'Psychological or sexual harassment should never be part of your work schedule'
Quebec’s occupational health and safety arm has launched an advertising campaign to help workers and employers recognize psychological and sexual harassment in the workplace.
Commission des normes, de l'équité, de la santé et de la sécurité au travail (CNESST) has launched a webpage containing materials to help out employers and workers alike in this regard.
“Psychological or sexual harassment should never be part of your work schedule,” according to the webpage.
Nearly half (47%) of women and 31% of men report experiencing inappropriate sexualized behaviours in a workplace setting, according to a previous report from Statistics Canada (StatCan).
What is harassment?
Quebec notes that psychological or sexual harassment is “vexatious conduct, that is to say abusive, humiliating and hurtful, which manifests itself through words, gestures or behaviors”. These things:
- are repeated or unwanted
- are hostile, aggressive or threatening
- affect:
- dignity, that is to say, respect and self-esteem
- integrity, or the physical, psychological or emotional balance of the person
- make the work environment harmful to the person who experiences it
The webpage also contains details about employers’ obligations, and tools such as the application manual for the Labour Standards Act, Assistance in drafting a policy for the prevention and management of psychological harassment, model policy for the prevention and management of psychological harassment.
Under the campaign, 30-second commercials in French and English will also be broadcast on traditional and digital radio. Ads will be added on the web and on social platforms, as well as articles in various media.
Previously, Canada Post offices in Quebec stepped up to show their support for a colleague of theirs who had been a victim of bullying and harassment due to their sexual orientation.
Also, WomanACT and the Society for Canadian Women in Science & Technology (SCWIST) launched their Safe STEM Workplaces project to foster safe and harassment-free workplaces, particularly within the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) and trade sectors.
