Is your Workplace ready for Bill 168?

As of June 15, Bill 168 is in effect, providing specific measures to protect Ontario workers from violence as well as harassment in the workplace.

The aim of Bill 168—and similar legislation in other provinces—is to foster safe and psychologically healthy working environments.

One of the most intriguing elements in this new amendment is the inclusion of the special obligation on employers to consider domestic violence when assessing risk factors within the workplace. Specifically: the legislation refers to domestic violence (in the context of the workplace) as a situation where “a person who has a personal relationship with a worker – such as a spouse, former spouse, current or former intimate partner, or family member – may physically harm, or attempt or threaten to physically harm, that worker at work”.

Ultimately, violence impacts everyone in the workplace, not just the victim. A toxic work environment costs companies in terms of lost hours, insurance claims, and staff turnover. Employees working in a toxic environment suffer depression, stress, and other symptoms that can contaminate all aspects of their work and home life.

Read more about the introduction of Bill 168 in our current edition of the Pacesetter where we discuss the role of your EAP in supporting the issue of workplace violence.