A majority of Canadian HR professionals cite workplace harassment as a growing concern, but 28% lack prevention policies

e-Learning, Training and DevelopmentHR TechnologyNews

By GlobeNewswire On Oct 23, 2024

A new report from Traliant offers insights into the state of workplace harassment in Canada

Traliant, a leader in online compliance training, today announced its new workplace study, “Canadian Culture Check: A report on the state of workplace harassment in Canada.” Compiled from a survey of over 1,000 HR professionals in Canada, the study assesses how organizations are approaching harassment prevention. Most notably, the survey revealed that while a majority of HR professionals (61%) feel workplace harassment is a growing issue in their organization, more than a quarter (28%) of organizations do not have a comprehensive workplace harassment prevention policy that meets all legal requirements.

Canadian law requires that employers in all provinces and territories, along with federally regulated employers, provide harassment and workplace violence prevention training to all employees. However, the report reveals that the current programs and processes in place may not fully address the entire spectrum of government training mandates, putting organizations at compliance risk and perpetuating cultures of misconduct.

“Effectively addressing workplace harassment requires a dual strategy of empowering employees to actively foster workplace respect and ensuring compliance with Canada’s provincial and federal requirements,” said Michael Johnson, Chief Strategy Officer at Traliant. “Our study identifies critical areas where Canadian HR professionals can enhance current harassment prevention programs to create lasting, impactful change on company culture.”

The report uncovered additional gaps and potential liabilities in how Canadian HR professionals are approaching harassment prevention, including:

26% of organizations are putting themselves at risk by not providing harassment prevention training to all employees and all levels.
28% of Canadian HR professionals are not providing training to employees at a frequency of least every two years as recommended by case law.
52% of respondents said their workplace harassment reporting processes were not clear or standardized, preventing employees from coming forward and allowing harassing behavior to continue and escalate.

Casey Heck, Senior Vice President of Human Resources at Traliant, added, “With a heightened awareness of the need to address workplace harassment and violence, it’s crucial for HR professionals to effectively support all employees and managers with training to create a safe and positive work environment.”

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