A role within the tree planting industry that has been steadily developing over the past few years is the Planter Safety Representative (Rep) Role.

Companies use different names for it. Other examples I’ve seen are Crew Safety Rep, Ombudsperson, and Community Safety Facilitator. For this piece, I will use Planter Safety Rep. Another point on language is that there are different ways to describe people who have experienced harm, victim or survivor are two common terms I’ve come across. For this piece, I will use victim.

Over the years, I’ve noticed some confusion and lack of support around this role - this piece aims to fill these gaps. I worked in this role for two seasons officially and numerous seasons unofficially. I’ve helped develop and provide training for the role at a few different companies.

In February 2022, I created an anonymous survey to gather more information from the industry about this role. I surveyed folks from the facebook group Radical Silviculture because this is where I noticed conversations about this role happening. The survey received 12 responses. While 12 is a low number and hardly indicative of an entire industry, it is a starting point. Thank you to the people who took the time to respond to the survey, sharing industry knowledge and best practices helps everyone!

This piece is broken down into two parts. Part 1 shares the survey results and part 2 provides an example of a bare-bones training outline for the role. I use the words bare-bones because this outline is not intended to be copy-and-pasted-this-is-the-training. It is meant to be altered and tailored to fit the specific organization.

Without further ado, let's dive into the survey results.

Part 1 - Survey Results: Planter Safety Rep Gathering Community Data

What is the best name for this role?

Multiple choice

• 41.7% - Every company is different and will come up with a name that works for them

• 16.7% - Community Safety Facilitator

• 16.7% - Planter Safety Rep

• 8.3% - Crew Safety Rep

• 8.3% - Communication and Safety Facilitator

• 8.3% - A standard title would be helpful to put standard practices in place

• 0% - Ombudsperson

What responsibilities should this role entail?

Survey respondents were asked to check all applicable boxes and/or add their own suggestions. A special note: responses with 8.3% were added by respondents, so others could not vote on them.

• 100% - Be free to lead workshops throughout the season on mental health, consent, harassment, safe space protocol, etc.

• 100% - Post on and contribute to the safety bulletin board in camp (with zines, safety-related posters, procedures, etc.)

• 91.7% - Receive disclosures about harassment, bullying and assault.

• 83.3% - Lead or be a part of relevant training at the beginning of the season (i.e., harassment training, consent training, etc).

• 75% - Receive reports and/or be a part of the process (victim support) during the reporting process.

• 58.3 % - Help organize community events/gatherings in camp (contributing to a positive workplace).

• 8.3% - Reps should only agree to each of these things, if willing, capable, and compensated. Reps should be selected by planters. Responsibilities should consider day-to-day capacities. There should be a list of concerns that do not fall under this role but rather are referred to a crew leader or supervisor. Examples of this:

  • Complaints about roommates during motel contracts. (However, planters could request advocacy if they are not comfortable with management).

  • Complaints about cache etiquette. (However, if a planter witnesses a safety issue, they can suggest an investigation and communicate confidentially with the rep).

• 8.3% - To add, helping organize community events/gatherings in camp is cool, but to be leading said events is not great since during the events there would be a higher chance of needing the reps assistance or attention.

• 8.3% - Hold office hours, and organize mid-season check-ins.

Should a Planter Safety Rep be involved in the harassment/assault reporting process? Or is this something that only management should be involved in?

Included in the survey question: A version of this answer is: This should be up to the victim. But I'm curious even if the victim wants them involved if companies should green-light that?

Paragraph answers.

• Yes.

• Obviously, the survivor should have the final say in who's involved in the process, but it is vital for someone outside management to be available to take a role in that process, especially if the aggressor is part of management. Sadly, I have lived through a situation like this, and the survivor asked me to be involved in the process, otherwise, nothing would have been done because management was protecting their crew boss. As a planter, it was really hard and triggering to juggle dealing with that, going to plant, and not really having any power or specific training about dealing with sexual assault.

• Up to the victim, but the Crew Safety Rep should be another person they are able to come to. But only if the victim chooses to do so.

• They should be involved. I don’t like that only management would be involved as it could lead to a conflict of interest.

• Options of who to report to should be available, among management, crew bosses, reps and just planters willing to advocate for their friends/co-workers. The problem I find is that, without all of these people being adequately trained in consent, privacy, and trauma-informed reporting, (ESPECIALLY MANAGEMENT), I can only encourage planters to report to a 3rd party. I've seen the retraumatizing reporting process too many times and the harmed person leaves quietly, under the label of princess or drama queen.

