VICTORIA— Ashley Humphrys, Manager of Social Enterprise with the Ending Violence Association of BC, delivered a keynote address to CUPE BC Convention 2026 delegates on how small, everyday actions can make workplaces safer.
“Start small. When people feel confident to step in, it’s because they’ve been given the tools to know what to say and what to do,” said Humphrys.
Humphrys oversees the Be More than a Bystander program, a long-running initiative developed in partnership with the BC Lions and supported by CUPE BC for many years through the BC Federation of Labour.
The program, now marking its 15th anniversary, was created to address bullying, harassment, and gender-based violence by equipping people with practical tools to intervene.
“People often minimize harm. They think it’s just a joke, or they don’t want to create conflict, or they assume someone else will step in,” she said. “Meanwhile, the person being harmed is left alone.”
Humphrys shared a story from her early career in the oil and gas sector, where she felt unsafe as a young worker in a male-dominated camp. It was the small actions from others that made a difference.
“Someone inviting me to eat dinner together so I wasn’t alone. Someone offering me a ride. People creating safety in small ways,” she said. “My co-workers probably didn’t know how much that mattered, but I’m still thinking about it years later.”
Humphrys said those kinds of actions are what drives culture change.
“Everyone has the ability do something in their workplaces to make people feel safer. Small moments have a big impact.”
