Ask Me Anything: Workplace Harassment

January 19, 2023 - Defence Stories

Ask me anything
 
Featuring:
Magalie Brabant, Susan Pickrell, Norma Domey, and Ausama Alsousi
Opening remarks by:
Adele Racine
Co-hosted by:
Quinn Arruda and Lamare Robinson
Date and time:
Wednesday, January 25 at 1:00 to 2:30 PM EST
Audience:
Open to all Government of Canada employees
Register:
Online registration form
Link to join:
Join the webinar

Ask Me Anything is now on GC Wiki Collab

Caption

Ask me Anything: A Courageous Conversation on Workplace Harassment

Time: 1:00 pm EST | Date: January 25, 2023

Hosts: Lamare Robinson – National Defence, Quinn Arruda – Canadian Coast Guard

Panelists: Magalie Brabant – Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Norma Domey – Public Service of Canada, Ausama Alsolusi – Immigration and Refugee Board Canada, Susan Pickrall – Canadian Coast Guard, Adele Racine – Health and Wellness

Event Description

This January, the Ask Me Anything stage is shining its light on harassment awareness. In a study by Employment and Social Development Canada, Harassment and Sexual Violence in the Workplace, 60% of survey respondents indicated that they have experienced harassment in the workplace.

This month we have invited speakers to share with us what to do if you believe you have experienced harassment. Who can help? Who should we talk to? What are the steps? We acknowledge that harassment in the workplace is a particularly difficult topic, but nonetheless necessary.

Join us this month on the Ask Me Anything stage as we share with our colleagues the resources available to us regarding harassment in the workplace.

About the Ask Me Anything Series

This session is part of a series of Ask Me Anything sessions that give us a platform to share stories, listen, ask respectful questions and continue on our journey to have more inclusive organizations.

As individuals, you can’t necessarily change where you live. You certainly can’t change your past, but you can adjust who influences you—through the authors you read, the music you listen to, movies you watch and interactions with your community. The Ask Me Anything series provides you with an opportunity to increase your perspective—to learn from the lived experiences of individuals who are bravely sharing their stories to help educate and move the public service towards a culture where equity is embedded.

The series also provides an opportunity for you to know that you aren’t alone. These experiences, especially the negative ones, are systemic and happen all too frequently throughout the public service. The objective by shining this light is to continually increase the network of public servants ready to take action and move forward towards a culture of inclusivity and belonging.

Opening Remarks by Adele Racine

Meet Our Amazing Panelists

Ausama Alsousi (he/him), Director, Member Complaints, Ombudsperson’s Office, Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada

Magalie Brabant, Director General, Healthy Workplaces, People and Culture, Fisheries and Oceans Canada

Susan Pickrell, Senior Director, Fleet, Canadian Coast Guard, Western Region

Norma Domey, Vice-President, National Executive of the Professional Institute of the Public Service of Canada

Meet Our Co-Hosts

Quinn Arruda, Marine Navigation Senior Analyst, Canadian Coast Guard

Lamare Robinson, Planning Advisor, DG Culture Change (DGCC), National Defence

Mission - Ask Me Anything Series

We recognize that individuals are composed of a multitude of layers that make us who we are. We do not fit easily in one box or another and we can’t be neatly counted. We represent the mosaic of Canada.

It is important that we find value in each other’s experiences, differences and unique characteristics. When we build our cultural competencies, we are able to work better together in our teams and respond to each other with relevance, empathy and compassion. By celebrating and sharing our authentic selves, we gain greater appreciation of each other and the diversity that surrounds us.

We know through diversity, that workplaces and communities are stronger, more successful and resilient. And most important, it creates spaces of inclusion and fosters a workplace of belonging where people feel valued.

#AMAChallenge

We encourage others to have courageous conversations with their peers. Use the monthly Ask Me Anything sessions as an opportunity to have brave conversations in your workplaces with your teams.

Here’s what you need to do:

  1. Invite your leaders and colleagues in your organization to an Ask Me Anything watch party, tune in live and watch the session together. Make sure it’s in their calendars.
  2. Before the watch party, book an “After the AMA – TeamSession” with your immediate team for the day after the event for 30-60 minutes. Share the resource guide and have these questions for discussion.

After the AMA – Team Session Discussion Questions

  1. What was my main takeaway – expand and share an amazing quote, story or moment
  2. What made me uncomfortable/ what was one of my blind spots?
  3. What is an example of systemic discrimination that I am aware of in my life?
  4. What am I not going to do anymore?
  5. How can I use my voice/influence? – both overtly/covertly
  6. Where am I going to dig in and learn more?
  7. How will I continue this conversation?

It is important that we find value in the experiences, the unique characteristics of each other. When we develop our cultural competence, we are able to work better together within our teams and respond to each other with relevant empathy and compassion. By celebrating and sharing our authentic selves, we gain a greater appreciation for each other and the diversity that surrounds us.

Thank you to our contributors

Thank you to our contributors from across the Public Service of Canada – Canadian Coast Guard, National Defence, Immigration and Refugee Board, The Professional Institute of the Public Service of Canada, Fisheries and Oceans Canada.

MCs:
Quinn Arruda and Lamare Robinson
Speakers:
Magalie Brabant, Susan Pickrell, Norma Domey and Ausama Alsousi
Production Team:
Terri-Ann Hurst, Tara Lockhart, Shelby Racine, Michel Mainville, Melissa Michaud, Chyanna Belaire, Liliya Ishkaeva, Lamare Robinson, Kelly Brewer-Balch, Theresa Graham, Katherine Hogan, Bernadeth Betchi, Lyrique Richards, Danielle MacKinlay, Terri Graham

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