• They should give direction and recommendations but there (*ideally) should be an industry-wide standard on how the reporting process proceeds. Although they would be the only ones with the information to help hold the company accountable.

• I think it depends on who the victim approaches. They should be able to approach management or the planter rep, then that person is responsible for assisting with the report and investigation.

• I think the survivor shouldn't have to go through the crew safety rep, but that person could have training to receive disclosures and guide the person with the next steps (if they want to take them) - some planters are more comfortable talking with other planters than management.

• Not unless the rep gets proper training and has access to free additional support for any personal mental health needs that may arise through the process

What does being a leader in creating an emotionally and physically safe work environment look like? What does this mean?

Paragraph answers.

• Learning to metabolize your own discomfort, so as not to blast it through the bodies of those around you. And being able to recognize the path that each person has taken to get here, and understand how that shapes their experience.

• Setting up activities like women's circles and harm reduction workshops (safer drug use/Narcan/dealing with overdose), being trained in de-escalation and non-violent communication, having some kind of mental health support training, and offering time slots for conversations about people's problems and hardships.

• Listening. Observing without making assumptions. Understand that support looks different to every person, and in every situation. Find ways to help people be heard, without speaking for them, without their informed consent. From my current experience, this looks like training. If everyone understands consent, (there is so much affordable training available!) a lot of the conflicts I see will disappear. All upper management should be required to take training in survivor-supported reporting, trauma-informed practice, basic mental health 1st aid and conflict resolution, even just to understand the process so that they know when not to take over with the uninformed power, during and following the process. Those interested in future leadership roles should be encouraged to take training. Training options should be advertised for all workers, it doesn't take long to put up posters and send an email. Management should be required to encourage training as a priority above production because production is often used as an excuse for harmful behaviour, with training, there can be more of a balance. Crew bosses who aren't interested in this part of the job, with their new understanding of consent and privacy, should know which trainings are available and refer workers to it if they are not open to listening to a planter's concern. Companies NEED to provide a safe, PRIVATE space, available to these needs, at all times! A space that upper management leaves alone for reps to use, anytime. If they find they don’t have enough safe, private space perhaps they'll finally see how big the problems are that they're spending the bit of extra money on.

• Lead by example. Call out unacceptable behaviour and wording. Learn to recognize scenarios before they happen. Start the uncomfortable conversation. Reiterate consent.

• Mature, trained, comfortable talking about complex issues, compassionate, caring, and a good listener.

• Promoting good habits in your own behaviour; pointing out sexist, racist and all comments and attitudes that diminish the safety of the environment in a polite, yet unyielding way; giving space for people to express themselves (morning meetings, dinner...)

• Being available to listen, being a non-judgmental resource to colleagues no matter the issue, pointing people in the direction of additional supports, focusing on inclusion and compassion, and emphasizing the importance of taking care of each other.

What kind of training should this person have?

Survey respondents were asked to check all applicable boxes and/or add their own suggestions. Responses with 8.3% were added by respondents, so others could not vote on them.

• 91.7% - Mental Health Wilderness First Aid

• 91.7% - Consent Training

• 91.7% - Harassment Training

• 91.7% - Trauma-Informed Training

• 91.7% - Conflict Resolution/Facilitation Training

• 83.3% - Receiving Disclosures Training

• 75% - The Company’s Disclosing & Reporting Policies and Procedures

• 58.3% - Leadership Training

• 8.3% - Somatic Abolitionism

• 8.3% - I think all this training should be covered and compensated by the company. Each 'crew safety rep' should receive a level of compensation just for having these skills and being available to workers for safety concerns. Additional compensation should be available for those interested in further safety coordination, such as activity coordination, a sober night off person (If this person is not a level 3, especially if remote, they should have a sober level 3 they know they can wake up and be comfortable in front line overdose response and able to, at least, breath for someone, while help is being enlisted, organizing mental health check-ins, etc.)

• 8.3% - Non-violent communication, info about boundaries and emotional regulation, self-care practices to teach at orientation.

How should this role be compensated?

Survey respondents were asked to check all applicable boxes and/or add their own suggestions. Responses with 8.3% were added by respondents, so others could not vote on them.

• 41.7% - Hourly rate: $25/hr

• 41.7% - Day rate: camp costs are waived + compensation on top of that (determined by skills, previous experience and qualifications)

• 16.7% - Hourly rate: the exact amount should depend on skill, previous experience and qualifications

• 16.7% - Day rate: camp costs are waived

• 8.3% - Day rate top-up, based on training and experience, just for signing up and to cover the basics of the role, day-to-day. + hourly compensation for any offtime they contribute to the role. Reps should have a backup, for compassion fatigue or work overload, wherein they can waive the days compensation and remove themselves from the list, for needed days off and refer to other safety-trained staff.

