Preventing Workplace Harassment: A Proactive Approach

Beyond Compliance

Compliance with Bill C-65 and provincial harassment legislation is just the starting point. Organizations with strong prevention programs experience lower turnover, higher engagement, better reputation, and reduced legal costs.

The Legal Framework

Canadian employers must comply with federal and provincial human rights legislation, occupational health and safety acts, workplace harassment and violence prevention laws, and employment standards regarding workplace conduct.

Building a Strong Policy

Your harassment policy should define harassment with clear examples, cover all protected grounds, include sexual harassment and violence, address power imbalances and third-party harassment, outline reporting procedures, and specify consequences for violations.

Effective Training

Make training interactive with real scenarios relevant to your workplace. Create safe space for questions and discussion, track attendance and understanding, and refresh regularly — not just at onboarding.

Creating Safe Reporting Channels

Remove barriers to reporting by offering multiple reporting options, anonymous reporting mechanisms, external third-party reporting for small organizations, and clear protection against retaliation.

Responding to Complaints

When a complaint is received: acknowledge receipt immediately, assess urgency and safety concerns, implement interim measures if needed, conduct a thorough impartial investigation, and take appropriate corrective action.

Building a Respectful Culture

Prevention goes beyond policies:

• Senior leaders model respectful behavior
• Zero tolerance messaging from leadership
• Resources allocated to prevention efforts
• Inclusive language and communications
• Regular pulse surveys on workplace climate
• Transparent reporting of complaint trends

Remote and Digital Harassment

Extend policies to digital communications, address video call etiquette and boundaries, monitor for online harassment and exclusion, provide virtual training options, and ensure remote workers can report safely.

Third-Party Harassment

Protect employees from clients, customers, and vendors. Include third-party harassment in policies, empower employees to refuse service when harassed, and consider ending relationships with repeat offenders.