CLR Connector Changing Workplace Culture by Being More than a Bystander
By Karen Dearlove, Executive Director of the BC Centre for Women in the Trades (BCCWITT)
Developed in 2011 by the Ending Violence Association of BC (EVA BC) and the BC Lions, the Be More Than a Bystander program recognizes that most men care deeply about the women and girls in their lives and in the world. The program engages those men to take ownership and play an active role in ending gender-based bullying, harassment and violence.
In 2018 the BC Centre for Women in the Trades (BCCWITT) partnered with EVA BC and the BC Lions to adapt the Be More Than a Bystander program for skilled trades workplaces. BCCWITT has trained 150 men through the three-day train-the-trainer workshop. These men act as spokesmen, delivering 90-minute workshops about Be More Than a Bystander to their colleagues and peers in their own workplaces.
Participants in the program have come from a wide range of organizations and workplaces, including trades instructors, union trainers, managers from private companies, staff from the Industry Training Authority, and even employees with the Construction Labour Association of BC.
BCCWITT believes that creating respectful, safe, and healthy workplaces benefits everyone, not just women. Retaining employees, reducing turnover, and creating a positive work environment leads to greater employee satisfaction and productivity. It is also the responsibility of employers to educate their workforce about bullying and harassment in the workplace.
For more information about how you can bring Be More Than a Bystander training to your workplace visit BCCWITT’s website. To submit an application for the 3-day train-the-trainer workshop complete the online form.
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