• 8.3% - Day rate + camp costs waived, compensation top-up for scenarios that break out of usual work hours. I imagine someone fully in this role going around and checking in on planters, getting a general feel for how folks are doing as a part of the job; on the block when they are working, not when they are on off time.

What has your experience been like with this type of role at your company? Useful/useless? Why?

Paragraph answers.

• Useful at education and prevention, but a bit hamstrung when the Project Manager was not supportive.

• There was someone who was appointed more towards physical safety, and she ended up being in a position to develop a trust bond with planters and uncovered a bullying situation, so it was really useful. I have held the role unofficially and people really appreciated having someone who's not part of management who has more flexibility in regard to what they can say. I hosted a safer drug use workshop for 2 years secretly because company policy was zero tolerance so they wouldn't even allow me to put up informative posters, and it was really helpful and since I wasn't management it was easier for me to go around dangerous policies I didn't agree with.

• Useful, takes it off management's hands and allows more time and effort to be put into the role. Could be a planter doing it after hours.

• At the company I've worked with most, this seemed somewhat helpful but completely uncompensated. In hindsight, the role made the company look good, while it maintained the power to ignore any concerns that management heard and disagreed with. Now that this company has grown quickly, and lost a lot of its non-cis-white-male staff, they accepted the need to compensate for the role and hired a lead rep to design it. She did a great job! But had no support. Was treated by management as though she was being permitted to do her thing, after training to create the roles FOR them, and her role was completely unsustainable, once the season started and management left her to it. She had to pull teeth for every bit of additional compensation. Wait until rent was past due for promised reimbursements for training costs all winter. Was granted her requests for feedback meetings with management and then completely ignored, in lieu of any such meetings... This list is long and awful and I'll stop. I think this role can only be useful if management understands well what this role is and how they need to support it.

• I was in this role last season. Granted later in the season even though I was already doing it since the start of the season. Had an hourly rate for documented hours like reading/training... and then my crew split off in multiple directions so the role became irrelevant. There was one rep at each location. How the others did their hours for compensation I'm not sure. It was not a singular role but planters taking on extra.

• Very useful and indicative that the industry is taking things more seriously!

• Didn't seem like a truly invested role. There were ombudspersons whose main role was to receive anonymous complaints from planters but didn't really have a proactive role in promoting physical and mental safety.

Anything else you'd like to add about this role?

Paragraph answers.

• They need their Project Manager to get training too.

• I think company owners/managers need to ENCOURAGE 3rd party reporting, first and foremost. In the same way they encourage WSBC/Worksafe paperwork for slips trips, falls, hazards, and incidents. The point is (because they claim the point isn't the savings in premiums) that we all want to create a safe work environment, with the help of these organizations. And THEN, create and compensate these roles and practices, to try to do a better job, at the company, than these 3rd parties can. As is supposed to be the goal in reporting unsafe practices to WorkSafe, etc. I think the best, objective overseer, of this work, is just companies providing a better option to all workers, for voicing concerns, than 3rd parties or leaving for other companies. And a growing period, of getting slaps from 3rd parties, once in a while, might help with the problem of management biases creating 'untouchable' crew bosses and supervisors. Just by illuminating what's occurring in the actual work environment to identify problems which, likely, even have a simple, free training solution.

• I see it as a specialized camp counsellor kind of role, but how can that exist in the same way/interaction level with motel shows?

• Proud to be in it and excited to see more roles like it formalized across the industry!

• So so so so important.

While the survey conducted is obviously not fully representative of the entire industry, it serves as a great starting point and provides valuable insight into the current state of this role.

Now onto the sample training outline.

Part 2- Planter Safety Rep Sample Training Outline

1. Introduction

Introductions set the tone for psychological safety. Everyone involved should introduce themselves. Introductions can include pronouns, roles within the company, and an icebreaker. (Icebreaker examples: One word that describes you/your favourite season/something interesting about you).

2. Explain The Purpose & Importance of This Position

There is a lot of emphasis on physical safety in the industry. Still, there is minimal emphasis on psychological safety, which is interesting because more and more research is coming out on the negative impacts of toxic workplaces. This research points to how a toxic workplace can cause psychological AND physical damage.

• When we feel better emotionally, we do better work.

• Lack of communication is one of the biggest drivers of conflict in the workplace. One of this role's main goals is to improve communication channels throughout the crews and the company.

