Informal Approach. Nothing in the following procedure precludes informal discussion of the parties leading to settlement of the grievance or seeking advice on issues arising at any stage of the procedure.
Informal Approach. Associates/Members with non-violent, minor concerns, or who feel comfortable resolving their concerns on their own, are encouraged to do so prior to seeking formal resolution. Wherever possible, Associates/Members in such situation should speak or write to the person engaging in the concerning behaviour one-on-one to let them know that their conduct is unwelcome and to ask them to stop immediately. Although this may be difficult, telling the person their actions or comments are inappropriate is often enough to stop the behavior. If the problem is not resolved, or if one of the parties feels they cannot speak directly with the other person, other options such as a facilitated dialogue or mediation can be explored with BFC. In these cases, the Associate/Member should make detailed notes about what happened, when it happened, who was involved, and who may have witnessed the incident. These details may be needed to refresh one’s memory in the event that the problem is not corrected, and the matter needs to be pursued further.
