Gatineau, Que. launches new campaign to encourage respect towards city workers

Gatineau City Hall on Tuesday, May 6. (Peter Szperling/CTV News Ottawa)

The City of Gatineau and its public transit service, STO, are launching a new campaign to promote respect in the workplace amid growing instances of incivility directed towards city workers.

“Respect is a value that must return to the heart of our personal exchanges. Our employees are unfortunately increasingly victims of acts of incivility, even though they provide a service to the population,” said Patrick Leclerc, general director of STO, in a French media release.

“These gestures, whether a simple derogatory comment or altercations, are never acceptable.”

The campaign is being launched in collaboration with STO and is titled “Avec nos employés, y’a pas de raison d’être bête. À Gatineau, on se respecte.” The campaign is translated to, “With our employees, there’s no reason to be stupid. In Gatineau, we respect each other.”

The campaign to promote respect is among one of five components in the action plan, alongside others including giving teams tools to handle difficult situations, implementing new procedures to react effectively to incidents and simplifying processes to reduce dissatisfaction among citizens.

The city has released posters, as well as a series of videos depicting situations of incivility, which it says are based on real-life situations.

“Respect and safety of our staff are at the heart of the City of Gatineau’s values. We are determined that every employee can carry out their duties without fear of intimidation or violence,” said Simon Rousseau, Director General of the City of Gatineau, in the French media release.

“Faced with the nature of the incidents of incivility reported and the growing concerns, a structured approach has become essential to guarantee the well-being of all.”

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