Code of Conduct

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Books BC is committed to providing an environment free of harassment—including, but not limited to, discrimination, sexual harassment, personal harassment, bullying, and violence—where all members of the association, board members, staff, and others in the wider Books BC community are treated with respect and dignity. (For Definitions, see below.)

Accordingly, at all Books BC events, attendees, staff, and speakers are expected to abide by the code of conduct as follows.

Inclusivity

Books BC functions with a spirit of inclusiveness and celebrates all participants, including all races, ethnicities, a full spectrum of genders (as well as gender non-specificity), a full spectrum of sexual identities, and persons with a range of abilities and ability challenges. The association believes that a diverse range of experiences and perspectives is absolutely necessary in building a thriving and healthy industry. This includes respecting how people wish to be addressed and identified (including by their chosen pronouns). Books BC welcomes a diversity of opinions and perspectives and believes the freedom to respectfully articulate and argue these differences, add to the strength of the association.

Harassment

By law, every person has the right to be free from harassment and discrimination. Such behaviour will not be tolerated at any Books BC−hosted activity or event. Participants are encouraged, where possible, to address concerning behaviour quickly and informally.

Participants who are accused of harassment at a Books BC event will have an opportunity to respond to the allegations.

Serious or ongoing complaints of harassment in any of its forms should be made to the Books BC executive director and/or a member of the board of directors as soon as possible after the incident takes place.

A participant found to be in breach of this code of conduct could be expelled from an event, lose the privilege of attending future Books BC−hosted activities, and, if a member, be suspended or expelled from Books BC at the board’s discretion.

Harassment is not interpersonal conflict between persons unless the exchange results in behaviour that is considered threatening or abusive. Expressing differences of opinion, engaging in debate, or disagreeing with someone is not harassment.

Discrimination is unfair or prejudicial treatment of people and groups based on race, colour, ancestry, place of origin, religion, family status, marital status, physical disability, mental disability, sex or gender, age, sexual orientation, or political belief.

Discrimination may involve actions that are overtly discriminatory, or it may involve rules, practices, or procedures that appear neutral but disadvantage certain groups of people. Discrimination may take obvious forms, or it may happen in very subtle ways.

Harassment and discrimination will not be tolerated, condoned, or ignored at Books BC. If a claim of harassment or discrimination is proven, disciplinary measures will be applied, up to and including termination of employment or contract of engagement or revocation of membership.

For more definitions of types of discrimination and harassment, please see Definitions below.

Confidentiality and the Right to Privacy

At some Books BC−hosted events (for example at professional development seminars and general meetings) members and other participants may share business and personal information meant only for the immediate audience. Participants are asked to keep such information confidential.

In general, participants should use discretion and avoid disclosure of sensitive information through informal or public discussion. Similarly, participants should respect others when sharing photos, videos, quotes, or materials online (or otherwise) by asking permission first and removing any content if asked to do so.

Definitions*

The following definitions are not inclusive of all types of behaviour that may be construed as bullying and harassing behaviour and, as such, are not intended to limit the application of this policy.

Gender-based harassment means engaging in a course of vexatious behaviour against a worker in a workplace because of sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression, where the course of comment or conduct is known or ought reasonably to be known to be unwelcome.

Sexual harassment is any unwelcome conduct, comment, display, action or gesture, or contact of a sexual nature. Sexual harassment includes, but is not limited to, unwanted physical contact, sexual advances, requests for sexual favours, sexual innuendo, suggestive or offensive comments or gestures emphasizing sexuality or sexual identity, and any conduct that reasonably leads to the perception that a condition of a sexual nature is being placed on a person.

Personal harassment is not limited to, but also includes, the act of intentionally causing harm to others through verbal harassment, intimidation, or other more subtle methods of coercion such as manipulation, including ignoring and isolating the person. Personal harassment can exist even where there is no intention to harass or offend.

Bullying is similar to personal harassment but describes a form of harassment perpetrated by an abuser who possesses more physical and/or social power and dominance than the victim.

Violence is the use of physical force or the exhibition of such force for the purpose of intimidation.

Microaggressions are subtle, insidious aggressions that are either intentional or unintentional and often reoccur. Microaggressions dismiss, isolate, and belittle, particularly on the basis of marginalized identities.

A poisoned environment is created by comments or conduct that create a discriminatory environment (including comments or conduct that are condoned or allowed to continue when brought to the attention of management). The comments or conduct need not be directed at a specific person, and may be from any person, regardless of position or status. A single comment or action, if sufficiently serious, may create a poisoned environment.

The prohibited grounds of discrimination include race, colour, ancestry, place of origin, religion, family status, marital status, physical disability, mental disability, sex or gender, age, sexual orientation, or political belief.

Harassment is any inappropriate conduct, comment, display, action, or gesture by a person that adversely affects another person’s psychological or physical well-being or that a reasonable person knows or ought to know would cause the other person to be humiliated or intimidated.

Harassment can be repeated conduct, comments, displays, actions, or gestures. Harassment can also be a single, serious occurrence of conduct or a single, serious comment, display, action or gesture that has a lasting, harmful effect on the other person.

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*Definitions are adapted from definitions in the BC Human Rights Code, by the BC Human Rights Clinic, and by WorkSafe BC.

Adopted by the membership May 2019. Last updated January 2023.