Ontario’s Occupational Health and Safety Act (OHSA) establishes the legal framework for workplace violence and harassment prevention. The requirements introduced through Bill 168 and subsequently strengthened by Bill 132 remain part of Ontario’s workplace health and safety legislation.
Employers can review the legislation directly through the Government of Ontario.
Under the OHSA, employers have specific responsibilities for preventing and addressing workplace violence and harassment.
Ontario employers are required to prepare workplace violence and workplace harassment policies and review them at least annually.
Where six or more workers are regularly employed, the policies are required to be in writing and posted in a conspicuous workplace location or made available in a readily accessible electronic format. An inspector may also require written policies in smaller workplaces.
A policy communicates an organization’s commitment to prevention. A program establishes the procedures for putting that commitment into action.
A workplace violence program addresses identified risks, reporting procedures, obtaining immediate assistance, and investigating and dealing with incidents or complaints.
A workplace harassment program establishes procedures for reporting concerns, including an alternative reporting route when the employer or supervisor is the alleged harasser. It also addresses investigations, confidentiality, and communicating investigation results and corrective action.
Ontario’s OHSA requires employers to assess workplace violence risks arising from the nature of the workplace, the type of work performed, and the conditions of work.
Risk assessments may consider:
Employers are also responsible for reassessing risks as often as necessary to ensure their workplace violence policy and program continue to protect workers.
Employers have a responsibility to provide workers with information and instruction appropriate to their workplace violence and harassment policies and programs.
Training helps employees and supervisors understand:
Training is most effective when it reflects the organization’s actual policies, programs, and workplace risks.
Under the OHSA, employers are responsible for ensuring that incidents and complaints of workplace harassment are investigated in a manner appropriate to the circumstances.
Investigations are expected to be objective, sufficiently thorough, and conducted promptly, with information protected subject to necessary or legally required disclosures.
The worker who allegedly experienced harassment and the alleged harasser, if employed by the organization, are entitled to written information about the investigation results and any corrective action taken or planned.
Workplace violence and harassment policies are subject to annual review. The workplace harassment program is also reviewed at least annually and more frequently when necessary.
Employers are responsible for maintaining effective prevention measures and updating their programs when workplace circumstances or identified risks change.
One Training Solution.
Multiple Compliance Requirements.
Ontario employers are responsible for providing employees and supervisors with training that supports their obligations under workplace health and safety, accessibility, and human rights legislation.
HR Proactive offers a comprehensive Ontario Mandatory Training Bundle, bringing together essential workplace compliance courses in one convenient solution.
Our interactive eLearning programs include knowledge checks, assessments, and certificates of completion.
Organizations can license SCORM-compliant training files for their existing Learning Management System or use HR Proactive’s hosted LMS to assign courses, monitor completion, and maintain training records.
Ask us about our Ontario Mandatory Compliance Training bundle
