Corporate Workshops & Productions

 

Let Mixed Company help your organization evoke positive discussion concerning violence and harassment in the workplace.

Changes to Ontario’s Occupational Health and Safety Act (OHSA) – effective June 15, 2010 – allows for the strengthening and protection of workers for workplace violence and to address workplace harassment.  Mixed Company Theatre is contributing to Bill 168 efforts and helping to support positive social change in our workplace community, by offering an interactive Forum Theatre workshop.

Bill 168 Amendments to the Occupational Health and Safety Act

Definitions

* taken from the Ontario Ministry of Labour website

Workplace violence means:

• •  The exercise of physical force by a person against a worker, in a workplace, that causes or could cause physical injury to the worker
• •  An attempt to exercise physical force against a worker, in a workplace, that could cause physical injury to the worker
• •  A statement or behaviour that it is reasonable for a worker to interpret as a threat to exercise physical force against the worker, in a workplace, that could cause physical injury to the worker.

Workplace harassment means:

• •  Engaging in a course of vexatious comment or conduct against a worker in a workplace that is known or ought reasonably to be known to be unwelcome.

Workplace harassment may include bullying, intimidating or offensive jokes or innuendos, displaying or circulating offensive pictures or materials, or offensive or intimidating phone calls.

WORKSHOP ARE PERFECT FOR:

• •  Non-government Institutions
• •  Educational Institutions
• •  Business Professionals
• •  Government Organization
• •  Community Organizations

** Call (416) 515-8080 or daniel (at) mixedcompanytheatre (dot) com for your customized quote

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“Employers spend an estimated 300 billion dollars a year on stress-related absenteeism, turnover, lowered productivity, and direct medical, legal and insurance costs…The link between employee health and well-being and organizational performance is clear. Employers who embrace that connection are better able to develop a high-performing workforce that serves as a competitive advantage in the marketplace.”
– Russ Newman, American Psychological Association Executive Director

Mixed Company Theatre has provided made-to-order dramatic workshops to help address such corporate issues as:

• •  Leadership
• •  Mental Health
• •  Diversity
• •  Communication
• •  Employee Engagement
• •  Civic Engagement
• •  Harassment and Manipulation
• •  Seniority Issues
• •  Substance Abuse
• •  Homophobia
• •  Respect for Co-Workers

Forum Theatre has Impact for Groups Large and Small

MXCO was asked by a large Ontario power-generating facility to assist in raising employee awareness of sexual harassment. Working with management and union members, we developed a play that demonstrated a worst-case workplace scenario and then offered suggestions for change. This play was performed at the Metro Convention Centre for more than 1500 employees.

A Mixed Company workshop can help you encourage and grow that kind of positive culture within your organization by helping your team to:

• •  Identify and work through roadblocks that are impeding team progress
• •  Foster understanding between employees and managers through interactive role-play
• •  Manage stress even when the pressure is on
• •  Deal with difficult people
• •  Value a range of ages and abilities and create a workplace with room for everyone
• •  Understand and leverage different personalities within the team
• •  Develop a group strategy for dealing with corporate restructuring
• •  Cultivate a positive, creative approach to future change

And because we know that the workplace can be a very serious place, we insist that all of our workshop exercises are fun, non-threatening, and provide skills that can be put to use right away.

Cases in point

Here’s a look at the work we’ve done with some of our business clients:

The challenge:

Help the newly amalgamated city of Toronto improve two-way communication and open up dialogue between city officials and citizens.

The workshop:

We worked with an integrated mega-city task force to identify the blocks and situations citizens were experiencing with City Hall. Using Forum Theatre techniques, we started with the worst-case scenario, “You can’t fight City Hall,” and worked from there to identify ways in which mega city officials could be more accessible to their constituents.

The show was hugely successful in creating a platform from which common citizens could gain access to City Hall and voice their concerns. It stirred up much civic action and opened lines of communication between government and the people of Toronto.

The challenge:

We were approached by the Human Resources (HR) team of a mid-sized manufacturing company to solicit the input of their employees in the creation of a new Benefits policy.

The workshop:

After a discussion with HR leaders of the company’s key issues, we used Forum Theatre techniques to work with head office staff and factory workers to help them better understand each other’s needs and perspectives. We provided HR leaders with a summary of the feedback generated through the workshops, along with recommendations they could implement in the development of a new HR Benefits policy that addressed the needs of all employees.

The challenge:

For a large Ontario power generating facility, Mixed Company was asked to assist in raising employee awareness of sexual harassment.

The workshop:

We worked with management and union members to develop a play that showed the worst-case scenario of things that happen in the workplace between men and women, and then offered suggestions for change. This play was performed at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre for more than 1,500 employees.