Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) Workplace Bullying and Harassment Policies
WorkSafe BC operates pursuant to the Workers Compensation Act and in conjunction with mandatory policies. These polices are amended from time to time by the Board of Directors for WorkSafe BC. For instance, earlier this year, in March 2013, the Board of Directors made a resolution regarding work place bullying and harassment, clarifying the obligations at the work place with an aim to minimize workplace bullying and harassment. Below is an excerpt from the WorkSafeBC website regarding this resolution.
Occupational Health and Safety (“OHS”) workplace bullying and harassment policies
At its March 2013 meeting, WorkSafeBC’s Board of Directors approved three new OHS workplace bullying and harassment policies:
Employer Duties “Workplace Bullying and Harassment” D3-115-2
- Worker Duties “Workplace Bullying and Harassment” D3-116-1
- Supervisor Duties “Workplace Bullying and Harassment” D3-117-2
The Board of Directors’ resolution is available for reference.
Sections 115, 116 and 117 of the Workers Compensation Act set out the general duties of employers, workers, and supervisors respectively. The new policies have been developed to clarify the obligations of employers, workers, and supervisors regarding preventing, where possible, or otherwise minimizing workplace bullying and harassment.
A discussion paper relating to the proposed amendments was taken to public consultation in the fall of 2012.
These amendments will become effective November 1, 2013 and the Prevention Manual will be updated at that time. Further, a new guideline and a toolkit are being developed to assist stakeholders to comply with the new policies.