Amber Chisholm, interim director of PLEIS-NB and Marc-Alain Mallet, director of the New Brunswick Human Rights Commission. Image: video capture from Zoom.
Two provincial organizations are working together to address and prevent workplace sexual harassment in a new website.
SaferPlacesNB.ca was created by the Public Legal Education and Information Service of New Brunswick (PLEIS-NB) and the New Brunswick Human Rights Commission as part of a five-year project funded by Justice Canada.
The website was created to help provincial employers meet the 2019 regulation under the New Brunswick Health and Safety Act which mandates employers to establish policies and conduct training on workplace violence and harassment, including sexual harassment.
If the requirements are not followed, employers risk fines, charges, and even jail time.
Amber Chisholm of PLEIS-NB says a special effort was made to understand the needs of the LGBTQ+ community in the workplace.
“Typically, education on the issue of workplace sexual harassment has only reflected traditional and binary gender norms such as he and she stories and viewpoints. We felt there was a significant need to introduce more inclusive resources and training,” Chisolm said.
Chisholm said during the consultation process, they learned power dynamics and fear were two of the biggest challenges when it comes to reporting workplace sexual harassment.
“Power dynamics occur when one person is in a more vulnerable position than another. Fear becomes a factor when employees are afraid to report sexual harassment because of what may happen afterward,” Chisholm said.
Chisholm said many employers revealed they were unaware of their legal obligations with regard to preventing and addressing sexual harassment.
“Any type of harassment anywhere has devastating effects for all involved,” said Marc-Alain Mallet, director of the New Brunswick Human Rights Commission. “With changing workforce demographics, our workplaces are much more diverse. This comprehensive and accessible resource will help employers focus on the well-being of their employees by creating and maintaining respectful and inclusive work environments.”
Employers can register for the workplace sexual harassment training online, which includes a facilitated Zoom workshop, or a self-guided e-learning course complemented by various educational tools, such as a template for employees to report harassment to their employers.
Learn how to prevent and address sexual harassment in the workplace. Take the first step – get free training, resources and tools. Go to https://t.co/pgRNoPpytl pic.twitter.com/OReuYaOmhI
— PLEIS NB (@PLEIS_NB) January 17, 2022
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