It continues to amaze me that so called leaders fail to lead, fail to take responsibility and fail to be accountable. A toxic workplace is not created overnight but over a period of time where the victim(s) endure a hostile workplace. A hostile workplace is any where there is violence, either physical or psychological abuse such as name calling, humiliation, targeted bullying and violence. Saying nothing, doing nothing creates this toxic workplace. I wrote about this in WOMEN NOT WANTED with the hope to provide education on the importance of addressing harassment in the RCMP. It makes good business sense to remove the toxic people who refuse to embrace the respectful workplace policies.
“The RCMP is facing more allegations of workplace harassment, this time in the unit that oversees the federal witness protection program at the force’s national headquarters in Ottawa. An internal report about the unit recommends an immediate investigation into long-standing allegations of bullying and harassment. CBC News obtained the document through the Access to Information Act after learning three female psychologists complained to Assistant Commissioner Todd Shean about the behaviour of the RCMP officer in charge of the unit. The risk managers team (RMT) was singled out as an area of concern. “Of the five positions on the organizational chart, only one person does the bulk of the work for assessing clients and risk managing the files…. The time pressure (7 days) for producing a document, combined with the workload being imposed (and travel requirements) on the lone assessor on the RMT side, has a huge impact on the individual. This is not sustainable and puts the program at risk,” reads the report. It also suggests the RCMP make a priority of filling all vacancies on the team, ensure supervisors review the “toolkit for managers on mental health” and that all employees complete “respectful workplace” and “violence prevention in the workplace” training.”
It seems clear that change is going to be slow, and being an optimist, can be achieved, it just takes a more active participation for those who have the ‘right stuff’. Perhaps seeking outside support from other police agencies who have undergone cultural transformation such as the Amsterdam Police Force and the report by Ingrid Bakker, Change Leader for the Diversity Leadership Initiative.
http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/rcmp-memo-twitter-harassment-investigation-1.3592259
