HARASSMENT FREE WORKPLACE

Talking with Parents

Ideally most communication about camp policies and programs should include your supervisor, HOWEVER, all staff and volunteers should make parents feel welcomed and acknowledged by greeting them, smiling at them and engaging in general polite conversation with them. Typically the more parents feel welcomed, the better they feel about the camp program.

Your mindset should be that you are being broadcasted on social media at all times. Stop and think before you say or do anything that you would not want the entire world, including your future employers, to know. One sarcastic statement; one silly drawn stick figure; one act of inattention; one jokingly, off-color remark can easily be repeated, published & completely blown out of proportion. Choose your words kindly & wisely.  

Discretion & Confidentiality is VITAL! 

Staff should never use names when discussing situations or events.

This includes names of parents and other staff members. 

For example, instead of stating “Mrs. Beth saw Jim and Bob go into the kitchen and eat all the cookies”, say, “A staff member witnessed Jim and another student go into the kitchen and eat all the cookies.” 

Personal Advice: Bartlett is “small”. Both kids & adults can make poor choices. Talking about an incident involving a child, parent or staff member in public; on social media; in group texts; etc. can result in serious consequences. (Please refer to Chapter 9 in the COB personnel handbook for more information on this topic.) 

“I don’t know”

When talking with parents or administration, please refrain from giving only the short answer “I don’t know” to them. It is of course okay that you don’t know all the answers, but a better answer is “I don’t know, but let me see if I can find out the answer.” Simply leaving the answer as “I don’t know” may make people think you don’t care about their concern.

Also, please be sure that you are giving accurate information. If you are not sure that your answer is correct, please check with your supervisor to be sure you are giving the proper answer.

Concerns should flow up

If you have concerns about our facility, program or staff let your supervisor know. Just complaining about an issue with a colleague is unlikely to fix the problem.

Please be cognizant of the “chain of command”. Each staff member is important and capable of excellence. Please give everyone the respect & opportunity to fix an issue before taking it to the next level. 

Custody Cases

Occasionally families will be dealing with custody issues. 

UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES should you engage in the details of a custody case unless it directly impacts the well-being of our participants or facility. All interactions involving custody or legal issues should be immediately documented and emailed to your supervisor. 

Please note that until the office has LEGAL, COURT DOCUMENTS defining a change in legal guardianship- NO BIOLOGICAL PARENT MAY BE REMOVED from the Authorized Pick-Up List. Also, ONLY the individual that signed the application for enrollment can remove someone from the Authorized Pick-up List.

Parents are Parents First

You may have been family friends for generations or cared for their child for years but never forget that a parent is a parent first! It is human nature for a parent to protect their child from hurt, sadness or negative events even when they or their camper is the cause. For this reason, please be cautious in friending parents while employed as a counselor. 

As a professional, it is your duty to establish clear cut lines between yourself and a camper’s family. That way, if an issue arises with a camper, there is a layer of security to support your integrity and actions.