The Mosaic Abuse Prevention Policy

The Mosaic places significant importance on healthy relationships and equitable stewardship of power. As a Christian collective, the Mosaic is committed to upholding the standards of Christ, of other-preferring love, care, protection, and respect for the whole person in all relationships. Recognizing that the Christian church is no stranger to abuse and understanding the profound emotional and spiritual damage (Trauma) resulting from abuse, the Mosaic will not tolerate or condone abuse in any form. 

The purpose of the Mosaic Prevention Policy is to provide Mosaic members with the tools to foster the safest environment possible for those who serve, as well as those served through the ministry and service of the Mosaic. 

The purpose of this policy is to prevent and investigate harassment within the  Ministry activities of the Mosaic. The policy applies to the Board, all employees and Novitiates and Ordinands of the Mosaic. 

Definition of Harassment 

Harassment is any single or repeated occurrence of inappropriate conduct,  comment, display, action or gesture, or incidents of bullying, manipulation, or unwanted visual, verbal or physical conduct that could have a harmful effect on another’s psychological or physical health and safety. It offends or humiliates and creates fear or intimidation.

 

* See Appendix A below for “Examples of what constitutes harassment.”

Note: Reasonable action taken by the Mosaic Board and or the Executive  Director related to the management and direction of employees, Novitiates and  Ordinands, such as performance reviews, work evaluation, and disciplinary measures taken for any valid reason, is not harassment.

Rights and Responsibilities 

The Mosaic recognizes that everyone has the right to be free of harassment in the workplace, church community and related activities. There is no time limit to bring forward an abuse complaint.

No Board member, employee, Novitiate, or Ordinand or respective volunteers will be subjected to reprimand, reprisal or discrimination for reporting a harassment complaint in good faith. 

The policy is not intended to discourage, prevent, or preclude a complainant from exercising their legal rights under any other law or filing a complaint under the  Alberta Human Rights Act. 

Everyone with the Mosaic – including the Board, Executive Directors, employees,  Novitiates, and Ordinands are responsible to: 

  • Maintain a respectful and harassment-free ministry space. 
  • Report all incidents of ministry space harassment, whether witnessed or experienced.
  • Cooperate in the investigation of a ministry space harassment complaint as required. 
  • Understand and follow the harassment prevention policy. 

 

The Executive Director must keep a record of the details of the incident to assist with the investigation. 

In addition to the rights and responsibilities of all Board, Executive Directors,  employees, Novitiates, and Ordinands have additional responsibilities. 

The Mosaic is responsible to: 

  • Take all reasonable measures to ensure that no employee, Novitiate or  Ordinand, is subjected to harassment in the ministry space. 
  • Ensure the policy is readily available to all who request it. 
  • Have a process for reporting and investigating ministry space harassment. 
  • Ensure the source of harassment is identified, and the harassment is stopped. 
  • Take corrective action against anyone who subjects another to ministry space  harassment. 
  • Take all reasonable steps to remedy the effects of harassment and prevent  or minimize future incidents.
  • Create a public facing access point to receive complaints.

 

All Mosaic leaders are responsible to: 

  • Treat all reports of ministry space harassment seriously and respond promptly. 
  • Address any behaviours that may lead to a ministry space harassment complaint. 

 

Complaints of Ministry Space Harassment

 

Informal resolution 

If an employee feels they have been subject to ministry space harassment, there may be informal ways to resolve the issue, such as asking the person to stop the behaviour or getting assistance from the Executive Director or Board Member.  They may speak to the harasser and may also arrange for mediation to help the people involved reach an acceptable resolution.

 

Formal complaint process 

If an employee is unable to resolve the matter by dealing directly with the person  or is uncomfortable approaching the person, the employee must notify the  Executive Director or Board Member immediately to file a formal complaint. 

A complaint form is available on the Mosaic website and will be submitted to the Mosaic Executive Director or Board Member via email to abuse@themosaicnetwork.org and must be completed to initiate the formal process. 

 

Investigation into Ministry Space Harassment 

 

The Mosaic will investigate all reports of workplace harassment. 

  • Once a complaint is received, the Mosaic Board will immediately start an investigation.
  • The complaint will be investigated thoroughly and promptly by the Executive Director and at least one other Board member.
  • If the Executive Director is the subject of a report, then at least two board members at arms-length of the report not including the Executive Director, or a third-party, must investigate the complaint.
  • The investigators will review any related documentation and interview the complainant, the alleged harasser, and witnesses, if applicable.
  • When the investigation is complete, the investigators will provide a written report for the Mosaic Board. 
  • If it is determined that harassment occurred, the harasser will be subject to remedial action or dismissal. 
  • The Mosaic Board will communicate the findings, including any corrective action taken, to the complainant and the accused harasser in writing following the completion of the investigation report. 

 

Confidentiality 

All complaints must be kept confidential. Information about the people involved and the circumstances of the complaint can only be disclosed to the extent required to report the harassment, conduct the investigation, take remedial action, or when permitted by law. 

 

Policy Review 

This policy will be reviewed every three years (3) or as required to ensure it is up to date.

 

Appendix A

 

Examples of what constitutes Harassment?

 

Harassment includes conduct that is based on any personal characteristic such as, but not limited to, race, creed, religion, colour, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, pregnancy, marital status, family status, disability, physical size or weight, age, nationality, ancestry or place of origin. 

