STEP 1. Method of Report
Choose one of these reporting methods:
- Online report to the Office for Respectful Environments (response within 72 hours)
- Direct contact with the Office for Respectful Environments by email (response within 72 hours)
- Contact representatives of the WELL Office listed here to discuss reporting options or to book an appointment with a Wellness Consultants/Advisor
- Direct contact with any member of faculty or staff in the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences
STEP 2. Triage
- Office of Respectful Environments contacts learner to discuss report and next steps, including triage to appropriate persons in Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences
STEP 3. Follow Up
- Office for Respectful Environments remains available to provide guidance and support with regards to next steps
- Office for Respectful Environments will monitor responses and outcomes and will track data related to mistreatment
Your Reporting Options
The Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences encourages all learners to report their experiences or concerns about mistreatment in the learning environment.
- You may report an incident of mistreatment in the Faculty's learning environments to the Office for Respectful Environments through the online reporting form. If you prefer, you may contact the Office for Respectful Environments directly, or directly contact any faculty member within the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences. You can also contact representatives of the WELL Office to discuss reporting options or to book an appointment with a Wellness Consultant/Advisor.
- You may report on behalf of yourself, on behalf of someone else, or as part of a group of learners identifying a problem in the learning environment.
- Online reports are confidential and can be anonymous. All online reports remain in the Office for Respectful Environments.
- Your options will be explained and discussed with you before any further steps are taken.
- You are encouraged to seek support and direction from the Assistant Dean, WELL Office or anyone within the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences with whom you feel comfortable discussing your situation.
- All members of the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences community are encouraged to report concerns about mistreatment even when they have not personally experienced mistreatment but they have witnessed disrespectful or unprofessional conduct that is disruptive to the learning environment.
- You will not be subject to any negative consequences if you report a concern in good faith, even if you were mistaken about the conduct and it was not mistreatment or unprofessional conduct. It is unprofessional to make a false report or to report a concern for a malicious purpose.
Reporting Processes
Reporting Mistreatment in the Learning Environment
Report an Emergency
If you are concerned about safety or need assistance contact security or call 911.
Report Online
You can report your concern or experience, anonymously or confidentially, through the report online function. The online report is sent directly to the Office for Respectful Environments. Should you include your contact information, you will be contacted within 72 hours to discuss next steps. Your report will not be forwarded outside of the Office for Respectful Environments until it has been discussed with you.
Report to the Office for Respectful Environments
You may contact the Office for Respectful Environments directly to discuss mistreatment in the Faculty's learning environments or to report your concerns or experience.
Email: respect.fmhs-fmss [at] mcgill.ca
Office for Respectful Environments
Report to a Faculty Member in the Program
If you prefer to contact a faculty or staff member directly to discuss mistreatment in the Faculty's learning environments, the faculty or staff member will discuss your options, including making a report to the Office for Respectful Environments to ensure it is forwarded to the appropriate person. Please see the WELL Office contacts webpage if you would like to speak with a Wellness Consultants/Advisor.
The Office for Respectful Environments and faculty contacts can help you by:
- Discussing your options.
- Referring your concern to the appropriate person.
- Identifying and helping you contact support resources.
Please see the Support Resources page for more information about resources and contacts available to you.
Reporting Sexual Misconduct
If you are reporting a claim of sexual misconduct, including sexual violence or sexual assault, the Office for Respectful Environments will provide information and discuss options with you. Whatever decision you make about reporting the incident, you are encouraged to contact the Office for Sexual Violence Response, Support and Education for information, support and other assistance.
In situations where a learner is in crisis or in urgent need of care, the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences will take appropriate steps immediately to ensure the learner is connected to the most appropriate level of care.
Triage and Follow Up
Reviewing and Triaging Reports
When mistreatment is reported, the primary goals are to provide information, support and to stop the behaviour that is negatively affecting you or disrupting the learning environment. All reports of mistreatment will be reviewed and triaged by the Office for Respectful Environments. You will be asked to provide as much detail as you can about your concerns or experience. This will help to assess your options and determine the best way to respond to your situation.
Reporting a concern does not mean that you have to take any further action. You are not required to file a formal complaint or participate further in any steps the Faculty will take to address your concern, although a decision not to have any further involvement may limit the responses available to deal with your concern.
If you wish further action to be taken in response to your concern, the Office for Respectful Environments will contact the individual or office in your Program who is best able to follow up on your concern. Information you provide is only disclosed to those within the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences who have a responsibility to address the concern or complaint, or as required to meet obligations imposed on the Faculty by University policy or legislation. It may be necessary for the person responding to your concern to gather additional information before there can be any intervention with regards to the behaviour.
In many cases, addressing reported concerns can be accomplished through informal discussions with the individual who is reported to be engaging in the unprofessional or disrespectful behaviour. Individuals engaging in mistreatment may be required to participate in educational and remedial activities. In some cases, discipline may be appropriate. Where permitted, learners will be advised of the steps taken to address their concerns. However, due to restrictions imposed by privacy legislation, learners may not be advised of all outcomes related to their reported concerns.
Reprisal and Retaliation
Reporting concerns when they arise facilitates timely identification of systemic and individual issues and allows the Faculty to intervene to maintain a supportive and respectful working and learning environment. The Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences recognizes that learners are vulnerable members of the Faculty community who may fear negative consequences for bringing a concern forward. In particular, learners may fear retaliation due to power differences in their relationships with others.
The fear of retaliation can result in legitimate concerns going unaddressed and can mean that learners will continue to be subjected to unacceptable conduct that is damaging and disrupts, and interferes with, their learning. The Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences will not tolerate any retaliation, directly or indirectly, against anyone who reports mistreatment, provides information about an allegation of mistreatment, or otherwise participates in the processes to address mistreatment.
Learners who are apprehensive about retaliation, or other potential negative consequences arising from bringing a concern or complaint forward, should discuss their fears when they report their concerns so that appropriate steps can be taken to support the learner. Retaliation should be reported immediately to the Office for Respectful Environments.
All Reported Concerns will be Forwarded to the Office for Respectful Environments
The Office for Respectful Environments maintains a database of all reports of learner mistreatment and learning environment concerns within all programs.