Violence (a) The parties agree that violence shall be defined as any incident in which an employee is abused, threatened or assaulted while performing his or her work. The parties agree it includes the application of force, threats with or without weapons and severe verbal abuse. The parties agree that such incidents will not be condoned. Any employee who believes he/she has been subjected to such incident shall report this to a supervisor who will make every reasonable effort to rectify the situation. For purposes of sub- article (a) only, employees as referred to herein shall mean all employees of the Employer.
(b) The Employer agrees to develop formalized policies and procedures in consultation with the Joint Health and Safety Committee to deal with workplace violence. The policy will address the prevention of violence and the management of violent situations and support to employees who have faced workplace violence. These policies and procedures shall be communicated to all employees.
(c) The Employer will report all incidents of violence as defined herein to the Joint Health and Safety Committee for review.
(d) The Employer agrees to provide training and information on the prevention of violence to all employees who come into contact with potentially aggressive persons. This training will be done during a new employee’s orientation and updated as required.
(e) Subject to appropriate legislation, and with the employee’s consent, the Employer will inform the Union within three (3) days of any employee who has been subjected to violence while performing his/her work. Such information shall be submitted in writing to the Union as soon as practicable.
Workplace Violence (a) It is recognized that at certain worksites or in certain work situations employees may be at risk of physical violence or verbal abuse from clients, persons in care or custody, or the public.
(b) Where such potential exists:
(1) employees at those worksites or in those work situations shall receive training in the recognition and management of such incidents;
(2) physical and procedural measures for the protection of employees, applicable to those worksites or work situations, shall be implemented.
(c) The Permanent Occupational Health and Safety Committee shall be consulted regarding the curriculum of training and the applicable physical and procedural measures referred to in (b) above.
(d) The Permanent Joint Occupational Health and Safety Committee shall jointly develop a new or approve an existing training package on risk assessment.
(e) Employees shall be informed concerning the potential for physical violence or verbal abuse from clients, a student, instructors or other members of the public, subject to statutory limitation.
(f) Immediate critical incident stress debriefing and post traumatic counselling shall be made available for employees who have suffered as a result of violence. Leave required to attend such debriefing or counselling sessions will be without loss of pay.
Workplace Violence Prevention and Crisis Response (applicable to any Party and any subcontractors and sub-grantees whose employees or other service providers deliver social or mental health services directly to individual recipients of such services): Party shall establish a written workplace violence prevention and crisis response policy meeting the requirements of Act 109 (2016), 33 VSA §8201(b), for the benefit of employees delivering direct social or mental health services. Party shall, in preparing its policy, consult with the guidelines promulgated by the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration for Preventing Workplace Violence for Healthcare and Social Services Workers, as those guidelines may from time to time be amended. Party, through its violence protection and crisis response committee, shall evaluate the efficacy of its policy, and update the policy as appropriate, at least annually. The policy and any written evaluations thereof shall be provided to employees delivering direct social or mental health services. Party will ensure that any subcontractor and sub-grantee who hires employees (or contracts with service providers) who deliver social or mental health services directly to individual recipients of such services, complies with all requirements of this Section.
New Hire Orientation The Union’s Business Representative or designee shall be given the opportunity to make a membership presentation at the employer’s regularly scheduled new employee orientation sessions.
Domestic Violence The Company agrees to recognize that employees sometimes face situations of violence or abuse in their personal life that may affect their attendance or performance at work. For that reason, the Company and the Union agree, when there is adequate verification from a recognized professional (i.e. doctor, lawyer, registered counsellor), an employee who is in an abusive or violent situation will not be subjected to discipline if the absence can be linked to the abusive or violent situation. Absences which are not covered by sick leave or disability insurance will be granted as absent with permission without pay.
Violence in the Workplace (a) The parties agree that violence shall be defined as any incident in which an employee is abused, threatened or assaulted while performing his or her work. The parties agree it includes the application of force, threats with or without weapons and severe verbal abuse. The parties agree that such incidents will not be condoned. Any employee who believes he/she has been subjected to such incident shall report this to a supervisor who will make every reasonable effort to rectify the situation. For purposes of sub-article (a) only, employees as referred to herein shall mean all employees of the Employer notwithstanding Article 2.12.
(b) The Employer agrees to develop formalized policies and procedures in consultation with the Joint Health and Safety Committee to deal with workplace violence. The policy will address the prevention of violence and the management of violent situations and support to employees who have faced workplace violence. These policies and procedures shall be communicated to all employees. The local parties will consider appropriate measures and procedures in consultation with the Joint Health and Safety Committee to address violence in the workplace, which may include, among other measures and procedures:
i) Alert employees about a person with a known history of aggressive and responsive behaviours and their known triggers by means of:
A) electronic and/or other appropriate flagging systems,
B) direct verbal communication / alerts (i.e. shift reports),
ii) Communicate and provide appropriate training and education,
iii) Reporting all incidents of workplace violence,
iv) Long-term care home wide violence risk assessments.
(c) The Employer will report all incidents of violence as defined herein to the Joint Health and Safety Committee for review.
(d) The Employer agrees to provide training and information on the prevention of violence to all employees who come into contact with potentially aggressive persons. This training will be done during a new employee’s orientation and updated as required.
(e) Subject to appropriate legislation, and with the employee’s consent, the Employer will inform the Union within three (3) days of any employee who has been subjected to violence while performing his/her work. Such information shall be submitted in writing to the Union as soon as practicable.
Family Violence Leave Family Violence Leave as provided for by the Holidays Act 2003 is in addition to other leave allowances within the collective agreement.
Violence Against Women The parties hereby recognize and share the concern that women uniquely face situations of violence or abuse in their personal lives that may affect their attendance or performance at work. A woman who is in an abusive or violent personal or domestic situation will not be subjected to discipline without giving full consideration to the facts in the case of each individual and the circumstances surrounding the incident otherwise supportive of discipline. This statement of intent is subject to a standard of good faith on the part of the Employer, the Union and the affected employees and will not be utilized by the Union or the employees to subvert the application of otherwise appropriate disciplinary measures.
Domestic Violence Leave Domestic or Sexual Violence Leave will be granted in accordance with the
Orientation The Employer shall provide planned and paid Orientation Programs of such content and duration as it deems appropriate taking into consideration the needs of the Employer and the Nurses involved. Such Nurses will not be considered part of core staffing during their Orientation Program nor will they be provided with primary assignments.
