Workplace Bullying & Harassment: Rights, Responsibilities, and Respect

Yes - all 14 Canadian jurisdictions require employers to have harassment prevention programs, and harassment awareness training is a legal obligation, not optional. Under the federal Work Place Harassment and Violence Prevention Regulations (SOR/2020-130), all federally regulated employees must receive training within three months of hire and every three years after. Ontario (OHSA ss. 32.0.1–32.0.8), BC (OHS Regulation ss. 4.24–4.31), and Alberta (OHS Code Part 27) impose equivalent provincial requirements. Employers who fail to meet these obligations face regulatory fines and orders from OHS inspectors.

Under the Canada Labour Code s. 122(1), harassment includes any action, conduct, or comment that can reasonably be expected to cause offence, humiliation, or psychological injury - assessed by what a reasonable person would know was unwelcome, not just whether the target was upset. British Columbia and Alberta are among the jurisdictions that explicitly name 'bullying' in their regulations (BC OHS Regulation ss. 4.24–4.31; Alberta OHS Act and OHS Code Part 27), covering repeated or single incidents of objectionable conduct, intimidation, or humiliation. Psychological forms - such as excluding a worker from information they need to do their job, excessive monitoring targeting one individual, or assigning meaningless tasks as punishment - all qualify under every Canadian framework.

No - anti-reprisal protection is absolute in every Canadian jurisdiction. Workers who report harassment in good faith are legally protected against dismissal, demotion, unfavourable schedule changes, negative performance reviews unconnected to actual performance, and social isolation by management (Canada Labour Code s. 147; Ontario OHSA s. 50; Quebec Act Respecting Labour Standards s. 122). Critically, the protection applies even if the investigation does not substantiate the complaint - a complaint that is not upheld is not the same as a bad-faith complaint. Reprisal can result in reinstatement, compensation for lost wages, and additional damages against the employer.

Yes - the duty to maintain a harassment-free workplace applies to conduct from any source, not just co-workers. The federal Work Place Harassment and Violence Prevention Regulations (SOR/2020-130) cover incidents by any person, and BC's OHS Regulation Part 4 explicitly covers harassment 'by a person' in the workplace - meaning clients, contractors, patients, and members of the public. When a worker reports third-party harassment, the employer is obligated to take the report seriously, assess interim protective measures (such as reassignment or different contact arrangements), and address the situation - which may mean warning or removing a client from the premises. Telling a worker to tolerate harassment because the harasser is an important client is not an acceptable response and may expose the employer to regulatory liability.

Canadian workers have multiple external complaint routes that can be pursued simultaneously. If the harassment is connected to a protected characteristic (sex, race, disability, sexual orientation, etc.), a Human Rights Commission or Tribunal can order remedies including compensation for injury to dignity - options include the Canadian Human Rights Commission federally, the Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario, and provincial equivalents in every other jurisdiction. The OHS regulator in your province (WorkSafeBC, Alberta OHS, Ontario Ministry of Labour) can investigate whether the employer failed to meet its harassment prevention obligations and issue compliance orders. In Quebec, psychological harassment complaints go to the CNESST within two years of the last incident. Workers are not required to choose one route - union members may also file a grievance simultaneously.