In the wake of sexual harassment allegations at the CBC and on Parliament Hill, the Ontario Human Rights Commission (OHRC) issued a statement in relation to sexual harassment and the Ontario Human Rights Code.
Dentons’ Employment & Labour Law blog says the statement reminds employers as to what constitutes sexual harassment as well as how to prevent it or deal with it in the workplace.
The OHRC says employers can prevent many cases of sexual harassment by:
- having a clear, comprehensive anti-sexual harassment policy in place;
- ensuring all employees have the policy and are aware of their rights, and their responsibilities not to engage in harassment; and
- training everyone in positions of responsibility on the policy and their human rights obligations.
“While the statements and policies of the Commission do not have the force of law and instead simply set out the commission’s interpretation of the law as of the date of posting, they are a good reminder of what the Ontario Human Rights Tribunal looks to when determining a sexual harassment complaint,” writes Dentons employment and labour lawyer Catherine Coulter.
The statement is available on the OHRC’s website.
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