Sunday, January 24, 2010

Workplace Violence Prevention Legislation Passes in Ontario

On December 10, 2009, the provincial government passed Bill 168 - The Occupational Health and Safety Amendment Act (Violence and Harassment in the Workplace), 2009. Bill 168 amends the Occupational Health and Safety Act to address issues of workplace harassment and violence.

Employers will be required to develop written policies with respect to both workplace violence and workplace harassment and must review those policies at least once per year. Employers must also develop and maintain programs to implement the policies and to deal with incidents and complaints of workplace violence and harassment.

The law comes into effect in June of 2010 and affects ALL COMPANIES with 5 OR MORE EMPLOYEES.