• Leaders who have higher levels of emotional intelligence are more effective.

• “You don’t rise to the level of your goals, you fall to the level of your systems. Your goal is your desired outcome. Your system is the collection of daily habits that will get you there.” - James Clear

3. Job Description

Multiple employees from different levels of the organization should help develop the job description for this role. Consider creating it with the Joint Health and Safety Committee members if it still needs development. It should fit your company's needs and structure. Here is an example: The purpose of this position is to be a leader in creating a psychologically and physically safe work environment. You will encourage and contribute to a positive camp culture, practice and promote consent culture, and connect with management about on-the-ground issues they might not be aware of. Overall, you are focused on the wellness of those around you and providing support. The planter rep role is part of the larger system aimed at creating a safer workplace and attempting to create more pathways for hard conversations to take place.

4. Expectations of the Planter Rep

Doing a job when you don't know what is expected of you is very challenging and very stressful. Let's avoid that by setting clear expectations from the beginning. Here are some places to start. These can also be considered as the responsibilities for this role.

Be available

• Introduce yourself to the crew so everyone knows who you are and how to contact you.

• Set up office hours, and let people know when your door is open.

• Some companies require this role to be available for 1 hour daily, usually after dinner.

• The key here is to balance ensuring you are available to folks while not burning yourself out.

Practice and support consent culture

• Define consent culture

• Provide examples

Receive disclosures

• Define the difference between disclosing and reporting.

• Why is the response to a disclosure imperative for psychological safety?

• What resources are available for the victim?

Understand the company’s reporting and investigation process and how to receive reports

• Reporting is important because it helps ensure corrective action is taken and that there is written evidence of the harm that occurred for accountability.

• Convincing someone to file a report is not your job. There are many reasons someone might not want to file a report—respect where they are in the process. Empower them to make their own decisions.

• Educate the victim about the internal investigation process. [This means you need to know what it is].

A personal tale on the importance of education around the reporting process:

For so long, I never considered reporting anything because I didn’t know who to report to, I didn’t know what the process was, and I didn’t understand what would happen after I made a report. Additionally, once I was in a position to receive a report, I didn’t understand how to do it, so I didn’t make myself as available as I could have. Receiving a report is quite simple. It’s the next step after a disclosure. You are helping the victim document the situation. You are not responsible for an investigation or any further action. It will fall into management’s hands after you submit it to them.

Contribute to creating community Here are some ideas for this:

• Organize crew events that don’t revolve around drinking (insert quick fact about how alcohol is a powerful gateway drug to harassment and assault). You do not have to be the one organizing, but you can get the ball rolling - good leaders know how to delegate.

• Craft night

• Trivia

• Karaoke

• Day off activity: a hike, baseball, a picnic.

• Lead workshops/meetings throughout the season - this could be on consent, mental health, nutrition, meal prep, or starting a book club.

• Get creative

5. Expectations of Management

Knowing what you can expect from management is important as this role has historically gone unpaid, or underpaid, and unsupported. It requires a lot of emotional labour.

• Paid training for this position.

• A list of training options can be found in the survey results.

• Check-ins from management where they ask you how it is going, what is going well, and if there are any challenges. This check-in is an excellent time to share any concerns with management.

• An email detailing this role's compensation agreement ensures everyone is on the same page.

• A communicated time limit for a response to emergency and non-emergency concerns.

6. How This Role Will Be Supported

Figure out how this will happen and what it will look like. Reflect on and come up with answers to questions like these:

• Who can you contact when you have a question or concern?

• What if you can't get a hold of them?

• When will they get back to you if they are out of service?

• Who can you debrief with?

• Are there other Planter Safety Reps within the company?

• If yes, do they know each other? Do they have a way to contact and support each other?

Think through this role, what they will experience and struggle with and come up with preemptive solutions that can be integrated into systems and operations.

This role is steadily evolving within the industry, which means best practices will continue to evolve along with it. Input from Planter Safety Reps and the community at large will help this role become more ingrained. Use this training outline as a starting point. I’ve simplified it intensely to share it widely. The training outline is intended to be engaged with, flushed out, and adapted to fit the specific company.

To conclude, this is a vital role within the industry, and it is exciting to see it gaining traction. This role builds a bridge between planters and management, between management and senior leadership. When seemingly “minute” day-to-day issues go unchecked, they can quickly lead to a toxic workplace culture. This role ensures these issues get addressed, it helps support an open communication channel throughout the company, and it can increase psychological and physical safety if integrated systematically. Competitive compensation will incentivize this role and demonstrate a commitment to its importance.