Workplace complaints at WIS: Ex-employees allege ‘disrespectful’ workplace

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This article was published 10/02/2018 (2766 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

A group of former Westman Immigrant Services employees is urging the board of directors to take immediate action on what they allege is a toxic work environment, rife with bullying, intimidation and harassment.

Six former employees have submitted written impact statements to the WIS board along with a letter dated Jan. 18, which formally requests the removal of F. Richard Bruce from his position as executive director. He has served as executive director since 2013, after he retired from his post as Brandon’s police chief.

The letter states that the board members are “ultimately responsible for the actions of the executive director” and it is their role to “understand the impact that Mr. Bruce has on the staff of the organization.”

The group is not seeking compensation or their jobs back. They say the goal in speaking out is to repair the organization, which does important work for immigrants and refugees in Westman. The not-for-profit organization provides settlement, employment and language programs to newcomers in the area. Services include interpreter programs, community orientation, youth programs and English classes.

Staff turnover in recent years has been significant. According to figures provided by the former financial officer, Myrna Jahn, 17 full-time staff members have left the organization since June 2016, either through resignation or termination.

Former employee Caroline Slimmon was the first to provide an impact statement to the board, back in July 2016. Slimmon worked as a community outreach manager. After seven years at the organization, she resigned. Instead of walking away quietly, she decided to submit a written statement, describing a disrespectful, unprofessional and uncomfortable workplace.

All the allegations against Bruce haven’t been proven, and The Brandon Sun will follow up on a review initiated by the board.

“Please understand that I am a reasonable person and for me to have reached this tipping point has taken a lot,” Slimmon stated. “I did not take this step lightly.”

Slimmon described an atmosphere of mistrust and turmoil.

“Instead of creating an environment for discourse, brainstorming, collaboration, (Bruce) seems to relish making managers, in particular, feel confused, second-guessed, challenged and unsupported. The frequency of these types of exchanges, create in my mind a disrespectful workplace.”

Slimmon said her statement was never acknowledged by the board. Nearly two years later, the group hopes there is power in numbers, and is demanding action this second time around.

“Had the board acted at that time, he wouldn’t have been allowed to negatively impact so many more lives,” states the letter from the group.

The letter also cites an excerpt from the Manitoba Workplace Safety and Health Act, specifically the definition of harassment: “any vexatious behaviour in the form of hostile, inappropriate and unwanted conduct, verbal comments, actions or gestures that affects a worker’s dignity or psychological or physical integrity.”

The group claims Bruce acts aggressively to instil fear and the impact statements aim to provide a snapshot of the toxic work environment for staff and clients.

The claimants asked for a response by Jan. 26, but nothing came from the board. The group then reached out to The Brandon Sun. On Feb. 2, the claimants said they received a letter, dated Jan. 26, from the lawyer hired by the WIS board.

“The board has formed a committee to review the matters raised in your correspondence. It will take appropriate actions once the review is concluded,” states the letter from Roy Johnston TDS. “While it welcomes your concerns, the board regrets that you have shared confidential information surrounding WIS matters outside of the organization.”

The letter also reminds the claimants of their obligation to confidentiality, and states the board will take legal action to protect its operations and confidential information if necessary.

The package of impact statements was also delivered to representatives with Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada, which is WIS’ primary funder.

“The organization is suffering. The work atmosphere is toxic. The loss of staff through terminations, resignation and stress leaves is significant,” states the letter. “It is up to the board to make sure that the organization can move forward in a positive and healthy manner.”

Faith St John, IRCC communications adviser, stated via email that due to privacy laws, they are unable to provide specific information regarding any of their service providers.

“WhileIRCCis not the employer for the organizations that receive funding from us, we can assure you that this department is committed to maintaining program integrity and takes any allegations of misconduct very seriously.All allegations or complaints are thoroughly investigated and appropriate action is taken to address any issues that are uncovered.”

