External firm will be hired to deal with city harassment complaints

Names will not be shared with anyone at the city, she said.

“This process is as confidential as I can possibly make it.”

Postmedia began reporting on harassment and bullying within the City of Edmonton two weeks ago after several current and former employees spoke about how intimidation, discrimination, verbal abuse and other elements of a toxic work culture were driving good employees to quit.

Data from city auditor David Wiun then confirmed this is a widespread issue. Nearly one-fifth of city employees reported harassment in the 2016 employee engagement survey.

City council members asked for immediate external involvement.

PROCESS SUSPENDED

In a Nov. 22 email to city employees, city manager Linda Cochrane said the internal complaints process is suspended “effective immediately.”

Drouin has been hired to temporarily manage the process until an external firm can be hired to take on the full project.

“That firm will be selected by the end of the year, and their work will take several months to complete,” Cochrane stated.

City council’s executive committee is being asked to approve a contract worth up to $2.5 million to help investigate complaints and develop a comprehensive and fair complaints process for harassment and discrimination.

Administration is planning to award that through an invitational procurement process and pay for it within existing departmental budgets. The plan goes to committee Tuesday.

DATA ‘TOO SENSITIVE’

Postmedia originally asked for the detailed harassment data in late summer. City human resources officials provided data on morale and workplace culture for each branch but said harassmentspecific questions were too sensitive to release.

A formal access to information request followed.

Late Friday, Kristan Cook, acting director of corporate information, wrote to say the request was denied because the information will be made publicly available on or before Jan. 10.

“We have received other inquiries from private citizens and media outlets,” she stated.

“It is the city’s position that this data is in the public interest, and should be made widely available to the public.”

‘A SAFE PLACE’

Mike Scott, president of CUPE 30, a civic union representing many outdoor city workers, said they’re happy city administration chose Drouin. They’ve been asking for external involvement for two years.

“Now we have a safe place to talk,” Scott said.

CUPE 30 saw a spike in calls from members seeking help for harassment in the days following Postmedia’s coverage, as if public discussion finally gave people the space and courage to come forward.

Departments already have access to their harassment data. They’re supposed to have action plans to improve workplace culture.

“Some departments have taken this seriously and others not so much,” Scott said, hoping Drouin’s involvement and the public attention will finally lead to action.