Employers are responsible for providing a safe and healthy work environment for their workers, and understanding what behaviours are workplace harassment, as well as how to prevent, address and respond to these behaviours is an essential step in creating a harassment-free workplace.
This training covers the responsibilities of employers regarding workplace harassment under Saskatchewan's provincial laws and includes information specific to sexual harassment.
Workplaces in Saskatchewan are covered by:
All employers* have responsibilities regarding harassment under these laws and under the Occupational Health and Safety Regulations that are part of The Saskatchewan Employment Act. This training has specific information about sexual harassment but the responsibilities covered in this training apply to all types of workplace harassment.
Employers in unionized workplaces can have additional responsibilities under their collective agreement. A collective agreement cannot take away any rights a worker has under other laws.
* If you are a federally regulated
employer such as a bank or an airline you can take the online training
specifically for federally regulated employers: see Workplace Harassment and Violence Prevention Training: Federal Employers.
After completing this training employers will understand:
In 2020 the Canadian Labour Congress with its partners conducted a nationwide survey on harassment and violence in Canadian workplaces. The initial report, “Harassment and Violence in Canadian Workplaces: It’s [Not] Part of the Job released in 2022 contained these findings:
When someone is sexually harassed in the workplace, it can undermine their sense of personal dignity. It can prevent them from earning a living, doing their job effectively, or reaching their full potential. Sexual harassment can also poison the environment for everyone else. If left unchecked, sexual harassment in the workplace has the potential to escalate to violent behaviour.
Employers that do not take steps to prevent sexual harassment can face major costs in decreased productivity, low morale, increased absenteeism and health care costs, and potential legal expenses.
— Ontario Human Rights Commission
This module covers how workplace harassment is defined under Saskatchewan laws, conduct covered by these laws, the role of consent and what is not considered harassment.
This module provides a summary of the laws and policies that workplace harassment violates as well as looking at the roles of various people in the workplace and options for people who have been harassed or witnessed harassment.
Employers are required to make all reasonable efforts to prevent harassment and must have and implement a Harassment Prevention Policy.
This module covers complaints under a Harassment Prevention Policy including how complaints are made and investigated as well as outcomes after an investigation.
This module covers the role that Occupational Health and Safety plays in dealing with workplace harassment.
Harassment, based on a prohibited ground, by another employee or the employer are both prohibited forms of discrimination under human rights laws.
Employers in unionized workplaces can have additional responsibilities regarding workplace harassment under the workplace's collective agreement.
The Regina Public Library and Saskatoon Public Library are hosting free Law Fair events during Saskatchewan Access to Justice Week to connect people with free legal information, assistance, and support. Attend to acquire legal knowledge and to broaden awareness of legal rights and responsibilities!