Government of Manitoba gets tough on workplace bullying

Manitoba seems to be a hot bed of bullying and anti-bullying work right now. 

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Government of Manitoba gets tough on workplace bullying

By Jamie Fischer

The Government of Manitoba is cracking down on workplace harassment. As of Feb. 1, there are new regulations in place that protect workers against psychological harassment.

The definition of harassment is broken down into two types, the first of which is inappropriate behavior to a person based on their race, sex, age, etc. The second, is basically work place bullying. In a brochure available at safemanitoba.com, examples of this type of harassment are described as either "severe, repeated conduct that adversely affects a worker's psychological or physical well being" or "a single occurrence, if shown to have a lasting, harmful effect on a person."

The Minister of Labour and Immigration, Jennifer Howard, said the new regulations have been in the works for a while. "It's something the advisory council on workplace safety and health has been working on," Howard said. The council includes representatives from employers, labour groups, and professional and trade groups as well.

The government heard from many individuals who suffered from work place harassment and learned the toll it took on their mental health. Mental health issues are the number one reason in Canada for disabilities claimed for health leaves. Because of this, the new regulations are aimed to help both health and productivity.

The new legislation helps prevent harassment by putting obligations on employers. "It gives employers the obligation to have policies to prevent harassment," Howard said.
Manitoba General Employees Union's safety and health specialist, Blaine Duncan is on the advisory council on workplace safety and health. For him, the legislation is the end of a long road.

"For the last few years we've been pushing for advancements," he said. The council put forward their recommendation to update the law unanimously. In the older legislation a lot of types of harassment were left out, and this new regulation should fill in many of the old gaps.

"For us, a lot of the issues we deal with start off with disrespect," Duncan said. With the new legislation, workers will be able to act on this sort of bullying early, rather than waiting for problems to escalate.

"Now it's all about education and getting the information out there," he said.

A lot of information is already available for those curious about the new laws. A brochure on the new laws specific to harassment is available at safemanitoba.com. The brochure includes detailed examples of types of inappropriate behavior and also has scenarios to further illustrate the new boundaries. The website also features a sample harassment prevention policy for any employers who need to revamp their own policies.

jfischer@cpheraldleader.com