How to prevent harassment at work?

According to the Act respecting labour standards (R.S.Q., chapter N-1.1), psychological harassment in the workplace is defined as vexatious conduct that manifests itself through repeated behaviour, words or gestures:

– Are hostile or unwanted
– Harmful to the dignity or psychological or physical integrity of the employee
– That results in a harmful work environment for the employee

>> Take our online training to learn how to recognize the signs of harassment.

As such, management assumes responsibility for the conduct of its employees. In addition, it is committed to providing its employees with a work environment free of harassment from third parties (suppliers, distributors, visitors, etc.). For example, an employer may designate a contact person to deal with such issues, implement a policy on respect and have an internal procedure for investigating a complaint of psychological harassment.

If an individual believes that he or she is a victim of any form of harassment, he or she should report it to management as soon as possible so that the necessary steps can be taken as quickly as possible.

• Unwanted physical contact, such as touching, pinching, grabbing, brushing
• Solicitation of unwanted sexual favours Inappropriate sexual comments, remarks about the victim’s body or appearance, jokes that disparage the victim’s gender identity or sexual orientation
• Intimate questions

• Leering, especially at the victim’s sexual parts
• Whistling
• Display of pornographic photographs

MEDIAL recommends that employees and managers receive specialized training on the legal framework surrounding this topic.

For more advice, please contact us or call us at 418 682-9909.

* Articles published by MEDIAL OHS Consulting reflect the opinions of the authors only and do not constitute legal advice.