What is Discrimination and Harassment?
It is important to understand how UVic defines Discrimination and Harassment so that we can work individually and collectively to prevent and respond to these harmful behaviours.
Personal Discrimination
- the intended or unintended harmful (differential and/or prejudicial) treatment by an individual towards another based on any Protected Characteristics
- Personal Discrimination has the effect or purpose of negatively impacting that individual’s participation in a University Activity
Example: If a woman employee is consistently passed over for promotion while the men in her unit advance along their career path despite having a similar track records.
Protected Characteristics
- includes Indigenous identity, race, colour, ancestry, place of origin, religion, marital status, family status, physical or mental disability, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression or age
- in the case of employment, political belief or conviction for a criminal or summary conviction offence that is unrelated to the employment or to the intended employment of that individual are additional Protected Characteristics
- in the case of housing, such as university residences, Protected Characteristics also include source of income
Microaggressions
- actions or words that indirectly, subtly or unintentionally communicate hostile, derogatory, or negative messages or attitudes based on any Protected Characteristics
- Microaggressions are often the result of unconscious bias and highlight perceptions of difference
Example: Consistently using a person’s race or ethnicity as a point of reference or as the subject of a joke in a way that makes them feel like they do not belong. Importantly, it can be a microaggression regardless of whether the comment appears to be a ‘compliment’.
Systemic Discrimination
- includes policies or practices that contribute to the exclusion or less favourable outcomes for an individual or group based on any Protected Characteristics
- Systemic Discrimination can happen both intentionally or unintentionally as the result of how a policy or practice is carried out or designed
- it is not Systemic Discrimination if the policy or practice can be demonstrated to be reasonable and legitimate in the circumstances or is permitted by law
Example: if Indigenous staff are generally hired at lower starting salaries than other groups.
Personal Harassment
- any conduct or comment by an individual towards another that they know (or ought to know) would cause another individual to feel humiliated or intimidated
- negatively impacts another individual’s participation in a University Activity
- it is not Personal Harassment when the conduct or comment is the reasonable action of a supervisor engaging in workplace or educational evaluation, management and direction
Example: A supervisor singles out an employee publicly with consistently negative feedback. On the other hand, a supervisor providing constructive feedback to an employee who is failing to perform their duties falls under the category of performance management.
Discriminatory Harassment
- the same as Personal Harassment but includes a direct or indirect reference to one or more Protected Characteristics