The Ontario government has passed into law a bill amending the Occupational Health and Safety Act to include provisions protecting workers against workplace violence and harassment.

A new bill has been introduced in the Ontario Legislature that sought to amend the provincial Occupational Health and Safety Act to include provisions dealing with workplace harassment and violence.
 
Andrea Horwath, MPP for Hamilton Centre, filed the proposed legislation following the release of the recommendations from an inquiry into the death of Lori Dupont, a Windsor, Ont. nurse reportedly killed by an ex-boyfriend who is a doctor at the same hospital where Dupont worked.

The costs of workplace violence and harassment are high, both to the victims and to their employers. A Conference Board of Canada study identifies six actions that organizations can take to significantly reduce the human, financial and reputational costs of workplace violence and harassment incidents.

By now, all employers in Ontario should have been busy conducting their workplace violence risk assessments, ready to post  their workplace violence and harassment policies in “a conspicuous place in the workplace”, as well as preparing their workplace violence and harassment programs. Certainly the government, as well as scores of advisors and experts, have made both the requirements and the timelines perfectly clear for months. But what happens if your workplace is not in compliance with these Bill 168 requirements by June 15?

Violence and harassment have no place in the workplace. That’s the message Ontario is sending by introducing legislative amendments to the Occupational Health and Safety Act that would, if passed, help protect workers from workplace violence and harassment.

The proposed legislation (bill 168) would, if passed:

• Require employers to develop a framework that would include policies and programs to help prevent workplace violence and harassment
• Require employers to take reasonable precautions to protect an employee from domestic violence in the workplace
• Allow workers to remove themselves from harmful situations if they have reason to believe that they are at risk of imminent danger due to workplace violence

“If passed, this legislation would help create a climate in workplaces across the province that says that workplace violence is completely unacceptable,” says Peter Fonseca, Minister of Labour.

Ontario is also launching specific measures to tackle workplace violence in the health sector. Two newly appointed Healthy Work Environments Champions will work to build a culture of workplace safety in health care settings across the province. The champions are:

• Rob Devitt, president and CEO of Toronto East General Hospital,
• Dr. Heather Laschinger, distinguished university professor and associate director nursing research at The University of Western Ontario, School of Nursing.

 “Our champions will help us implement the ministry’s ongoing strategy to make healthcare settings safe for nurses, physicians, and all who work in the healthcare sector in Ontario,” says  David Caplan, Minister of Health and Long Term Care.

The proposed legislative amendments would enhance the province’s existing Safe At Work Ontario Strategy.
To view bill 168, click here.