I work for a HRM based non-profit that provides programs for persons with disabilities. As of late, our office has become a very toxic and unhealthy workplace… quite ironic, due to our mandate to model proper business behavior, management and comportment. As with most non-profits, we work under a boss who has hand-picked their Board of Directors. Sometimes that works, as in ensuring that the people on the Board support the work the nonprofit does. However, we are in the most negative of situations caused by a ‘handpicked’ Board: they fear our boss and do nothing to monitor what goes on at our office. We recently brought our concerns over harassment and the fact that three members of our small staff are out on stress-related sick leave, one staff member was summarily fired without just cause, and two senior staff members have quit, all due to direct interaction with said boss. The President of our Board, and our Executive Director on paper, told us in no uncertain terms that we were ‘on our own’ in this situation. In fact, he went so far as to suggest that we were making a big deal out of ‘quirky’ behavior and that we just need to suck it up or quit. The quirky behavior he referred to included: foul, inappropriate and sexist language, harassment (including sexual harassment), bullying and threatening behavior, threats of reprisal, inappropriate interaction with our clients (most of whom are quite vulnerable), inappropriate and illegal disclosure of personal information about employees to other employees, inappropriate and possibly slanderous comments about our funders and referral agencies, demanding that staff misrepresent the truth when dealing with our funders, and possible financial mismanagement of funding from Federal and Provincial sources. The listed items are certainly not what a rational person would call ‘trivial’.
Our Board of Directors have been totally silent this whole time. In fact, other than one or two BoD meetings in-house (after work hours), they have not been in to our offices. In fact, our boss routinely states that they control the board in the same way they control things around our office.
I know I could quit and I know my fellow staff members could quit, but we fear for the quality of programming for our clients and that their success is being compromised by an unhealthy environment. As well, even though quitting is always an option, in the Province of Nova Scotia we have laws in place to protect the employees right to a healthy and harassment free workplace. Other than going to the Labour Board, what can be done about a publicly funded non-profit that is behaving so irresponsibly and perhaps contravening the legal reason that registered non-profits must have a Board of Directors? We are desperate and fear for our health, our livelihood, and our awesome clients who deserve much better. —Target
This article appears in Apr 14-20, 2011.
HAve you ever heard of a ‘nanny cam’ ?
get one, place it where you can record this Bozo on one of his tirades… then take the evidence to human rights people voila.
Sounds like a fun place to work where anything goes. Quit and find a job elsewhere. Your customers/clients can deal with his antics alone. Should be a reality show.
I don’t know what to tell you except this: you must begin to document as much of this as you possibly can.
Eventually there may be a reckoning and a day in court and when that time comes having incidents witnessed and documented, copies of staff memos, etc. will go a long way towards a successful outcome for you and your coworkers.
Start a file. Talk to legal counsel. Talk to current and former colleagues (that you trust!) and talk strategy. Even people who have been harassed into quitting a job can hire legal counsel and sue for compensation for the burdens placed on them by such a situation.
Good luck.
Frig, I actually agree with More-on.
http://lexwhite.com/blog/wp-content/upload…
It’s very honourable that you’re thinking about your clients, OP, because your director sure isn’t. So sad how people like him take advantage of not for profits who have the explicit purpose of helping a certain group that needs help. I’m sure funders and donors wouldn’t be too keen on this behaviour. Nanny cam the guy and bring it to the exec. But make sure you consult a lawyer first so you don’t end up getting sued by douchy mc skeeze bag.
i know this isn’t facebook, but be careful what you say o.p. the walls have ears and eyes. that said, go to labour standards board, voice your concerns.
the boss can’t touch you for fear of be charged further. if it is as you say, then i wouldn’t want to work there either.
if you send me a private email, i might be able to get in contact with someone i know, that is on said board. gary_more@hotmail.com. outline the problems and name names. you might have to wait a few days, before an undercover investigator comes in. but come they will and unbeknown to your boss.
they will give the place a good look and listen. i’m quite serious here. i know all kinds of people, in all kinds of positions of power.
So why not go to other media outlets, they love this kind of stuff. A bitch board will do you no good.
Since you work for a publicly-funded non-profit, it’s too bad there isn’t someone like a Public Integrity Commissioner available to look into your complaints OP.
The Feds had one. Stephen Harper appointed Christiane Ouimet to be the first Public Integrity Commissioner back in 2007. She was supposed to protect public service whistleblowers who brought government wrongdoing to the light of day. She was quickly “retired” last year with a payout of over $500,000 when it came to light that out of 228 allegations of public service wrongdoing or reprisals against whistleblowers brought to the integrity commissioner’s office during Ouimet’s three-year tenure, only seven investigations were launched and zero findings of wrongdoing were issued.
On second thought, having somebody like Christiane Ouimet handling your complaints would be the last thing you’d want.
Lots of sound advice here Op.
Take some.
That nanny cam idea is actually a pretty damn good one.
Um, isn’t it illegal to make video recordings in a workplace without proper notification, and said employees signing off on their prior knowledge?
Glad the contact a lawyer, went with the get a nanny cam idea… sheesh
I have experienced this at almost every small non-profit I have worked for. The issues a lot of times comes down to senior executives at these non-profits – they can’t make it as a senior exec in the “for profit” field and they are bitter. They arent running a gutless organization, they are supposed to be running a compassionate do good group of (usually) volunteers.
I know there are some good directors of these groups out there – I work for an awesome one now… only took four previous jobs to find it! good luck…
The Labour Board is the best resource for most of your complaints however, the CRA might be interested in the financial aspects….or Crimestoppers?