06/12/2024
FAQ: what is workplace harassment and voilence?
''According to Part II of the Canada Labour Code (the Code), harassment and violence means “any action, conduct or comment, including of a s*xual nature, that can reasonably be expected to cause offence, humiliation or other physical or psychological injury or illness to an employee, including any prescribed action, conduct or comment.”
This includes all types of harassment and violence, including s*xual harassment, s*xual violence and domestic violence.
Examples of harassment and violence
The following is a non-exhaustive list:
- Aggressive or threatening behaviour, including verbal threats or abuse.
- Physical assault.
- Spreading malicious rumours or gossip about an individual or a group.
- Socially excluding or isolating someone.
-Damaging, hiding or stealing someone’s personal belongings or work equipment.
-Persistently criticizing, undermining, belittling, demeaning or ridiculing someone.
- swearing at someone or using inappropriate language toward them.
- using the Internet to harass, threaten or maliciously embarrass someone.
- Using the Internet to make s*xual threats, or to harass or exploit someone s*xually.
-Abusing authority by publicly ridiculing or disciplining a subordinate.
- Abusing authority by interfering with a subordinate’s performance or job (for example, blocking applications for leave, training or promotion in an arbitrary manner).
- Abusing authority by soliciting a s*xual or romantic relationship from a subordinate, or making social invitations with s*xual overtones to a subordinate.
- Making abusive or derogatory remarks or jokes about someone’s gender, gender identity or gender expression, s*x or s*xual orientation (for example, homophobic remarks).
- Sexual touching (for example, patting, pinching, caressing, kissing, fondling).
- Sexual invitations or requests in return for a promise of a reward (such as a promotion).
- Displaying offensive posters, cartoons or images of a s*xual nature.
- Sending inappropriate electronic communications (for example, s*xually explicit emails).
- Domestic violence (also called intimate partner violence, domestic abuse or relationship abuse) is a workplace hazard when it occurs in the workplace (it puts the targeted worker at risk and may pose a threat to coworkers).
********* It is however very important to not not confuse workplace harassment and violence with normal workplace conflict and differences of opinion.
Commehome social services have created tools and resources on the necessary steps to follow when ever to are faced with any of the above instances in your place of work.
keep looking out for the CRYOUT APP that will be available online soonest, as well as other resources on the steps to follow by both victims and by standers to report any cases of workplace harassment and voilence.
