“Canada’s national police force is facing a mammoth $1.1 billion lawsuit —
believed to be the biggest in the force’s history — over bullying and harassment claims that could eventually represent thousands of male and female RCMP officers, civilian staff, and even volunteers dating back decades. Two veteran male RCMP officers are the lead plaintiffs. They recount workplace horror stories and health problems they claim stem from pervasive and “systematic bullying, intimidation and harassment” within the force, according to the 44-page suit filed Friday in federal court.”
People often ask me ‘so what happens now with the RCMP’.
It is an interesting and thought provoking question. It takes some serious reflection both on a personal and professional perspective. There was a time when my mind was filled with pain and anger. Since retiring and being diagnosed with PTSD there is the pain, anger and at some point I was staring down the crossroads of my own life. Asking the serious question which one do I want to follow; continue with the anger and keep feeding the pain or make the active, the challenging choice to seek another way to live.
The path of learning to let go, learning to communicate to be more effective in living with PTSD not feeding the pain. It was and is an ongoing daily struggle. People need to be acknowledged as part of their own healing. Sometimes that is enough in moving forward. Speaking from my own experiences with bullying and harassment, lawsuits are the final act of victims who have not been heard, whose voices have been silenced, who have suffered for speaking up, who have been bullied.
This is also an opportunity for the RCMP to heal the organization
past and present to move forward. Ignoring the harassment and bullying problems for years is like ignoring a small stone in your shoe when you are out jogging. If you stop and remove the stone, there is a little bit of pain yet recovery is quick. Ignoring the stone, there pain increases and spreads around your foot. Soon you have several blisters, an infection and lots of pain, recovery is longer and painful. Just like dealing with individuals in the workplace who think they have the right to bully and harass. They move from place to place in the organization, it becomes a toxic workplace culture until today where recovery is HUGE in both the financial and in the number of victims.
Speaking up takes courage and even more courage to admit ‘hey this is not working what can we do to change this workplace culture from a toxic workplace to a healthy respectful environment?’
“In an exclusive interview, Staff Sgt. Geoffrey Greenwood recalled the fallout he says he endured after reporting allegations of bribery and corruption against fellow drug officers in 2008.”
I understand first hand the devastating impact of bullying and harassment and the fears of retribution. The trauma can be lifelong and ripples into all aspects of the victims life. No one wins.
“It rocked me to my core,” said Greenwood,
who is now with the RCMP detachment in Red Deer, Alta. I was kind of demonized and I was the one that was left to be the problem, and really all I did was my job.”
In order to move forward the past needs to heal. It will look and feel different for everyone, each victim. Speaking up, suffering retribution and further bullying has been a historical problem. This is an opportunity for acknowledgement and moving forward. Asking the difficult questions and facing the mirror has to be the most difficult for any organization. If we do nothing then nothing changes and we have more victims. No one wins.
“I ended up kind of leaving a shell of a person,” Greenwood said “Your whole character is torn apart and stripped down and you’re villainized.”
Effective leadership is the backbone of any organization and when bullying is allowed and condoned then the message is clear, this is a bullying organization. The message of leadership filters down to every employee. Times are changing.
As we heal, Time to think about the next step and how to refill that tank with tools and strategies that are empowering. Time, compassion, positive supports, and more time in the healing process for the victims.
I wish the best for the victims as they continue on this journey to finding their voice in speaking up. I believe with the new leadership this is another opportunity for the RCMP to make that choice in changing the path for the future RCMP organization.
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/rcmp-bullying-harassment-claims-lawsuit-1.4720126