Psychological health and safety series #5: Crafting a comprehensive violence and harassment policy

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In our previous articles, we examined psychological safety programs and workplace policies. This fifth installment focuses on developing a violence and harassment (V/H) policy – a critical component for protecting employees, ensuring legal compliance, and responding to occurrences.

Table of Contents

The critical role of a violence and harassment policy

While earlier policies aim to create favourable workplace conditions, this policy addresses serious issues that significantly impact psychological health. It serves preventive and responsive functions, establishing procedures for addressing incidents. The V/H policy should be developed jointly and reviewed by the health and safety committee.

The requirements inspire the following list in the recently updated federal V/H legislation. While this legislation applies only to federally regulated workers, it is an excellent framework for policy development. Some organizations include some information below in a policy and other information in a program document.

Essential policy components include:

Mission statement: Begin with a statement articulating your organization’s commitment to preventing harassment, discrimination and violence. Emphasize zero tolerance and affirm all employees’ right to a safe work environment.
Role descriptions: A successful workplace V/H policy must define who is responsible for what. Every person in the organization plays a part in creating and maintaining a safe workplace. Employers are primarily responsible for developing policies, allocating necessary resources, and ensuring impartial investigations when incidents occur. The federal legislative model requires designated recipients, specially trained staff who serve as the first point of contact for complaints and guide the process. All employees must understand their obligations to follow the policy, report incidents they experience or witness and participate in required training. Health and safety committees provide valuable oversight by reviewing policies and suggesting prevention initiatives.
Identify risk factors: The V/H policy should clearly describe the identified hazards (e.g., working alone, working with the public, transporting money, working with drugs in demand, working with money, working in high-risk communities) and risks that increase the likelihood a worker will experience violence.
Training summary: The V/H policy should outline all the training that will be provided to help workers identify and be free from violence and harassment and the support resources available to them if they experience or witness harassment or violence. This training must also cover policy awareness so everyone understands the rules and how to comply. Clear reporting procedures must be explained so everyone knows what steps to take when an incident occurs. A lead practice includes bystander intervention training to create a culture where everyone feels responsible for maintaining a safe workplace.
Resolution process: The V/H policy must detail how reports will be managed from start to finish. Identify who will receive complaints (ideally, a trained designated recipient). It is a good practice to provide multiple reporting options so people can choose the method they feel most comfortable using. The policy should outline the initial response procedures, including timelines for acknowledgment and first steps. Investigation protocols should explain who conducts investigations, how information is gathered, how decisions are made and who receives copies of reports. Include a decision-making process and options for appeal if someone disagrees with an outcome.
Workplace assessment reviews: Regular assessment of workplace risks helps prevent problems. A V/H policy should establish when these assessments must take place. At a minimum, full reviews should be conducted every three years to identify changing risk factors and update prevention strategies. Additional reviews should happen after any significant incident or change to the workplace or workflow. New risks identified through any channel should trigger a focused assessment.
Emergency procedures: Include procedures for incidents that pose an immediate danger, including when workers should remove themselves from harmful situations (as applicable). These procedures should outline immediate reporting steps for threatening situations, including who to contact and how. Provide emergency contact information that is always accessible to all employees. Detail evacuation or lockdown procedures if physical safety is at risk. Include post-incident response guidelines to address immediate trauma and begin the recovery process.
Privacy protection: Explain how confidentiality will be maintained throughout any process. Set clear confidentiality requirements for everyone involved in handling reports or investigations.
Additional recourse: Internal processes may not always provide a satisfactory resolution for all parties. Your policy should acknowledge external options that complement your internal procedures. For example, human rights commissions offer an avenue for addressing discrimination-based harassment complaints, and there may be grievance procedures in unionized workplaces.
Support measures: Detail available resources during and after incidents. Employee assistance programs often provide confidential counselling and referral services. Professional counselling services might be available through benefits programs or special arrangements. Accommodation options should be explained for those who need workplace adjustments following an incident. Leave provisions may be necessary for recovery. External support resources in the community should be identified for additional help.
External reporting: All jurisdictions have requirements for reporting to the health and safety enforcement officers when someone is seriously harmed by violence or harassment. Employers should know their responsibility and embed this as a policy practice so that others also know it.

Continually improve

A well-crafted violence and harassment policy is essential for protecting employees’ psychological health and safety, but should not be considered a one-and-done. Monitor incident reporting patterns to identify trends or problem areas. Policy development is an ongoing process requiring regular reviews and updates to reflect emerging best practices. Following the Plan-Do-Check-Act framework described in our second article, regularly evaluate your policy’s effectiveness to ensure responses are being overseen and assessments are being performed.