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Workplace Harassment Prevention Training: Provincial Employers

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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.

GOALS

After completing this training employers will understand:

  • How workplace harassment is defined under occupational health and safety laws and human rights laws.
  • Their responsibilities regarding workplace harassment.
  • The requirement for a Harassment Prevention Policy, what must be included in one and how to implement it.
  • The process for dealing with a worker's harassment complaint, workers' rights during investigations and employers' responsibilities when there has been harassment and when it is found that there has not been harassment.
  • The role Occupational Health and Safety plays in preventing and addressing workplace harassment.
  • When workplace harassment is discrimination under human rights laws and how human rights complaints are made and resolved.
  • When workplace harassment is a crime and the remedies available under criminal law.

The Size of the Problem

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:

  • 7 in 10 workers have experienced a form of harassment and violence at work.
  • Nearly 1 in 2 workers have experienced sexual harassment and violence in the last two years.
  • Women, trans, nonbinary, and gender-diverse workers are experiencing higher rates of harassment and violence.
  • Indigenous survey respondents experienced significantly higher rates of harassment and violence (79%) and sexual harassment and violence (47.8%).
  • Workers with a disability experienced significantly higher rates of harassment and violence.
  • Third-parties (such as customers, clients, and patients) and co-workers were the two most commonly reported perpetrators.
  • 70% of workers who experienced harassment and violence had to miss work because of the negative effects.
  • 88% of workers who experienced harassment and violence were “transferred, suspended, fired, or lost a shift” due to the harassment and violence.
  • 1 in 4 who reported said that reporting made the situation worse.

The Impact

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

Module 1: What is Workplace Harassment?

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.

Module 2: Addressing Workplace Harassment Overview

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.

Module 3: Harassment Prevention Policies

Employers are required to make all reasonable efforts to prevent harassment and must have and implement a Harassment Prevention Policy.

Module 4: Compliants

This module covers complaints under a Harassment Prevention Policy including how complaints are made and investigated as well as outcomes after an investigation.

Module 5: Occupational Health and Safety

This module covers the role that Occupational Health and Safety plays in dealing with workplace harassment.

Module 6: Human Rights

Harassment, based on a prohibited ground, by another employee or the employer are both prohibited forms of discrimination under human rights laws.

Module 7: Criminal Charges

In some cases workplace harassment can be a crime.

Module 8: Unions (optional)

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!

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PLEA gratefully acknowledges our primary core funder the Law Foundation of Saskatchewan for their continuing and generous support of our organization.