2023-08-23 21:11:28
Municipal employees are seeing a significant increase in verbal, sometimes even physical, violence, forcing the City of Saguenay to post warning messages.
“No verbal abuse will be tolerated”… this message appears more and more in the clinics or businesses that we visit. Saguenay has also decided to follow suit and display this type of poster in its buildings.
Violence happens even in places like libraries. Insults such as “big cow” and “big sow” are coming more and more frequently from the mouths of users.
“For some time, we have realized that people are less patient and also less tolerant. They have more mood swings and are more demanding too. There were threats, broken equipment, inappropriate comments towards my female colleagues. It happens several times a week,” lamented Katherine Néron, who works in technological assistance at the Chicoutimi library.
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These behaviors are unacceptable and the city has had enough of them. “Politeness, courtesy, patience still exist and it is important. We will turn things around as we want, there is no justification for treating a library employee as a sow or a cow,” denounced Dominic Arseneau, spokesperson for the city of Saguenay.
Common behaviors
Verbal and even physical violence against municipal employees is an increasingly widespread problem in all trades. “I can give you several examples. Last winter, a snow remover had his truck shoveled.
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We already had a brown bin delivery girl last summer who was grabbed by the throat by a citizen. At the ticket collection counter, for example, several times a week, there are verbal insults or slaps given to the windows, the counters or even the door of the town hall which is slammed by the people going out.
Those in charge of the day camps said this year that the monitors suffered a lot of impatience and rudeness towards parents,” listed Mr. Arseneau. “The person may well be the most angry in the world, but we don’t there can be nothing. We are here to enforce the rules. We are also humans after all. It will happen once ok, but when it’s two or three times in our week or our day, we find it heavy, ”added Ms. Néron.
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Awareness campaign
To raise public awareness, the City of Saguenay has begun to install playful signs in the libraries of Chicoutimi, Jonquière, La Baie and Arvida.
“Yes sometimes it’s long, we understand that people can be tired, live in difficult situations, but nothing justifies behavior like that. The reminder that we do in the library is for libraries because it is fun and possible to do it, but obviously, it applies everywhere, ”said the spokesperson for the City.
“I hope it will change things, I am hopeful. And I’m hopeful that it will make people aware of customer service in general, ”wishes Katherine Néron.
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