Stand-alone policies are essential to preventing sexual harassment in the workplace: HRPA
TORONTO, April 12, 2018 /CNW/ - A new paper by the Human Resources Professionals Association (HRPA) explores how prevalent the issue of sexual harassment is in Canadian workplaces, and makes recommendations to business and government leaders to combat and prevent harassment within their organizations.
"Sexual harassment has no place in our workplaces, and organizations are rightly under immense pressure to address and prevent it," said Scott Allinson, Vice-President of Public Affairs, HRPA. "Employers have a key role to play and must do their duty and understand how Canadian law defines sexual harassment to properly implement policies and procedures to combat this serious issue."
The paper, entitled Doing Our Duty: Preventing Sexual Harassment in the Workplace, found 40 per cent of HRPA members surveyed reported that their workplace still takes a reactive approach to sexual harassment, and 17 per cent report witnessing an employee being sexually harassed or assaulted. In addition, close to 20 per cent of members reported an increase in sexual harassment claims in recent months. These responses differ significantly from findings by Gandalf Group that showed that 94 per cent of Canadian executives surveyed believe that sexual harassment is not a problem in their workplaces.
"We recommend that all private and public institutions adopt a stand-alone sexual harassment and assault policy or revisit their current policy to ensure it is adequate," concluded Allinson. "Organizations should also empower HR staff to implement, train and enforce sexual harassment policies to ensure that sexual harassment is not only addressed but prevented from happening in the first place. HRPA members are in the unique position of being at the forefront of addressing and preventing sexual harassment in the workplace."
The full report can be found here: Doing our Duty: Preventing Sexual Harassment in the Workplace and the infographic can be found here: Sexual Assault & Harassment in the Canadian Workplace.
About HRPA
Through an Act of the Ontario Legislature, the Human Resources Professionals Association (HRPA) regulates the professional HR practice of its more than 23,000 members in Ontario, across Canada and around the world. HRPA connects members with an unmatched range of HR information, resources, events, professional development and networking opportunities. On an annual basis, HRPA hosts Canada's largest HR conference and trade show. HRPA issues three levels of professional certification: the Certified Human Resources Professional (CHRP) designation for practitioners entering the profession and working in administrative capacities; the Certified Human Resources Leader (CHRL), for practitioners working in fully professional capacities; and the Certified Human Resources Executive (CHRE), for senior executives.
SOURCE Human Resources Professionals Association (HRPA)
For further information: Liz Bernier, HRPA Communications Specialist, at 416.923.2324 x324 or at [email protected]
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