Informing workers of the policy statement and procedures
All workers must be informed of the workplace policy statement and steps taken to prevent or
minimize bullying and harassment. A good time to do this is during new employee orientation
programs or during safety/staff meetings. Other ways to raise awareness include posting notices
around the workplace in high-traffic areas, or sending periodic email reminders to all workplace
personnel.
When raising awareness about bullying and harassment, the employer should discuss what actions
and behaviours might be considered bullying and harassment, and those that are not. This handbook
includes some examples in Part 2: Additional resources on workplace bullying and harassment. It’s
also important to remind everyone that not every unpleasant interaction, disrespectful behaviour, or
instance of workplace conflict is bullying and harassment; it’s helpful for everyone to understand
there’s a difference between bullying and harassment and workplace disagreements, disrespectful
behaviour, or difficult conversations about performance management.
Training supervisors and workers
When it comes to bullying and harassment, employers must ensure all workers — including
supervisors — understand their responsibilities. Training for supervisors and workers must include the
following:
•
how to recognize bullying and harassment
•
how workers who experience or witness bullying and harassment should respond
•
procedures for reporting, and how the employer will deal with incidents or complaints of bullying
and harassment. This includes:
— who workers can go to for help and what help will be provided
— who the organization’s contacts are for reporting incidents
— who is responsible for following up on complaints and incidents
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Toward a respectful workplace