How the Pandemic Altered Bullying & Harassment in the Workplace

Inclusive Accommodation

When workers were confronted with an employer that refused to provide accommodations, like the option to continue working remotely for those with auto-immune diseases, workers across the world handed in their resignation. Why would they stay at a job that does not respect their health, safety and well-being?

This major shift in employee ideologies forced companies to look inward, especially at their diversity, equity and inclusion policies. In the past three years, Pivot HR has been hired by countless businesses to revamp their policies and provide DEI training tailored to the business. Providing accommodation without inclusion is discrimination.

The Old/New Issue

Bullying and harassment in the workplace is a tale as old as time. Conflict is inevitable when people from all walks of life are stuck together for 40 hours a week. Transitioning to remote work did not put a stop to bullying. If anything, bullies had greater access to their victims due to the sharing of personal phone numbers and private Zoom meetings without any leadership present.

What is a Bystander?

The bystander effect is a social psychological theory where onlookers in a crowd are less likely to assist a victim because they assume someone else will lend a hand. This is also known as bystander apathy.

Bystanders are the people who look upon an incident and do nothing to assist the victim, like driving past a fatal car crash, gawking at the gore and driving away.

It’s human nature to be cautious of conflict, but in Pivot HR’s DEI training, we encourage everyone to reject the bystander inclination and to encourage upstanding behaviour. To be an upstander is to stand up against bullying and intimidation tactics– to speak up and speak out.

DEI Training with Pivot HR

Most businesses have experienced DEI training in some capacity. In the wake of the Great Resignation, it’s time for businesses to get serious about their DEI policies and initiatives.

Pivot HR’s DEI training teaches employers and employees about the importance of representation and participation of all people in the workplace, regardless of ethnicity, gender, sexuality, religion, disabilities, age, and culture.

Get In Touch

Is your business struggling with bullying and harassment? Do your policies need updating? Pivot HR offers in-person training in Vancouver and Toronto and online courses held over Zoom for businesses across Canada.

What Our Clients say about us

“Robin and Mia were both exceptionally professional and responsive and understood our needs. Their work was of great quality. We are a small non-profit organization and we found them very easy and wonderful to work with. Great value and highly recommend.”

~ Joy Masuhara , Co-Chair Women Transforming Cities International Society

“Cindy is a remarkable professional coach, who goes well beyond expectations in supporting her clients’ development. She knows how to ask the right questions and uncover the real and deep issues that contribute to the limitations we put on ourselves. This type of personal exploration is tough work to do alone and remain committed to necessary change. Cindy’s approach and support made this process one of the most impactful experiences of my life, professionally and personally.”

~ Monique Cotton, Firm Administrator, JFK Law Corporation

“As a medium size business with over 100 employees working in very different areas of our operation, Pivot was able to quickly understand our HR needs and offer practical solutions. Robin and the Pivot team worked closely with our Leadership group to implement effective turnkey solutions on time and on budget. We will continue to use Pivot for our ongoing HR needs and would highly recommend their services.”

~ Adam Zubek, General Manager, Point Grey Golf & Country Club

Pivot HR Services provides personalized solutions for our organization’s human resources needs. By engaging their services, we have been able to successfully outsource our HR function, as the Pivot team has demonstrated their ability to understand the HR priorities of our workplace culture and industry.

~ Areef Abraham, Chief Executive Officer Community Power

“Robin developed our employee policy manual with the goal of engaging and retaining our current staff as well as attracting new ones in this highly competitive marketplace. Her in depth knowledge of current legislation and HR policies proved to be of significant benefit. I would highly recommend Robin and the team at Pivot HR Services.”

~ Christopher Soles, President, Nextgen Technologies Ltd.

“Robin has been and continues to be an outstanding resource for our organization to navigate HR issues as we grow. She always approaches problems with professionalism and a keen eye for our best interest. I’d certainly recommend Robin to anyone looking to elevate their HR processes.”

~ Karim Abraham, CEO, Kambo Energy Solutions

“Our firm turned to Robin for advice and guidance at a time when we faced a period of serious difficulty in managing our human resources. She assisted us through the process of putting our relationship with our staff on a stronger, more stable footing and helped us implement a complete overhaul of our human resources policies. We could not be more pleased with the work she has done and continues to do with us.”

~ Robert Janes, QC, Managing Principal JFK Law Corporation