When contacted by The Brandon Sun, Bruce stated he was unaware of the allegations and therefore had no comment.

Attempts were made to contact multiple WIS board members, who either didn’t return a phone call or referred questions to chair Jim Brannan.

Brannan told The Sun they are just beginning to look into the information received to verify what is going on.

“We’re going to talk to different people that are mentioned, and get some information out of them to figure out what exactly we do,” Brannan said. “The board is quite willing to take appropriate action, but we have to figure out what this is.”

Chris Macdonald — a volunteer for WIS who helps contribute to the settlement of refugee families — provided a written statement to the board as well, expressing his concern about the termination of a number of WIS employees, of whom he had much admiration for as dedicated employees and strong advocates for vulnerable immigrants.

“It takes time to create links and comfort levels between WIS staff, new immigrants and community volunteers,” he wrote. “These crucial links were abruptly terminated by the termination of significant staff without sufficient thought about the effects of the method, timing and consequences of the firings.”

Myrna Jahn resigned in December after five years with the organization. At 63 years of age, Jahn said her plan was to continue working as finance officer until it was time to retire. She stated she had no choice but to resign, in order to protect herself.

Jahn’s claim states that the current executive director is doing “irreparable harm” to the organization and staff. On several occasions she stated that she was yelled at, singled out and embarrassed; behaviour she also witnessed happening to other staff members.

“Mr. Bruce consistently created very high levels of stress for many of the employees through his need to see how far he could push them,” states Jahn. “He grooms handpicked individuals to do his bidding; he has them be his ears and eyes.”

Jahn said she has witnessed colleagues’ severe panic attacks before and after meetings with Bruce, and recalled seeing an employee leave a meeting in such a hysterical state, she had to go home and was off sick for several days.

Larysa Varakina began working at WIS in 2013 and resigned in 2017. She emigrated from Ukraine and was at first very excited about working at an organization that helps newcomers. But that feeling gradually went away, and she described feeling scared, vulnerable and unprotected.

When she worked as the receptionist, Varakina was asked to take notes about employees — when they came in, when they went for lunch, when they came back, etc. At the time she said it was explained in a way that she was helping the organization. But she said it later felt like she was spying on her co-workers.

“I realized that I was doing something I should have never, never done,” she said.

Varakina said she was disappointed with the management.

“Ukraine used to be part of USSR; that system is still pretty strong in our country — not to speak, not to say what you think. Even though the country’s independent now, we grew up like that,” she said. “And when I came here to Canada, when I saw what was going on here, I was shocked, because yes, it reminded me of basically a military camp. That’s how we felt there.”

Trenton Zazalak was hired in November 2016 as cultural diversity facilitator, and worked there for just over a year before he was terminated. He states in his claim he became perplexed by the “mood of oppression” within the organization.

“Despite an epic policy manual being in place at WIS, management seems to enjoy ‘cherry-picking’ which policy they wish to follow on any given day,” he states. “The inconsistency within management is the second sign there is a problem at WIS.”

One former employee, who asked to remain anonymous, described a general feeling of distrust, unrest and uneasiness within the organization. She would hear derogatory remarks about one’s appearance or intelligence, and what she called “the relentless amount of consistent bullying.”

She pointed out that the board is ultimately responsible for the staff’s wellness, and any complaints that come in.

Other former employees who submitted impact statements include Arabic interpreter Ed Zreim and youth program facilitator Jayme Van de Mosselaer.

A current employee, who asked to remain anonymous, said it continues to be a place of emotional abuse, with a constant fear of getting fired without cause.

“I love the work, I love helping people,” the employee stated. “But in an environment so stressful, it’s so hard to concentrate.”

Many claimants said they wish they could have stayed in the job, as they were passionate about the work they did with the organization.

“I would have continued had it been a nice environment,” said a former employee, who asked to remain anonymous. “I wouldn’t even think of leaving because I love my clients and I love what I do.”

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