Department of Labour wants feedback from Nova Scotians on harassment in workplaces

The Department of Labour, Skills and Immigration wants to hear from Nova Scotians about how to prevent and address workplace harassment.

Last month, the Safety Office of the Department of Labour, Skills and Immigration began hosting in-person and online public engagement sessions to gather that feedback. People also have the option to submit their stories and ideas through a written submission.

“The Occupational Health and Safety Act and regulations consider physical injuries in the workplace, but they don’t clearly consider psychological injuries like harassment in the workplace,” says the website where Nova Scotians can register for a public session.

“Government is starting to develop guidance for workplaces to help prevent and manage harassment at work.”

Details about the public engagement sessions can be found here. There are three sessions left: Dec. 5 in Port Hawkesbury, Dec. 6 online, and Dec. 8 online.

In an interview, Scott Nauss, senior executive director of safety for the Department of Labour, Skills and Immigration, said the department is hearing from employers and employees that workplace harassment is affecting workers’ mental health.

“We want to hear more how these things are impacting [mental health] and how government could help in this case,” Nauss said.

“The province is really interested in hearing from Nova Scotians, hearing their experiences, and getting any ideas that they may have for potential improvements.”

Nauss said to date, 103 Nova Scotians have attended in-person sessions across the province, while another 283 people have completed online surveys. Still another 150 people are registered for the remaining sessions. People don’t have to share their names to take part.

Nauss said they are hearing similar themes throughout the sessions so far.

“We are hearing that some employers do have protections in place for employees. We are hearing there’s opportunity around strengthening some of these policies and procedures, as well as providing training and other resources and tools,” Nauss said.

Nauss said the Occupational Health and Safety Act primarily focuses on physical injuries, and not psychological injuries. The purpose of the sessions is to learn more about the psychological injuries.

“Part of the reason we’re talking to Nova Scotians is to understand what is happening in the workplace, and how to better support them,” Nauss said.

“At this point, we do not have a really good indicator on how frequent harassment is in the workplace.”

Policies on workplace harassment in P.E.I., B.C.

The Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety defines workplace bullying “as acts or verbal comments that could psychologically or ‘mentally’ hurt or isolate a person in the workplace.”

The centre lists examples of workplace bullying that include spreading malicious rumours, gossip, or innuendo, physically abusing or threatening abuse, and tampering with a person’s personal belongings or work equipment.

Effects of such harassment, the centre said, include physical symptoms such as loss of sleep and appetite to psychosomatic symptoms like stomach aches, headaches, inability to concentrate, and family stress and tension.

According to the centre’s website, some provinces have regulations around workplace harassment:

For example, Prince Edward Island has defined harassment in their Workplace Harassment Regulations as:

(b) “harassment” means any inappropriate conduct, comment, display, action or gesture or any bullying that the person responsible for the conduct, comment, display, action or gesture or the bullying knows, or ought reasonably to know, could have a harmful effect on a worker’s psychological or physical health or safety, and includes
(i) conduct that is based on any personal characteristic such as, but not limited to, race, creed, religion, colour, sex, sexual orientation, marital status, family status, disability, physical size or weight, age, nationality, ancestry or place of origin, gender identity or pregnancy, and
(ii) inappropriate sexual conduct that is known, or ought reasonably to be known, to the person responsible for the conduct to be unwelcome, including, but not limited to, sexual solicitations or advances, sexually suggestive remarks, jokes or gestures, circulating or sharing inappropriate images, or unwanted physical contact.

Other resources include in British Columbia, where WorkSafeBC has developed policies and resources related specifically to workplace bullying and harassment. The Treasury Board of Canada has published “People to People Communication – Preventing and Resolving Harassment for a Healthy Workplace”.

Sessions are ‘open and inclusive’

Nauss said the department hired a consultant, Research Power Inc., to help create the public participation sessions.

“Nova Scotia, like a lot of jurisdictions, is taking stock of the impacts of harassment in the workplace, and really trying to flush out what their role should be.”

Nauss said employees who have taken part in the sessions say they appreciate the opportunity to share their stories

“It’s a really open and inclusive way to get some much-needed feedback,” Nauss said.

Nauss said once the public sessions are over, recommendations will be brought to the minister of labour on next steps. Those recommendations will be based on what the department heard in those sessions, plus best practices from other provinces and territories.

He added that Nova Scotians who are experiencing harassment in the workplace should speak to their employer or union to get the support they need. He said depending on the nature of the situation, employees can also contact the Human Rights Commission.

“A lot of these matters can be considered criminal,” Nauss said. “Policing agencies are an option if folks believe the treatment they’re experiencing is, in fact, criminal.”

Click here to learn more about the public sessions.