Head of CEGEP put on paid leave of absence amid investigation
The Champlain Regional College has put the campus director of one of its colleges on temporary paid leave, effective immediately, as she faces allegations of psychological harassment and a motion of non-confidence from the teachers' union.
The resolution came following a Wednesday meeting of the regional college’s board, according to CBC.
Quebec's minister of higher education has launched an investigation into the management and finances at Champlain College Lennoxville and the regional college as a whole.
Nancy Beattie, head of Champlain College Lennoxville, will be on paid leave of absence until the "conclusions of the different investigations are brought to the board of governors,” says the report.
Champlain College Lennoxville is one of three campuses under Champlain Regional College.
A court decision in October 2023 highlighted the challenges and best practices for HR in dealing with toxic work environments.
Workers felt humiliated, face challenges in complaints process
As part of the ongoing investigation, four people who reported to Beattie at the college have testified against her under oath, including one person who is the plaintiff in the case, according to CBC.
During hearings, several current and former employees claimed that Beattie created a working environment that made it difficult for workers to do their jobs. Some even claimed in their testimony that they felt humiliated and experienced challenges when they tried to escalate complaints.
One teacher commended the regional college board’s decision, says the report.
"You don't keep somebody on site with an active complaint ... I'm not sure that this is something you can come back from," said the teacher who was unidentified in the report.
"When somebody has — or when an institution has — crossed a certain line, you have to change things."
Also, on Dec. 14, 2023, union members overwhelmingly approved a resolution of non-confidence against Beattie "signifying a unified call for action on pressing concerns within the institution," said the Syndicat de l'Enseignement du Collège Champlain Lennoxville (SECCL) in a statement, CBC reported.
"We're really happy that there was recognition," said Brigitte Robert, the union’s president. "It's a step in the right direction toward restoring the confidence of our teachers and the reputation of our institution and also contributing to a healthier working climate."
A fifth (20 per cent) of workers say they are currently working in a toxic environment, found a previous report.
Addressing toxic work behaviours
HR can take positive steps to help identify, address, and remedy the root causes of a toxic work environment by doing the following, among others, according to Personio, a provider of HR management software:
- Work with employees to understand their challenges, acknowledge these, and identify potential solutions to put in place.
- Have careful discussions with all parties involved in antagonistic situations.
- Consider whether chronically toxic employees can be coached, motivated, or may need to be dismissed for the good of the company.
- Call out behavior that is not okay – and explain why it’s not okay, and what you’ll do about it to prevent it from taking place in the future.
- Take a long, hard look at the incentives driving behavior. Have serious discussions with senior management if these aren’t in alignment with corporate values.
- Encourage a monthly ‘mistakes’ meeting to help employees realize it’s okay to make mistakes, admit them, and find positives in things that have gone wrong.
