Participant Resources — What Work Leaves Behind
Two participant resources for the things nobody talks about at work
A corporate people and culture lens and a psychotherapy lens — exploring the dynamics that shape people at work and rarely get named out loud.
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Marla Lorraine
BASc, CHRL — Certified Human Resources Leader (HRPA)
Founder & Principal Consultant, EleventhRoot Consulting Inc.
eleventhroot.com ↗Marla Lorraine is a Certified Human Resources Leader (CHRL) with over a decade of experience building People & Culture functions inside growing organizations. She founded EleventhRoot Inc. on the belief that compliance is the floor, not the ceiling — and that the real work is building people strategy that drives how the business performs. She is also JHSC Certified* and is known for asking the right questions, cutting through complexity, and helping leaders move forward with clarity.
*JHSC — Joint Health and Safety Committee Certified (Management Representative)
Stef Wood
B.A., M.A., R.P., RYT (200)
Registered Psychotherapist, MindSpark Psychotherapy
mindsparktherapy.ca ↗Stef Wood is a Registered Psychotherapist with the College of Registered Psychotherapists of Ontario. She brings a holistic, mindfulness-informed lens to mental health and wellbeing, with specialist expertise in the Highly Sensitive Person (HSP) theory — a framework describing people with high levels of sensory processing, emotional sensitivity, and deep inner complexity. Stef also specializes in supporting individuals through the psychological aftermath of workplace experiences, including the cumulative impact of toxic environments, chronic stress, and identity erosion at work. She offers virtual and in-person sessions across Ontario.
Important — Please Read Before Continuing
This is not therapy and does not constitute professional advice. Engaging with this resource does not create a therapeutic, consulting, coaching, or any other professional or employment relationship with MindSpark Psychotherapy, EleventhRoot Consulting Inc., Stef Wood, Marla Lorraine, or any of their affiliates, representatives, or practitioners. No practitioner-client relationship is formed by your participation.
This resource is provided for educational and research purposes only. Nothing in this resource or its associated materials constitutes legal, HR, medical, or psychological advice. If you are facing a workplace situation that requires professional guidance, we strongly encourage you to consult a qualified employment lawyer, registered psychotherapist, or HR professional.
If you are currently experiencing distress, please reach out for support.
Crisis support available 24/7 in Canada:
Talk Suicide Canada — 1-833-456-4566 | Text 45645 (4pm–midnight ET)
Legal obligations. By engaging with this resource, you confirm that your response does not include information protected by a non-disclosure agreement, non-disparagement agreement, confidentiality clause, court order, or any other legal obligation. You are solely responsible for ensuring your participation does not violate any agreement or obligation to which you are subject. EleventhRoot Consulting Inc. and MindSpark Psychotherapy assume no liability for responses submitted in violation of such obligations.
Limitation of liability. EleventhRoot Consulting Inc., MindSpark Psychotherapy, and their respective practitioners are not responsible for any outcomes, decisions, or actions taken as a result of engaging with this resource. Participation is at your own discretion.
Participant Resource 01 of 02
When Work Is Too Good to Leave, But Too Hard to Stay
One of the most unspoken tensions in working life is when the work itself is meaningful — the mission, the team, the craft — but the environment is making it hard to stay. This resource explores what creates that tension, what it costs people, and what organizations need to understand about why it exists.
Part 1 — The tension nobody names
Most workplace harm doesn't come from bad people. It comes from unclear systems, misaligned values, and the gap between what an organization says it stands for and how it actually operates. That gap is where friction lives. And friction, left unmanaged, quietly erodes the people inside it — including the ones who care most about the work. The people who stay despite the environment are often the organization's most values-aligned people. That's not a coincidence. And it's not something organizations should take for granted.
Is the friction coming from a person, a culture, or a system?
These require fundamentally different responses. A culture problem won't be solved by removing one person. A systems problem won't be solved by a culture initiative. Naming it accurately is the first act of clarity.
What does the environment reward — and what does it quietly tolerate?
Culture is not what an organization says it values. It is what gets promoted, what gets overlooked, and what gets excused. The gap between those two things is where people get hurt.
What does the organization's stated values say about this — and what do its lived values actually show?
A value that isn't reinforced through decisions, promotions, and accountability conversations isn't a value. It's language. Organizations that tolerate a gap between those two things are asking their people to carry the cost of that contradiction.
Is this pattern consistent — or is it new?
Consistency tells you something is systemic. It has been permitted, possibly modelled, and likely known about. That is a leadership and organizational accountability issue — not a personal one.
A note on systems
Values clarity is not philosophical. It is operational infrastructure. When an organization's stated values and lived values are misaligned, the friction doesn't disappear — it gets distributed across the people inside it. The ones who feel it most acutely are usually the ones who care most. That is not a coincidence. It is a systems failure.
Part 2 — What this tension does to people
When people are in an environment that conflicts with their values, identity, or sense of safety — but can't easily leave — the impact doesn't stay at work. It accumulates. It changes how people see themselves. It shows up in relationships, in sleep, in the quiet erosion of confidence. This is not weakness. It is a predictable human response to an environment that asks people to keep showing up for work they care about, in a place that isn't taking care of them.
