Regardless of the nature of your situation, you have agency and choice. If the options above still feel limiting, or if you’re still unsure about who to reach out to for support, we’ve curated a more comprehensive list of resources (including those previously outlined) that will hopefully provide a greater landscape of options for a safe(r) space for you to share your experience and/or seek help if you need it. Please know that you’re not limited to supports at the University of Waterloo.
University of Waterloo supports
Sexual Violence Prevention and Response Office (SVPRO)
Office of Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Anti-Racism (EDI-R)
Office of Indigenous Relations
Indigenous Employee Community Resources
Waterloo Indigenous Student Centre (WISC)
Workplace Harassment Advisors (co-op)
Co-op Advisors
Career Advisors
Human Resources (HR)
University of Waterloo Staff Association (UWSA)
Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE)
AccessAbility Services Waterloo Undergraduate Student Association (WUSA)
Graduate Student Association (GSA-UW)
Healthy Workplace Committee
Safety Office
Waterloo Health Services
Special Constable Service
Off-campus supports
Empower Me – mental health and wellness support (undergraduate and graduate students)
Here 24/7 – addictions, mental health and crisis services (Waterloo-Wellington)
Good2Talk – mental health and well-being support for post-secondary students in Ontario
24 Hour Support Line (519-741-8633) – Sexual Assault Support Centre of Waterloo Region
Waterloo Region Sexual Assault and Domestic Violence Treatment Centre
Waterloo Regional Police Services
Victim Services of Waterloo Region
Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario
OHSA Health and Safety Contact Centre
References and additional workplace safety and rights resources
Government of Canada
Canadian Human Rights Commission – Provincial and territorial human rights agencies
Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety (CCOHS) https://www.ccohs.ca/topics/hazards/physical/
Provincial/Territorial Health and Safety:https://www.ccohs.ca/oshanswers/information/govt.html
The Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA) https://www.priv.gc.ca/en/privacy-topics/privacy-laws-in-canada/the-personal-information-protection-and-electronic-documents-act-pipeda/
Government of Ontario e-Laws Ontario https://www.ontario.ca/laws/
Your Guide to the Occupational Health and Safety Act (OHSA) https://www.ontario.ca/document/guide-occupational-health-and-safety-act
Your Guide to the Employment Standards Act (ESA) https://www.ontario.ca/document/your-guide-employment-standards-act-0
Employment Standards Information Centre Toll-free in Ontario:1-800-531-5551 GTA: 416-326-7160
Employment Standards Act (ESA) – Written policy on electronic monitoring of employees https://www.ontario.ca/document/your-guide-employment-standards-act-0/written-policy-electronic-monitoring-employees
Employment Standards Act (ESA) – Written policy on disconnecting from work https://www.ontario.ca/document/your-guide-employment-standards-act-0/written-policy-disconnecting-from-work
Ontario Human Rights Commission (OHRC) https://www.ohrc.on.ca/en https://www.ohrc.on.ca/en/learning/learning
Ontario Labour Relations Act https://www.ontario.ca/laws/statute/95l01
Ontario Building Code Act (OBC) https://www.ontario.ca/laws/statute/92b23
Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development https://www.ontario.ca/page/ministry-labour-immigration-training-skills-development
Health and Safety Contact Centre: Toll-free: 1-877-202-0008 Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (FIPPA) https://www.ontario.ca/laws/statute/90f31 Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act https://www.ontario.ca/laws/statute/90m56 Non-government Pride at Work Canada – Your rights https://prideatwork.ca/know-your-rights/ Workplace Safety and Insurance Board (WSIB) https://www.wsib.ca/en Workers Action Centre https://workersactioncentre.org/ CLEO Connect – Your legal rights (employment and work) https://cleoconnect.ca/legal-topic/employment-and-work/ Toronto Workers’ Health and Safety Legal Clinic http://www.workers-safety.ca/ Discover Ability Network – Disclosure and workplace accommodation tip sheets https://discoverability.network/job-seeker/tip-sheets/ Psychological safety Harvard Business Review – What is psychological safety? https://hbr.org/2023/02/what-is-psychological-safety Book: Clark, T. R. (2020). The 4 stages of psychological safety. Berrett-Koehler Publishers. Book: Edmondson, A. C. (2019). The Fearless Organization: Creating Psychological Safety in the workplace for learning, Innovation, and growth. John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Microaggressions, harassment, and discrimination Cleveland Clinic, Mental Health – What are microaggressions? https://health.clevelandclinic.org/what-are-microaggressions-and-examples/ Harvard Business Review – An antidote to microaggressions? Microvalidations https://hbr.org/2023/05/an-antidote-to-microaggressions-microvalidations Harvard Business Review – Recognizing and responding to microaggressions at work https://hbr.org/2022/05/recognizing-and-responding-to-microaggressions-at-work American Psychological Association – Bystander intervention tip sheet https://www.apa.org/pi/health-equity/bystander-intervention Legal support