The Ontario government recently signaled its commitment to ensure employers have new, specific OHS legal obligations to prevent sexual harassment and sexual violence, and respond to sexual harassment complaints. The “It’s Never Ok: An Action Plan To Stop Sexual Violence And Harassment” was announced in March, 2015. This session examines what we expect new Ontario OHSA provisions could look like, and how these changes will be expected to interplay with current human rights obligations, as well civil and criminal claims, remedies and prosecutions.

The session will cover:

• Current Ontario OHS obligations respecting harassment in the workplace and their current limits;
• Current human rights obligations respecting harassment and how OHS and human rights obligations and remedies work together;
• Other steps expected as part of the Action Plan – increased support for victims of assault or harassment in commencing civil claims, and through the criminal process, public education and awareness and other relevant changes of interest to employers;
• What to expect as OHS changes – new definitions, new duties, right to refuse, enforcement?; and
• Practical aspects of preparing policies, programs, managing and investigating alleged harassment and workplace violence, whether involving sexual or other harassment or violence.