A council divided. Photos courtesy Town of Whitby.

A council divided: Charges of ‘toxic workplace’ refuted

Mayor Don Mitchell refutes allegations of ‘toxic’ workplace

Town of Whitby has not received any f0rmal staff complaints against the council, said the town’s Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) Matt Gaskell.

Allegations had been raised about the town’s ‘toxic’ workplace culture at the Committee of the Whole meeting held on Monday October 18.

“Last night at the Committee of the Whole meeting, a member of council alleged systemic workplace issues within the Town of Whitby,” said Gaskell in a statement released yesterday.

“Bullying, name-calling, intimidation or making anyone feel unsafe in the workplace at any time is not acceptable. That’s why the town has a robust respect in the workplace policy to guide the actions we take when any allegation is brought forward, including thorough investigations.

“I can confirm that no formal complaints from staff against members of council have been received since the inception of this policy in 2018,” the CAO said.

For matters of council, the process for dealing with allegations or complaints is clear and outlined in the council code of conduct whereby a formal complaint can be submitted to the Integrity Commissioner.

Sensitivity training will be offered to all members of council, added Gaskell.

Mayor Don Mitchell’s open letter [next page]

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