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Supporting Employees Who Have Been Subjected To Gender-Based Violence

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Our Community, Our Responsibility.

If a staff or faculty discloses to you or you become aware that they are being harmed, you can connect them with Workplace Wellbeing Services.

Workplace Wellbeing Services supports employees across the university with matters related to well-being, and their team approaches their work from a supportive, trauma-informed lens.  If you want to connect with Workplace Wellbeing Services, please get in touch with Jen Alefounder, Acting Director, at jennifer.alefounder@torontomu.ca.    

Faculty and staff impacted by gender-based violence and unable to perform their professional responsibilities may wish to work with our office to determine appropriate accommodations in collaboration with their union, supervisor, Human Resources, and/or The Office of Vice-Provost Faculty Affairs.

Accommodations may include:

  • Workplace absences
  • Schedule changes
  • Time off for counselling or court

Faculty and Staff employed for 13 weeks or more are entitled to a Domestic or Sexual Violence Leave. You can learn more about the leave below.

As a TMU employee you should:

  • Know how to report incidents of workplace harassment to your supervisor or employer.
  • Know how to report incidents of workplace harassment in case the supervisor or the employer is the alleged harasser.
  • Know the employer's process of investigation and dealing with workplace harassment incidents and complaints.
  • Know about campus supports and how to refer to those supports
  • Know the expectations of confidentiality as they relate to reporting an incident of workplace sexual harassment and involvement in the complaint investigation and decision-making process. Know that the results of an investigation into a report or incident of workplace harassment, and any corrective action is taken will be provided to the community member who experienced the harassment.

If your role at TMU involves managing or supervising other people as a Manager,  Chair, Director, Supervisor, or Dean; you need to be aware of your responsibilities and role

  • you are expected to report when you witness or receive disclosures of, sexual violence in the workplace. 
  • you have the responsibility to implement Interim Measures that are put in place by Human Rights Services
  • you must provide appropriate information and instruction to workers on the contents of the workplace harassment policy and program, as required by the Occupational Health and Safety Act i.e. ensure all staff attend sexual violence and harassment training. 

Pursuant to the Employment Standard Act, people who have been employed at TMU for at least 13 weeks are entitled to domestic or sexual violence leave if the employee or the employee’s child has experienced or been threatened with domestic or sexual violence. They can take the leave:

  • To seek medical attention for the employee or the child of the employee.
  • To access services from victim services organizations.
  • To have psychological or other professional counselling. 
  • To move temporarily or permanently.
  • To seek legal or law enforcement assistance, including making a police report or getting ready for or participating in a family court, civil or criminal trial.

There are two options for this leave:

  1. up to 10 days  
  2. up to 15 weeks 
 

Up to 10 days leave option

Up to 15 weeks leave option

Duration and continuation

Employees can take up to 10 days of leave (between 1-10 days) consecutively or separately. 

For example, taking 2 days leave in September, 1 day leave in October, and 5 days leave in November.

Employees can take up to 15 weeks of leave (between 1-15 weeks) consecutively or separately. 

For example, taking 10 weeks leave in September, and 3 weeks leave in October. 

An employee can’t separate the weeks into days. For example, an employee can’t take 3 days off in one week and 2 days off in another week to total 1 week. 

Annual entitlement

The up to 0 days leave is for each calendar year as required. 

The up to 15 weeks leave is for each calendar year as required. 

Paid/Unpaid

The first 5 days of leave are paid. The rest of the days are unpaid. 

The first 5 days of leave (the first week) are paid. The rest of the weeks are unpaid.

Partial days

If an employee takes a partial workday as leave, this may count as one full day of leave. 

For example, if an employee has an 8-hour shift and works 4 hours (taking leave for the other 4 hours), it would still count as 1 out of the 10 days of leave. 

If an employee takes 1+ day(s) of the workweek as leave, this may count as one full week of leave.

For example, if an employee works 3 days of the week and is on leave for 2 days of that same week, it would count as 1 out of the 15 weeks of leave. 

Changing leave from 10 days to 15 weeks

If an employee wants more time after completing 10 days’ leave, they may additionally opt for the 15 weeks’ leave option. 

An employee may opt for the up to 15 weeks leave option after completing the 10 days leave option.

Paid leave in this case will only be the first 5 days of the initial 10 days leave.

It is not necessary to first complete the 10 days leave option before opting for the up to 15 weeks leave option.

Notice

The employee must notify the employer in advance of the leave. If unable to notify the employer in advance, the employee must notify the employer ASAP after starting the leave.

The notice does not have to be in writing.

The employee must notify the employer in advance of the leave. If unable to notify the employer in advance, the employee must notify the employer ASAP after starting the leave.

