Implementing a Harassment and Violence Prevention Policy

These include:

Ensuring that new employees receive information about harassment and violence as part of their orientation.

Including harassment and violence information in employees’ handbooks or reference brochures.

Displaying posters or other materials in highly visible locations stating that the workplace is committed to being respectful, harassment-free and violence-free.

Expressing the importance of a harassment-free and violence-free workplace during meetings.

Setting a good example by never acting in a way that could be seen as disrespectful or harassing and never approving (implicitly or explicitly) of others acting in these ways.

Watching for signs of harassment or violence such as rumours, increased absenteeism, decreased motivation, reduced job performance and increased staff turnover.

Acting promptly and appropriately when harassment or violence is suspected, even if it has not been reported, by:

• speaking privately to the employee who is potentially being harassed or experiencing violence to find out if they have experienced unwelcome behaviour
• speaking privately to the person whose conduct may be harassing or violent to indicate that the conduct is potentially offensive
• directing employees to remove offensive material or displays
• holding an awareness session on harassment and violence
• determining if the situation is serious enough that action needs to be taken even if harassment or violence has not been reported

~ adapted from Harassment Prevention: An employer’s guide for developing a harassment prevention policy, 2022 - Ministry of Labour Relations and Workplace Safety, Occupational Health and Safety Branch, Saskatchewan