b'While harassment and bullyingis important not only for virtual, work- a holistic approach to ending violence online is experienced by both menfrom-home arrangements, but also forand abuse in our communities and and women, we know that there is aattending conferences or assemblies asprovides information from First Nation significant gendered experience regardingpart of our job duties, as all these spacesperspectives, focusing on women and the impacts of COVID-19 that createneed to be protected for employees. 2SLGBTQ+ people as well as men and particular vulnerabilities for women. InThe Chiefs of Ontario takes theseboys. We will continue this work to Canada, women are losing their jobs atimprove access to legal information for higher rates than menunemploymentdifficult situations and the import-rates are as high as 20 per cent amongance of employee well-being to heartFirst Nations, promote healthy dialogue women compared to 13 per cent amongas part of a larger conversation aroundon difficult topics and support commun-men. Women hold less than half ofhealthy communities. This is why weities. Chiefs of Ontario will be releasing management positions, meaning theyare developing and sharing informationmore materials and resources on safe are more likely to hold fewer secureon sexual harassment in the workplaceworkplaces, legislation and policies, positions than men. These statisticsas part of a public legal education andwhich will be publicly available in the demonstrate the realities women faceinformation project. The project takesnear future. during a pandemic and the increased likelihood that they will suffer harass-ment in silence. The YWCA published a report that highlighted the heightened vulnerability of Indigenous women, girls and Two-Spirited people duringjgferris1959@gmail.comthe pandemic.It is our collective responsibility to protect the well-being of our coworkers and ourselves in the workplace, virtual or otherwise. We can protect each other by showing respect and empathy, and by speaking up when we see, hear or suspect incidents of bullying or harass-ment. By understanding our rights in the workplace, we should feel empowered to assert our boundaries and report inci- Ed-Digenous Traditions creates Indigenous Learning Kits for dents where these boundaries are crossed.schools, communities, workshops, conferences and Employers also hold an integral rolepost-secondary institutions. The kits actively demonstrate and in fostering this workplace culture forsupport the educational concepts being introduced.employees. It is critical to employee safety and wellness to have workplaceEDUCATING THE FUTURE WHILE PRESERVING TRADITIONSpolicies and protocols that protect employees regardless of working virtually or in the office. These policies should be easily accessible, and employees should be trained on any changes, especially in light of the new work-from-home considerations. Employers can strengthen their workplaces by spending more time understanding the ways harassment and violence have changed and proactively address them. A helpful\x1f\x1e\x1d\x1c\x1b\x1d\x1a\x19\x18\x17\x18\x16\x15\x14\x13\x1a\x19\x12\x14\x18\x11\x1e\x15\x1e\x14\x12\x18\x10\x13\x19\x12\x15\x0f\x12\x14action that employers can take is to schedule regular check-ins with their staff to ensure they are feeling supported\x0e\x13\x1d\x1a\x18\x10\x13\x1b\x17\x0cin their work. It is time to move away from the what222 Rowntree Dairy Rdwe have always understood the work- Woodbridge, ON L4L9T2place looks like and move to an image ofT: 905-652-4140a workplace that is virtual and remote www.local675.caone that exists wherever the employee is engaged in work for the employer. This@local675interiorsystemsI ssue2 2021/22C hIefs ofo ntarIoA dvocAte magazIne l 57'