The notice must be in writing. 

Support

If someone discloses sexual violence to you, it’s okay not to have all the answers. You can listen with care, connect them to resources they want and share your concern for their well-being. 

You can support staff who are being subjected to gender-based violence by connecting them, listening, respecting their confidentiality subjected to domestic violence and getting information for themselves. Workplace Wellbeing Services will be your point of contact within the university to provide ongoing support. Workplace Wellbeing Services supports employees across the university with matters related to well-being, and their team approaches their work from a supportive, trauma-informed lens.  If you would like to connect with Workplace Wellbeing Services, please contact Jen Alefounder, Acting Director, at jennifer.alefounder@torontomu.ca.    

Always try to check in with warmth, curiosity, compassion, not in a probing manner. It is also important to address a person when they are in a private space. 

  • “I am concerned about you. You seem isolated and afraid. Are you ok? How can I help?"
  • “I’ve noticed that you’ve had trouble meeting your deadlines lately. Is there anything happening that is making it hard to manage your workload?”
  • “You seem upset/distracted lately, how are you? Is there any way I can help?”

Sometimes a person’s email/texts/social media might be monitored so be careful what you include in writing. Keep it brief.

  • “How else can I be of support to you?”
  • “How are you doing?”
  • “Get in touch with me when you can. I’m here to listen”
  • Do you want me to reach out to you regularly?”

There are several internal supports available at TMU for employees being subjected to domestic violence.

For a comprehensive list of external services please visit torontomu.ca/sexual-violence/get-support/connect-to-services/

Domestic Violence in the Workplace

The Occupational Health and Safety Act requires employers to take every reasonable precaution to protect their employees from domestic violence that would likely cause physical injury in the workplace. If you are a leader, you have a legal obligation to take action by consulting with Workplace Wellbeing and connecting the staff member with support. 

Domestic violence may not only affect the targeted employee but could also put their co-workers at risk. Employees should make their leaders aware if they are concerned that domestic violence may enter the workplace so that we can work together to develop a safety plan.

Domestic violence is defined as any form of physical, sexual, emotional or psychological abuse, including financial control, stalking and harassment. It occurs between intimate partners of all genders who may or may not be married, common law or living together. It can also continue to happen after a relationship has ended.

Canadian employers lose $77.9 million annually due to the direct and indirect impacts of domestic violence and the costs to individuals, families and society go far beyond that. However, we know very little about the scope and impacts of this problem in Canada.

The Canadian Labour Council and the University of Western Ontario conducted the first-ever Canadian  (PDF file) survey on domestic violence in the workplace (external link) . Key findings include:

  • 1 in 3 workers has been subjected to domestic violence in their lifetime.
  • Of those who had, 82% found that domestic violence negatively affected their work performance (through distraction, tiredness, lateness, interruptions at work from the abuser, poor concentration and absenteeism).
  • 53% said they experienced violence at or near the workplace.
  • 38% reported that domestic violence affected their ability to get to work.
  • 37% said that it negatively impacted their co-workers.
  • 5% lost their job as a result of domestic violence.

Partner or ex will: 

  • Repeatedly phoning or emailing them
  • Stalking and/or watching the victim
  • Showing up at the workplace and pestering co-workers with questions about the victim (where is she/he, who is she/he with, when will she/he be back, etc.)
  • Lying to coworkers (she/he’s sick today, she/he’s out of town, she/he’s home with a sick child, etc.)
  • Threatening co-workers (If you don’t tell me, I’ll…)
  • Verbally abusing the victim or co-workers
  • Displaying jealous and controlling behaviours
  • Destroying the victim’s or organization’s property
  • Physically harming the victim and/or co-workers

Source: Swanberg, Macke & Logan 2006; Swanberg, Macke & Logan 2007; Zachary 2000

  • Obvious injuries such as bruises, hearing loss are often attributed to “falls,” “being clumsy,” or “accidents”. 
  • Minimization or denial of harassment or injuries.
  • Being in emotional distress or flatness, tearfulness, depression, isolation, being unusually quiet or sharing suicidal thoughts.
  • Sensitivity about home life or hints of trouble at home. Comments may include references to bad moods, anger, temper or violent behaviour when intoxicated.
  • Acts like someone off-camera is watching their every move and interaction.
  • Rarely turn on their camera for video calls.
  • Change in job/school performance, poor concentration, errors, inconsistent work quality.
  • An unusual number of phone calls/text messages/DMs eliciting strong reactions and/or a reluctance to respond.
  • Fear of job loss or describing lack of access to money.

Adapted from Make it Our Business (external link) .