsibility to make sure the workplace
is healthy and safe.
This is called the Internal Responsibility System.
Additionally, this Act states that all workers
have the same three rights:
the Right to Know;
the Right to Participate;
and the Right to Refuse Unsafe Work without reprisal.
The bottom line here is that there are laws in Ontario
that protect you, the worker, because you have the right to work
in a healthy and safe working environment,
no matter where you work in Ontario.
Beyond these worker rights, you need to understand and
be aware of how to respond to hazards
that you may encounter in your workplace.
R.A.C.E is a simple model that can help you handle any hazard.
It stands for: Recognize, Assess, Control and Evaluate.
Let's break it down more...
First, you need to be able to recognize and be aware of
the hazards you are working with. This is done by either:
Your supervisor telling you of the hazards you are working with;
or, encountering a hazard on the job;
or having a near miss.
A near miss is when you experience a situation
that has the potential to injure you.
The next step is to assess the risk level of the hazard.
Here we are talking about the probability of being injured
and the severity of the injury.
Now there is no real science behind this measure, however,
keep in mind that a hazard is a hazard, and it has
the potential to harm you every time you are exposed to it.
Meaning... unless it is eliminated altogether,
once a hazard is identified, the probability for a hazard
to do harm is always there unless measures are put in place
to protect the worker.
These measures are called controls.
Controls are put in place to reduce the probability and severity
of a hazard. These are measures that distance you from
the potential dangers of that hazard, such as
implementing policies and procedures,
training staff how to properly address and work with the hazard,
providing staff with personal protective equipment
and so much more.
It is also encouraged under the Act, for workers to provide input
on how to work with a hazard more safely.
But once a control is implemented,
everyone needs to use it as designed.
Our final step is to evaluate the risk levels again.
You need to check whether the controls that have been
put in place, to minimize the hazard, work.
OR have we in fact created additional hazards
by introducing these controls?
Remember, under the Occupational Health and Safety Act,
it is EVERYONE'S responsibility to make our workplaces
healthy and safe.
Let's use this model to work through the following scenario.
A theatre general manager was concerned that several
front of house staff were receiving discriminatory remarks
from patrons and fellow employees.
These remarks centered around the workers' ethnicities.
The impact of these comments was visibly hurtful
to the staff that reported them.
Can you recognize a hazard in this scenario?
What are the risks?
And what can be done in this situation?
If you answered yes there is a hazard here,
then congratulations,
you are well on your way to ensuring your health and safety
at work.
This is an example that can be classified as a
workplace harassment hazard and as we said before,
you, as a worker, have the right to work in a safe workplace,
without harassment.
So, your first course of action should always be to report
any, and all hazards to your immediate supervisor.
Since the staff are visibly affected in this situation,
you could rate the risk level as high.
This hazard could have significant impact to the psychological
health and wellbeing of all workers, if not addressed.
Remember,
you have the right to be treated fairly and equally at work.
In circumstances like this one, it is always best to remove
yourself from the situation to prevent any further harassment.
The general manager in this case did the following
to address these incidents:
They implemented and trained their staff on new
Workplace Violence and Harassment policies and procedures,
they provided their workers with a standard response protocol
tool that help guide them through various situations
and made a point to stay in regular contact with their staff to
discuss and work through any situations.
The manager even had their staff role play them out so that they
could see how to handle situations and ask questions.
This manager took this concern very seriously and regularly
emphasized that these behaviours were not acceptable.
The staff in turn felt more confident and safer when interacting
with patrons and co-workers in the future.
Ultimately, we need to trust in each other that not only during,
but even after the work is done, that all workers know what is
and isn't acceptable behaviour.
Consider the following scene
Over the course of a year, a new performing artist, began to
experience unwanted advances from a producer
at a well-known recording studio.
Although at first these advances appeared to be harmless,
over time they intensified to include more overt
sexual advances, which included the producer's
insistence to drive home the artist;
their unexpected appearances at the artist's apartment
with gifts and flowers;
and on-going advances and disturbing comments
during recording sessions
It increasingly became more difficult for the performing artist
to decline these advances, as they felt it may have negative
impact on the number of work opportunities available
to them.
As a result of the continued pressure and stress,
the artist began to suffer episodes of anxiety and depression
as they felt they had no other choices but to give into
the producer's advances.
Now, think about how you would handle this situation
if this was happening to you or
even if you were a witness to the producer's behaviours.
There are many hazards we can identify here in this complex
scenario starting with workplace harassment,
namely sexual in nature.
AND secondly, workplace mental health, since it is impacting
the artist's mental well-being.
This situation should be reported immediately so that it can
be addressed without any further mental harm to the artist.
Everyone has the right to work in a psychologically
healthy and safe workplace.
Both bullying and sexual harassment are unproductive
and are damaging mentally to anyone involved.
Under the Occupational Health and Safety Act in Ontario,
you are protected from reprisal if you stand up and speak up
for yourself when you feel your health and safety is in jeopardy.
No matter what your role is, you have the power to
Be an Advocate... make sure to always protect your physical
and psychological safety and if you do not feel safe in
a situation, take yourself out of that situation, go to a safe
location or space, and get help.
Be a Promoter... make sure you and your co-workers know your
rights and responsibilities at work and be aware of the
resources and tools available to you
to ensure your health and safety.
Be an Upstander... be someone who recognizes when there has
been an injustice and leverages their personal strengths
to create change and make life better for those around them.
Be a Champion... lead by example and be a role model
that others in the industry will want to mirror.
We all have a shared responsibility to not only take care of
ourselves, but those who work around us, as well.
Remember, our audiences go to the movies, watch TV and go
see live performances to be entertained, in ways that only the
arts can. This industry has a way of telling stories from every
vantage point that are immediate, relevant, personal,
and inclusive.
You, my friends, can make an impact anywhere you work by
being aware of the hazards,
reporting those hazards to your supervisor immediately,
participating in resolving the hazards
and cultivating a respectful culture.
Let us ensure that our efforts to create a healthy and safe work
environment have a positive impact.
Everyone has a role to play.
In this way our workplaces will be able to continue
to serve and give what the audience expects from us.
MAGIC!
This has been a production of Workplace Safety
and Prevention Services. WSPS offers a comprehensive
approach to mental health, as well as violence and harassment
in the workplace.
Contact us for support today
at 1-877-494-9777