Harassment Policy

Preamble

The West Island Youth Symphony Orchestra (WIYSO) affirms that respect and dignity between people is a fundamental value of WIYSO and it engages to maintain a harmonious workplace as well as an environment conducive to its mission.

Legal and Administrative Framework

WIYSO considers that harassment in all of its forms can damage the dignity and physical or psychological integrity of the harassed person. Harassment is prohibited, directly or indirectly, by many legal instruments, notably by the Charte des droits et libertés et la personne (Charter of Human Rights and freedom), by the Loi sur les normes du travail (Act Respecting Labour Standards), by the Code civil du Québec (Civil Code of Quebec) and by the Loi sur la santé et la sécurité du travail (Act Respecting Occupational Health and Safety).

Objectives

1. • Assure musicians, parents signing registration documents for musicians, personnel with direct contracts with WIYSO, WIYSO volunteers and members of the Board of Directors that they will be treated with respect, impartiality, and dignity in all fairness, in particular by the promotion of human relations marked by civility.

   • Disseminate the concrete commitment of WIYSO to deploy appropriate means to offer a healthy work and study environment, free from any form of harassment, including sexual harassment.

   • Prevent harassment by raising awareness by assuring that the policy is known to all:

     • making it available on the WIYSO website

     • incorporating it into the Musician’s Guide

     • attaching it to contracts with the conductor and artistic director of the Symphony orchestra and with the musical director and conductor of the String orchestra

     • posting it in the instrument room/library at the Centre Noël-Legault in Pointe-Claire

Definitions

Discriminatory Harassment:  Harassment due to one or another of the reasons enumerated in article 10 of the Charter of Human Rights and Freedoms of Québec, such as race, colour, sex, weight, sexual orientation, civil status, age except in the manner set by law, religion, political convictions, language, ethnic origin or nationality, social condition, handicap or use of a means to overcome this handicap.

Psychological Harassment: All vexatious conduct manifested, amongst others, by repeated words, acts, or gestures which are hostile or unwanted, which undermines the dignity or the physical or psychological integrity of the person and results in a harmful work or study environment for them. One single serious conduct can also constitute psychological harassment if it causes such harm and produces a continuing harmful effect on the team member 

Sexual Harassment: Any conduct manifested by words, acts or gestures of a sexual nature, repeated or unwanted and which are likely to infringe on the dignity or the physical and psychological integrity of the person and to create a harmful work or study environment. One single serious conduct can also constitute sexual harassment if it carries such consequences and produces a continuing harmful effect on the person

What is Not Harassment

Relevant interventions associated with the management of WIYSO or disciplinary action do not constitute harassment. Likewise, healthy and respectful social interactions, as well as jokes accepted by both sides with humour and good humor, do not constitute harassment.

Roles and Responsibilities

Collective responsibility

Musicians, parents, individuals under direct contracts with WIYSO, volunteers and members of the Board of Directors.

• Behave with respect and free from harassment

• Promptly report any form of conflict or harassment he/she witnesses or experiences 

• Respect the principles and rules of this policy 

Board of Directors

• Be exemplary by adopting respectful behaviours

• Accept this policy as well as its updates or revisions

• Promote this policy and the WIYSO commitment stated therein

Reporting Process and Handling Procedure

Any musician, parent signing the registration form of a musician, person under direct contract with WIYSO, WIYSO volunteer, or member of the Board of Directors who believes they are the target of inappropriate or malicious gestures or behavior can contact the Vice-President of WIYSO in complete confidentiality to ask him/her to intervene in order to resolve the situation quickly.

A complaint can be filed by sending an email to support@osjwi.qc.ca with specific information on the vexatious behavior(s) and to request an intervention. An acknowledgment of receipt will be sent by the Vice-President.

The Vice-President will undertake an enquiry and a decision will be sent within 30 days following the enquiry. The treatment of complaints is confidential. 

Disciplinary Measures

Any musician, parent signing the registration form of a musician, person under direct contract with WIYSO, WIYSO volunteer, or member of the Board of Directors who commits a breach of policy in matters of harassment, will be subject to disciplinary action up to and including dismissal. The choice of the applicable measure will take into account the seriousness, the consequences and the previous file of this person. 

Adoption of this policy 

By the Board of Directors on March 7, 2021.

NOTE: Only the French version of this Policy was adopted by the Board of Directors in March 2021. Thus the French version on record considered the original Policy and will prevail over this web version.