As the COVID emergency has progressed, we know that everyone is tired, frustrated and concerned. We all feel the pressure that COVID brings in some way.
At the same time, we have seen increasing incidents of harassment and discrimination, including racial slurs, both in person and over the phone directed to Region of Peel employees who interact directly with the community.
Everyone wants our communities to go back to normal, but please, do not take out these frustrations on Peel’s employees who are working to keep our community safe.
The employees subjected to this harassment have been working extraordinary long hours for over a year, despite exhaustion and anxiety. At the very heart of their work is their unrelenting drive to keep the residents of Peel healthy and safe. They too, have lost friends and family members, are juggling children at home and parents who need care, have loved ones out of work, and want this pandemic to end. These are not only public service providers, but also residents of your community. They are your neighbours, your family members and your friends. Many of them have built their entire careers by putting the public’s best interests at heart, and they deserve, like everyone, to carry out their jobs in an environment free from harassment and bullying.
If you disagree with the Region’s policies, or the way we deliver our services, you can send your constructive feedback here. But please, don’t harass our employees. The people bearing the brunt of this harassment are simply doing their jobs, carrying out the health and safety protocols of the Region’s response to COVID and doing their best to keep you safe.