According to the Alberta Human Rights Commision, sexual harassment is classified as any unwelcome behaviour that adversely affects or threatens to affect a person’s job security, working conditions, prospects for promotion or earnings or prevents a person from getting a job, living accommodations or any other kind of public service.
In wake of the increasing number of cases of sexual harassment being reported at work, it is a critical time for employers to figure out a definite plan of action to deal with these complaints at a workplace. Developing a cohesive anti-harassment policy is all the more important for organisations as the Supreme Court of Canada holds the employer responsible for all such complaints. As an employer, you need to be aware of the existing laws that deal with this offence. This process can be expedited be by consulting a good lawyer in Edmonton. The legal knowledge in these matters will help you and your human resources team to come up with a proper plan to be able to tackle cases of harassment –
Understand the Law
The main governing law for cases of harassment is the Canada Labor Code. The Alberta Human Rights Commission also has a fact sheet describing what qualifies as harassment and the actionables that can be undertaken in the event of sexual oppression in your workplace. The Canada labor code explains what constitutes as sexual harassment. The Alberta Human Rights Commission states the responsibilities of the employer and the need for policy development in this field. It also explains the course of action to be taken in the event of sexual harassment at workplace.
Understand your Responsibilities
The Alberta Human Rights Commision Fact sheet states that in the province of Alberta, employers are responsible for keeping their work environment free of harassment for all employees, customers, and clients. It clearly prohibits an employer from not taking a definitive course of action in the event of a sexual harassment complaint. The employer who neglects to follow up will be held liable under the Alberta Human Rights Act. The organisation should also have a policy in place to deal with cases of physical oppression. This will enable the business owner to effectively deal with such cases and thereby reduce his liabilities.
Develop Policies Regarding Harassment
As an employer, you need to develop policies to deal with the cases of sexual harassment. You need to define what is considered to be sexual harassment, keeping the pointers from the Canada Labor Code in mind. The punishment also needs to be stated in the event that a person of authority tries to sexually harass another individual at the workplace. It is best to do this with the help of a good lawyer in Edmonton. A legal expert will help you frame the policies in alignment with the existing Federal and provincial laws.
Get in touch with us to consult with a legal expert and develop effective anti-harassment policies for your workplace.