A note on high sensitivity: If you identify as a Highly Sensitive Person, you may be processing this experience more deeply and feeling its weight more intensely than those around you. That's not a flaw — it's the nature of this trait. Give yourself permission to honour that as you move through this.
What does it cost someone to keep showing up in a place that conflicts with who they are?
Chronic misalignment between a person's values and their environment doesn't produce neutrality. It produces hypervigilance, self-doubt, and a gradual erosion of the confidence that existed before. That cost is real — even when it's invisible to everyone else.
Why do people adapt to environments that aren't working for them?
Adaptation is a survival strategy, not a character flaw. When an environment is inconsistent or unsafe, the nervous system learns to stay alert — to scan for threats, manage perceptions, and minimize risk. Over time, this becomes the baseline. People stop noticing how much energy it takes.
What does it mean when someone says "I love the work but I'm not okay"?
This is one of the most common things people say — and one of the least understood. Loving the work while struggling in the environment isn't a contradiction. It's the specific condition this resource is built around. Both things are true. Both deserve to be named.
What gets in the way of people naming this out loud?
Shame. The fear of not being believed. The sense that if it were really that bad, you would have left. The belief that others have it worse. These are not logical barriers — they are emotional ones, shaped by the same environment that created the problem in the first place.
You don't have to have it all figured out before you take a breath. Awareness — paying attention, on purpose, without judgment — is always a valid first step.
Stef Wood, R.P. — Registered Psychotherapist, MindSpark Psychotherapy
Part 3 — The complexity of staying
Work is complex. It is income, identity, community, and survival — often all at once. These are the real factors that make this tension so difficult to navigate — and understanding them is as important for leaders as it is for the people living them.
Financial dependencyBenefits, mortgage, family obligations — the numbers don't always allow for a clean exit. This is real, and it's one of the most common reasons people stay in situations that aren't working.
Identity and meaningWhen the work itself is meaningful, separating the work from the environment is genuinely hard. You can love what you do and still be in a place that isn't safe.
Fear of the gapResume gaps, references, industry reputation — the professional stakes feel high. And they can be. That's a legitimate thing to weigh.
Power dynamicsWhen the person causing harm controls your future opportunities, speaking up and leaving both feel like risks. This is not a failure of courage — it's a rational response to a real imbalance.
Not having the language for it yetSometimes we don't fully understand what's been happening until we're out of it, or until someone names it for us. That delayed recognition is incredibly common — and it doesn't make the experience any less valid.
Caretaking responsibilitiesSingle income households, dependants, immigration status tied to employment — the stakes extend well beyond you, and the weight of that is real.
Participant Resource 02 of 02
When It Crosses a Line
A plain-language guide to workplace rights in Canada — and an honest look at why knowing your rights and being able to use them are two very different things. Both matter. We're here for both.
Part 1 — What Canadian law actually protects
Most people have more rights at work than they realize — and fewer resources to enforce them than they'd hope. But before you can use the system, you need to know which system applies to you.
Federal vs. Provincial — Which Law Applies to You?
This is one of the most misunderstood distinctions in Canadian employment law — and it matters because it determines which legislation governs your workplace, who investigates complaints, and where you file them.
Provincial — ~90% of Workers
If you work for a private business, non-profit, school, hospital, retailer, restaurant, or provincial government body — you fall under your province's employment laws.
Key legislation: Provincial Employment Standards Act · OHS Act · Human Rights Code
Where to file: Provincial Ministry of Labour, OHS regulator (e.g. WorkSafeBC, Ontario MLITSD), or Human Rights Commission
Federal — ~10% of Workers
If you work in banking, telecommunications, broadcasting, interprovincial transportation (airlines, railways, trucking), pipelines, or the federal public service — you fall under federal law regardless of province.
Key legislation: Canada Labour Code · Canadian Human Rights Act · Work Place Harassment and Violence Prevention Regulations (2021)
Where to file: Employment and Social Development Canada · Canadian Human Rights Commission · Canada Industrial Relations Board
Not sure? The simplest test: if your employer is regulated by a provincial government, provincial law applies. If it operates across provinces or is in a federally regulated industry, the Canada Labour Code likely applies. Use the jurisdiction tool at canada.ca/en/employment-social-development
Here's a plain-language overview of the key protections that exist, organized by category.
Human Rights Protection
Every province and territory has its own Human Rights Code or Act protecting workers from discrimination and harassment based on race, gender, sexual orientation, disability, religion, and other protected grounds. These protections apply regardless of workplace size, industry, or employment type.
Ontario — Human Rights Code · BC — Human Rights Code · Alberta — Alberta Human Rights Act · Quebec — Charter of Human Rights and Freedoms · All other provinces and territories have equivalent legislation. Your provincial Human Rights Commission or Tribunal is the body that receives complaints.
Workplace Harassment Policies — OHS Legislation
As of 2024, all provinces and territories now require employers to have a written workplace harassment prevention policy under Occupational Health and Safety legislation. Nova Scotia was the final province to enact this requirement. The definitions and specifics vary — but the obligation to have a policy, an investigation process, and employee training now exists everywhere in Canada.
