Dear members,
As Ontario's largest voluntary member-based association for municipal professionals, we are here to support you. This includes hearing and addressing your concerns regarding sector harassment and incivility.
To help shape our advocacy around this complex issue, and in response to learning of your experiences, in May, we initiated a survey to collect concrete data about the instances and circumstances around harassment and incivility in the workplace. The scope of this survey included questions around your personal experiences with harassment and incivility from both the public and members of council.
Today, we are releasing the survey findings that reveal a clear need for enhanced municipal staff protections and a unified sector response to addressing these issues. The data is consistent with much of the information we have heard, and while not surprising, it is very telling.
While municipal staff continue to express pride and enthusiasm for their work and the positive impacts of local government administration, the data show that presently, municipal workplaces are having a negative impact on the health and well-being of municipal professionals.
Key Findings:
- 66% of respondents reported experiencing harassment from members of council. Of those who reported harassment, 78% experienced it with common frequency.
- Out of those respondents who identify as female, 63% experienced harassment
- Out of those respondents who identify as belonging to an equity-deserving group, 67% experienced harassment
- 77% of respondents reported experiencing incivility from members of council. Out of those who reported incivility, 86% experienced it with common frequency.
- Out of those respondents who identify as female, 75% experienced incivility
- Out of those respondents who identify as belonging to an equity-deserving group, 92% experienced incivility
- 85% of respondents reported experiencing harassment from members of the public. Of those who reported harassment, 84% experienced it with common frequency.
- Out of those respondents who identify as female, 83% experienced harassment
- Out of those respondents who identify as belonging to an equity-deserving group, 86% experienced harassment
- 94% of respondents reported experiencing incivility from members of the public. Of those who reported incivility, 92% experienced it with common frequency.
- Out of those respondents who identify as female, 94% experienced incivility
- Out of those respondents who identify as belonging to an equity-deserving group, 97% experienced incivility
To see the full survey results, including other key findings, key messages, and support tools available, we have put together the following resource page:
Access Full Results & Support Resources
The data tells us that there's a problem; however, we also recognize that not all interactions between municipal staff and members of the public and members of council are problematic. We know that there are many positive interactions and examples of meaningful and productive collaboration happening across our communities. The sector would benefit from promoting these successes and celebrating civility and our common humanity in an effort to reduce instances of harassment and incivility for everyone.
There is an opportunity for us to come together as an Association and as a sector to support one another and continue to advocate to the Province for better municipal staff protections.
Available Supports
As we take time to reflect on the findings and the best way forward for addressing these concerns, I also want to take this opportunity to remind you about the supports available to you as members.
These include:
- Sharing our recent advocacy updates calling for amendments to Bill 9, the Municipal Accountability Act, 2025, to introduce a legislative framework that better protects and supports municipal staff
- Taking advantage of discounted educational resources and supports available through our members' Leadership Hub:
- The Kalen Academy Cultivating Civility masterclass
- One-on-one executive coaching through Conquer Leadership
- Free consultation with municipal practice experts at StrategyCorp
- Relevant courses and accelerator programs through Inside Public Sector Leadership
You and your teams may also find the following training helpful:
- AMCTO Corporate Training
- Managing Challenging Customer Service & Resolving Conflict workshop — allows participants to review and reflect on communication tools, considering an equity lens, and practice de-escalation techniques
Details about these and other support tools are available via our resource page. I encourage you all to review this page and stay tuned as we continue to add materials over the coming months.
Looking Ahead
In 2026, we plan to host a specialty professional development Forum focused solely on combatting municipal harassment and incivility — stay tuned for more information to come in the new year. We will also be considering ways to further support you, our members, in addressing harassment and incivility through broader sector-wide collaborations and initiatives.
In the meantime, thank you for sharing your experiences with us. Please do not hesitate to reach out to our advocacy team for additional information, questions, or to provide feedback.
I also encourage you to lean on and connect with one another for support — I am proud to say that we have a great AMCTO community of caring and understanding municipal professionals who are always willing to listen and lend a helping hand. In addition, you are welcome to reach out to me directly should you have any concerns, if you'd like to share your experience and ideas, or want to simply connect.
On behalf of AMCTO and the Board of Directors, I'd like to thank those who contributed to this survey to help inform our future work.
We see you. We are listening. We are here for you.
Sincerely,
Danielle Manton, AOMC, Dipl.M.M.
President, AMCTO
General Manager, Corporate Services, City of Cambridge