The Culinaria Restaurant and Chef School is committed to providing a harassment free environment where all Associates are treated with dignity and respect. All Associates are responsible for ensuring that the workplace is free of harassment. Any Associate who commits harassment or who knowingly condones the harassment of another will be subject to disciplinary action or dismissal.

SCOPE AND APPLICATION OF POLICY:  Harassment may occur at any place where work related activities take place, for example, at company social events within or outside the office, at company/school-sponsored events, seminars and during the course of company/school-related travel.

Definition:  Any unacceptable comment or conduct that is known or ought reasonably to be known to be unwelcome and which is based on any of the prohibited grounds of discrimination. These include race, ancestry, place of origin, colour, ethnic origin, citizenship, religion, creed, sex, sexual orientation, age, record of offences, marital status, family status, disability, or pregnancy.
Examples include, but are not limited to:

  • Unwelcome remarks or jokes about one’s race, religion, ethnic origin. disability, sex, or age, etc
  • Physical contact such as touching, patting, kissing or pinching, with an underlying sexual connotation
  • Sexually suggestive gestures such as leering (suggestive persistent staring)
  • Displaying pornographic or racist pictures
  • Conferring favourable treatment in employment in exchange for sexual favours
  • An express or implied threat of reprisal for rejection of sexual advances

Complaint Procedures  
If an Associate believes he or she is being harassed, the recommended course of action is as follows:

STEP 1.  Immediately at the time the incident occurs, make it known to the harasser, in clear terms, that the behaviour or remark is unacceptable to you. Ask the harasser to stop.

STEP 2.  If the harassment continues, the Associate reports the problem to their manager or the next  higher manager. It is often helpful to keep a written record of dates, times, the nature of the behaviour and witnesses, if any.

STEP 3.  The manager immediately reports the problem to the Administrative Staff.

STEP 4.  The Administrative Staff will investigate the complaint, which would normally include:

  • Interviewing and taking written statements from the person filing the complaint
  • Interviewing the alleged harasser
  • Interviewing any witnesses

The complaint and investigation will be kept as confidential as possible. However, in order to ensure the rights of both the person filing the complaint and the alleged harasser are respected, the alleged harasser will be given access to both the identity of the person making the complaint as well as the specifics of the allegations.

The investigation process will be handled as quickly as possible.  If a complaint is determined to be valid, the company will decide the appropriate disciplinary action to take, up to and including termination. Any Associate making a complaint is protected from reprisal, regardless of the final outcome. However, filing a complaint, which the Associate knows to be false, is a serious matter that is subject to disciplinary action.  An Associate has the right to file a complaint with the Ontario Human Rights Commission.

For additional information please visit the Ontario Ministry of Labour website www.labour.gov.on.ca/english/.