Ontario — OHSA (Bill 190, 2024, expanded to include digital and virtual interactions) · BC — Workers Compensation Act via WorkSafeBC (bullying and harassment explicitly covered; psychological injury is compensable) · Alberta — OHS Code, harassment prevention plan required · Quebec — Act Respecting Labour Standards + Bill 42 (2024), one of the strongest psychological harassment frameworks in Canada, covers harm from clients and third parties · Manitoba — Workplace Safety and Health Act · Saskatchewan — OHS Regulations + Bill 91 (2024), post-incident counselling now required · New Brunswick — OHS Act General Regulation 91-191, broad definition including one-time incidents and bullying · Nova Scotia, PEI, Newfoundland & Labrador — all now have OHS-based harassment policy requirements
Federally Regulated Workers — Canada Labour Code
About 10% of Canadian workers fall under federal rather than provincial legislation. This applies to banking, telecommunications, broadcasting, railways, and federal Crown corporations. The Work Place Harassment and Violence Prevention Regulations (2021) require employers in these industries to assess risks, develop prevention plans, offer support to affected employees, and conduct regular workplace assessments. Retaliation for reporting is explicitly prohibited.
Not sure which applies to you? If your employer operates in banking, telecom, broadcasting, transportation, or federal government — the Canada Labour Code applies. Start at canada.ca/en/employment-social-development to find your jurisdiction.
Protection from Reprisal
Across Canada, retaliation against an employee for raising a health and safety concern, filing a harassment complaint, or exercising a workplace right is prohibited. The specific protections vary by province — but the principle that speaking up should not cost you your job is embedded in both federal and provincial legislation.
Federal — Canada Labour Code, explicit reprisal prohibition · Ontario — OHSA and Employment Standards Act · All provinces — equivalent protections exist under OHS and employment standards legislation. If you experienced reprisal after reporting, a human rights complaint or employment standards claim may be available to you.
Important note
This is a general overview, not legal advice. Employment law varies significantly by province, industry, and employment type. If your situation has crossed a legal line, speaking with an employment lawyer — many offer free initial consultations — is worth the call. And if what happened to you was a values failure dressed up as a policy decision — that's worth naming too.
Part 2 — Why knowing isn't always enough
The gap between knowing your rights and being able to use them is enormous — and it's not a knowledge gap. It's a safety gap, a power gap, and often a nervous system gap. Understanding why we don't act isn't about finding fault in ourselves. It's about having compassion for what it actually takes to speak up.
For Highly Sensitive People: The threshold for feeling overwhelmed by conflict or confrontation is often lower. If the idea of escalating or filing a complaint feels physically distressing — not just scary — that response is part of how you're wired, not evidence that you can't do it. Collaborative, supported approaches often work better than going it alone.
"I don't want to be seen as difficult."
This is one of the most common reasons people stay silent — and it makes complete sense. In environments where raising concerns has been penalized, silence becomes a form of self-protection. That's not a character flaw. It's adaptation.
"I'm not sure it was bad enough to count."
Chronic, low-level harm is harder to name than a single incident — but it accumulates, and it's real. You don't need a dramatic event to have a valid experience. If it changed how you feel about yourself, it counts.
"I don't trust that anything will actually change."
When previous attempts to raise concerns went nowhere, the nervous system learns that speaking up leads to more harm, not less. That's a rational response to a broken system — not cynicism or hopelessness.
"I've convinced myself it's fine. I've moved on."
Minimization protects us — it helps us get through. But sometimes it also delays us from getting the support we actually need. Both things can be true at once. And that's okay.
Not using your rights doesn't mean you didn't have them. It usually means the environment made using them feel impossible. That's worth naming.
Stef Wood, R.P. — Registered Psychotherapist, MindSpark Psychotherapy
Part 3 — You don't have to make a big move first
Healing and action aren't always linear. Here are some starting points that are lower-stakes — places to begin, not places you have to reach all at once. Meet yourself where you are.
Write it downDocument dates, incidents, and conversations — not for anyone else yet, just for you. Getting it out of your head creates clarity and a record if you need it later.
Talk to one trusted personA friend outside the organization, a therapist, a mentor. Saying it out loud to someone who can reflect it back is often the first step to understanding what you actually experienced.
Look up your provincial Employment Standards ActMost provinces have plain-language summaries online. You don't need a lawyer to understand the basics — and knowing your rights changes how you see your options.
Contact an employment lawyer for a consultationMany offer free 30-minute consultations. You're not committing to anything — just getting information you deserve to have.
Access your benefits and EAPReview your employee benefits package — many include mental health coverage, registered psychotherapy, and an Employee Assistance Program (EAP) with free confidential sessions completely separate from HR. Check your benefits documentation, or contact your insurer directly.
If you don't have coverage — free and community options existYou don't need workplace benefits to access support. Options across Canada include: Open Path Collective (reduced-fee therapy), Wellness Together Canada (free counselling, wellbeing.wellness.ca), provincial mental health crisis lines, community health centres (often offer sliding-scale or free counselling), and university training clinics where supervised therapists provide lower-cost sessions. Your family doctor can also refer you to publicly funded mental health services.