The Alberta Public Service Commission (PSC) will provide eCourse training to Alberta Public Service Employees to create awareness of expectations in the areas of workplace harassment, violence and discrimination, and the associated complaint process, in alignment with the Respectful Workplace Policy for the Government of Alberta (RWP), as may be amended from time to time.
o Project Background and Objective - In February 2015, the Government of Alberta (GoA) implemented the RWP to support respectful workplace behaviors and to address any issues of disrespectful behaviors in the workplace. The policy was developed as a foundation to: support our APS value of respect; ensure processes were in place to address any disrespectful behaviors; and support APS employees in making a positive difference in the lives of Albertans. The policy also ensures the GoA remains a great place to work, and develops future leaders within the APS. In order to support the objectives of the policy, two (2) in-person workshops were developed: one for all APS employees and a second workshop for managers and supervisors. To ensure province-wide access, an introductory eCourse was developed for all APS employees in 2017.
The RWP was refreshed in Jan 2019 to align with recent changes to the Alberta Occupational Health and Safety legislation. To support rollout of the refreshed policy, in-person training has been provided to supervisors since February 2019. The next step is to provide training to all APS employees through an eCourse .
This Project is to deliver a respectful workplace eCourse to all APS employees, including current employees and new employees. Through this eCourse, all participants will be made aware of the 2019 RWP changes, including definitions of harassment, violence and discrimination in the workplace. The eCourse will provide examples of respectful behaviors and clearly identify what incivility in the workplace is. This eCourse will provide information on the impact of disrespectful behavior on bystanders, indirect trauma, prevention, and identifying, responding to and reporting incidents. This will align with the RWP. This eCourse will provide an understanding of how to create psychological wellness in the workplace, and of the impact of disrespectful behavior on those around us. The eCourse will support diversity awareness such as transgender awareness, empowerment of ourselves and bystanders, and tips for dealing with an aggressor. The eCourse will be focused on prevention and awareness with an action-oriented focus. The eCourse will have the ability to provide information on the RWP complaint process for APS employees. Participants will be able to complete this e-course training at their workstations or other sites, on platforms such as desktops, iPads and cellphones. As well, this training will be accessible for a diverse range of all employees, such as those with visual and hearing impairments.
The eCourse should provide an opportunity for the user to be interactive with the provided material. The course should be engaging, current, inclusive, and relevant with a Canadian corporate focus and include an audio presentation of the information.
o Project Structure/Business Model- Working with PSC’s Wellness, Health and Safety, and Learning & Development branches, the successful Proponent will need to custom brand their existing training for APS employees, in alignment with the new RWP. This custom branding may include a senior leader preamble, which articulates the significance and importance of a respectful workplace, and links to the RWP and complaint process.
o Key Stakeholders- the Public Service Commission, through its Labour and Employment Policy and Programs (LEPP) division, Wellness Health and Safety will provide oversight to this Project.
o Related Project Documents – The RWP and Policy Guidelines can be viewed at: https://www.alberta.ca/assets/documents/psc-respectful-workplace-policy.pdf
