A couple weeks ago I was in Winnipeg enjoying a couple games of golf with my Dad (completely mosquito-free by the way) and was basking in the Manitoba warmth and sunshine. While there I was able to read about some intense light that was shining on the small Manitoba city of Winkler.

Front page banner headlines, editorials, columns and so many letters to the editor that the Winnipeg Free Press decided to print some of the overflows in a separate article. For those of you living outside Manitoba, you might not be aware of the controversy brewing in this city of more than 8,000 residents.

It’s been a while, but when I was a much younger Prairie boy, I remember visiting Winkler a few times. Winkler had a certain appeal back then, but it must be doing something right because it has been growing in leaps and bounds, especially in the last 10 years.

One of the characteristics of Winkler - like a number of small Canadian towns and cities – is its religious influence. According to the City of Winkler website, more than 97% of its residents counted themselves as Christian during the 2001 census. There were only 10 Muslims, 10 Buddhists and 205 people with “no religious affiliation” counted in the predominantly Mennonite Christian community.

Hence it came as a bit of a shock to Winkler residents when Janet Baldwin, Chair of the Manitoba Human Rights Commission said the inclusion of “Christian principles” in Winkler’s Garden Valley School Division’s mission statement is violating Manitoba’s Human Rights Code. The Commission looked at the Mission Statement of every Manitoba public school board and Winkler was the only one to make reference to church and Christian religion.

Ms. Baldwin also took issue with the bible reading and prayers that take place every school day at 9:00 a.m. and finish at 9:05, in time for classes to begin. Yet the school division superintendent, Dom Wilkins, told the Free Press that they have “support for religious activities from 100 per cent of parents. As far as I know, every single parent in the school division has requested it.”

The overflowing letters to the editor were running 6 to 1 in favour of the school board’s policy. If this many people are in favour of including “Christian principles” in a mission statement, and if almost all the community is clearly on the same page with their religious beliefs, and finally, if school superintendent Wilkins says “100 per cent” of parents support the school prayers, then what is the problem?

As children and adults go back to school and back to work after the summer holidays, it’s probably a good time to bring up the type of issue that is causing such a stir in Winkler Manitoba. I don’t mean the specific issue of religion in schools – that’s an interesting issue in itself and is clearly very, very important to people on all sides of the debate. I mean the notion of “fitting in” at work.

Workplace human rights (and schools are workplaces) are often strained when the majority of people like to do or say certain things that don’t sit well with a minority. This might include jokes about women, men, Christians, Muslims or Jews, and it might include the accommodation of different practises such as the observance of a Sabbath other than Sunday, for example.

Yet workplaces across Canada are being caught off guard when formal complaints are brought against them because they have not done their homework to comply with workplace human rights. They get these complaints when employees are required to “go along to get along.”

Take for example the assertion from Superintendent Wilkins who said that 100% of parents were in favour of the morning prayers. Through a legitimate process parents were asked for their opinions and I have no doubt believing that everyone who responded gave their approval to a principle that is clearly important to the vast majority of the community. In fact, many of those who wrote letters to the editor mentioned the “100%” response as good reason for the Manitoba Human Rights Commission to take a hike!

However, under the cover of darkness (so to speak) two anonymous letters that got into the paper told a different story. The Free Press noted one letter from a Winkler mother who wrote, “I don’t believe religious exercises should be in the schools. My kids are forced to do it. There’s such a thing as bullying and peer groups, and you have to go along with everyone. People are afraid to say no.”

And this is what an anonymous Winkler teacher wrote: “Religious exercises are also part of all-school assemblies held once a month in the high school. Students are REQUIRED to attend, and anyone in the hallway is told to get into the gym.” (emphasis by the teacher)

Keep in mind that newspapers rarely publish letters that are anonymous. If you aren’t willing to identify yourself, then you shouldn’t get the same editorial space as those who do.

So if parents and teachers, in this free and democratic society of Canada don’t feel they can assert their basic rights over their religious beliefs and those of their own children and students in a school system, then what do you think is going on in your workplace when people are getting comments or procedures that go against their rights?

In other words, what are people at your workplace thinking they have to do to keep the peace, protect themselves from being ostracized, or ensure they aren’t denied workplace opportunities?

The key will always be to allow employees to assert their rights and not feel they have done anything wrong for asserting those rights. The other thing is getting away from this idea that democracy has anything to do with human rights. If it’s 1 in 2 people having problems with workplace jokes or policies, or 1 in 1,000, this person still gets to assert his or her rights. No one should feel like a schmuck for doing the right thing.

Christian religion is very important to many residents of Winkler and from at least one news item I saw years ago, this is the reason so many Mennonites are being drawn to Winkler within Canada and around the world. That’s a great thing. So how will Winkler’s majority Christian residents enjoy their beliefs at the same time as ensuring all residents have the same enjoyment of a different belief, or "no belief” at all?

Even though it might seem strange, or even wrong, they will have to make some changes in their public schools procedures.

And so, how will any “majority” in your workplace do the same? The "school season" just started, so I won’t give out any homework. But throughout the year, give thought to what needs to be done to ensure employees at your workplace don’t have to go along just to get along. This is especially important if employees have to go along with policies or comments that conflict with their basic human rights, protected by law.

Stephen

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Stephen Hammond, B.A, LL.B, CSP, is a speaker, trainer and author working in the field of workplace human rights. Articles, tips and his books Managing Human Rights At Work: 101 Practical Tips to Prevent Human Rights Disasters and Steps in the Rights Direction: 365 human rights celebrations and tragedies that inspired Canada and the world are available on his website www.stephenhammond.ca. Contact Stephen at 866-685-8338 or stephen@stephenhammond.ca