Elements of a Harassment and Violence Prevention Policy

The following is a list of the elements that must be in a Harassment and Violence Prevention Policy, as well as some other recommended elements that may be included.

The employer must make the policy available to all employees.

Mission Statement: The policy must include the employer’s mission statement about preventing and protecting against harassment and violence in the workplace.
Application: The policy can explain who it applies to and in what situations. It can expand where a policy applies, for example by covering contract workers, but it cannot remove any groups in the workplace that are covered (employees and unpaid trainees).
Definition of Harassment and Violence: The policy can include the definition of harassment from the Canada Labour Code and examples of behaviours that are harassment or violence.
Roles of people in the workplace related to harassment and violence: The policy must have a description of the role employers, employees, people designated to receive harassment or violence complaints, policy committees, workplace committees and health and safety representatives play in relation to harassment and violence in the workplace.
Risk Factors: The policy must have a description of the risk factors that contribute to harassment and violence in the employer’s workplace.
Training: The policy must include a summary of the training that will be provided regarding workplace harassment and violence. This must meet the minimum requirements.
Resolution Process: The policy must include a summary of the resolution process when there has been a complaint about harassment or violence. This should include the name of the person designated to receive harassment or violence complaints and an explanation of how to report with a Notice of Occurrence. Employers can also have additional policies or procedures for dealing with harassment or violence, as well as the Notice of Occurrence process.
Representation: A policy can include an explanation of how both parties can choose to be represented during the complaint process.
Protection Against Reprisal: A policy can include information on how an employer will protect someone who brings forward a complaint from reprisals.
Workplace Assessment: The policy must include a description of when an assessment of risks in the workplace regarding harassment and violence must be reviewed and updated.
Emergency Procedures: The policy must include a summary of the emergency procedures that will be implemented when there is immediate danger to the health and safety of an employee or when there is a threat of immediate danger because of harassment or violence.
Privacy: The policy must include a description of how the employer will protect the privacy of persons involved in an incident of harassment or violence or in the process for resolving a complaint about harassment or violence.
Other Options: The policy must include a description of other options available to people involved in an incident of harassment or violence.
Support Measures: The policy must include a description of the support measures that are available to employees.
Bad Faith Notices: The policy can set out the action an employer will take if someone submits a Notice of Occurrence about harassment or violence that they know is not true.
Compliance Complaints: The name of the person designated to receive complaints about an employer not complying with the Canada Labour Code or its Regulations must be included. This can be the same person who receives harassment and violence complaints.
Definitions: The policy can include definitions of terms used in the policy.

Elements of a Harassment and Violence Prevention Policy

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