Harassment may include, but is not limited to:

 

  • Degrading comments either to their face or behind their back, including eve-teasing, catcalling, and stereotyped comments
  • Intolerance to differences that may be physical or mental
  • Inappropriate comments, humiliation on futile grounds, offensive jokes, intimidation, critical and harsh remarks, or even something as degrading and childish as ostracizing behaviors that can be destructive with little or no proof. 
  • Cyberbullying– includes sharing unconsented victim information, posting humiliating information or media files, spreading lies on online platforms, sending direct threatening messages to the victim, etc. 
  • Threatening, shouting, insulting, or cursing at a person
  • Constantly interrupting that person; prohibiting the person from speaking to others, silencing them.
  • Engaging in reprisals for having made a complaint under this Policy.
  • Compelling the person to perform tasks that are inferior to his/her competencies that demean or belittle him/her, setting the person up for failure, name calling in private or in front of others.
  • Isolating the person by no longer talking to him or her, denying or ignoring his or her presence, distancing him or her from others.
  • Making fun of his/her/their beliefs, values, political and/or religious choices, and mocking the person’s weak points.
  • Criticizing, insulting, blaming, reprimanding or condemning an employee in public.
  • Exclusion from group activities or assignments without valid reason.
  • Removing areas of responsibility for no real reason.
  • Inappropriately giving too little or too much work.
  • Constantly overruling authority without just cause.
  • Unjustifiably monitoring everything that is done.
  • Blaming whenever things go wrong without just cause.
  • Repeatedly singling out an employee by assigning him/her with demeaning and belittling jobs that are not part of his/her regular duties.
  • Threats, intimidation or retaliation against an employee, including one who has expressed concerns about perceived unethical or illegal workplace behaviours.
  • Comments destroying a person’s reputation, repeated insinuations or unfounded accusations.
  • Invasion of personal space (getting too close for no reason, brushing against or cornering someone).
  • Systematically interfering with normal work conditions, sabotaging places or instruments of work.
  • Abuse of a situation of formal or informal authority or power to threaten a person’s job or undermine his or her performance.
  • Bullying (physical, verbal, social, cyber)– humiliating a person in public settings in order to control the emotional climate at work.
  • Falsely accusing and undermining a person behind closed doors, controlling a person’s reputation by rumor-mongering, controlling the person by withholding resources (time, budget, autonomy, training) necessary to succeed.
  • Humiliating a person in front of colleagues, smear campaigns.
  • Arbitrarily taking disciplinary action against an employee.

Harassment includes any inappropriate sexual conduct that is known or ought reasonably to be known to the person responsible for the conduct to be unwelcome, Sexual harassment includes but is not limited to:

  • Sexual solicitation or advances, 
  • Sexually suggestive remarks, jokes or gestures, 
  • Circulation or sharing inappropriate images 
  • Unwanted physical contact. 
  • Unwanted sexual advances which may or may not be accompanied by threats or explicit or implicit promises.
  • Persistently asking someone out, despite being turned down.
  • Inappropriate questions, suggestions or remarks about a person’s sex life.
  • Regularly following or constantly waiting for someone, watching that person’s comings and goings.
  • Caressing, kissing or fondling someone against his or her will (could be considered assault).
  • Unwelcome social invitations, with sexual overtones or flirting, with a subordinate.

Harassment also includes Spiritual Abuse. 

“Spiritual abuse is a form of emotional and psychological abuse. It is characterized by a systemic pattern of coercive and controlling behaviour in a religious context. Spiritual abuse can have a deeply damaging impact on those who experience it. This abuse may include manipulation and exploitation, enforced accountability, censorship of decision making, requirements for secrecy and silence, coercion to conform, control  through the use of sacred texts or teaching, requirement of obedience to the  abuser, the suggestion that the abuser has a “divine” position, isolation as a  means of punishment, and superiority and elitism.” (Oakley, 2018) 

Spiritual trauma refers to the impact faced by individuals who have been  subjected to abuse, humiliation, coercion, or an unhealthy misuse of power within  a spiritual or religious setting. It can occur within individual relationships,  communities, groups, or institutions. Trauma arises when the mind, body, and  emotions become overwhelmed by a specific event or series of events. Dr. Diane  Langberg emphasizes: “When a spiritual leader abuses others, spiritual trauma always occurs. No matter the tool or the method of delivery, all forms of abuse  (by a spiritual leader) always do spiritual damage. One cannot sexually, physically, or verbally abuse another person without also inflicting spiritual  abuse.” 

Examples of what does not constitute harassment:

  • Carrying out managerial duties in a respectful and professional manner.
  • Allocating work.
  • Following-up on work absences.
  • Requiring performance to job standards.
  • Taking corrective or disciplinary measures when justified.
  • A very isolated incident such as an inappropriate remark or abrupt manner.
  • Exclusion of individuals for a particular job based on specific occupational requirements necessary to accomplish the safe and efficient performance of the job.
  • A social relationship welcomed by both individuals.
  • Friendly gestures among co-workers such as a pat on the back.
  • The normal exercise of management and supervisory rights. 
  • Supervisory mistakes.
  • Work-related stress.
  • Conditions of work or study.
  • Difficult professional constraints such as a budget reduction exercise
  • Conflicts, though they can move toward harassment if not dealt with
  • Constructive criticism about the work mistake and not the person.
  • Counseling an employee on his performance appraisal when done in a non discriminatory or harassing manner.