In June 2023, the Court of King’s Bench of Alberta recognized a new harassment tort that allows those experiencing harassment to sue for damages in civil court. When I say “torts”, you probably think of a delicious dessert. In law though, the word has a slightly different meaning! Tort … [Read more...]
The Many Forms of Harassment
Harassment may exist in many forms, including discrimination under human rights laws, a workplace hazard, sexual harassment, and bullying. Harassment is the act of treating another person in a way that causes them to feel insulted, demeaned, sad and sometimes unsafe. It can take many … [Read more...]
Workplace Sexual Harassment: Reporting options
The Workers' Resource Centre's Workplace Sexual Harassment Advisory Program aims to educate survivors on options for reporting sexual harassment in the workplace. Sexual harassment occurs at work, often without acknowledgement, and leaves workers with lasting impacts. It creates unsafe and … [Read more...]
Human Rights and A Poisoned Work Environment
There have been several recent news stories about harassment issues in Canadian workplaces. For example, a 2013 review of the Calgary Police Services workplace was recently released, containing detailed allegations of sexual harassment, intimidation, bullying and even sexual assault within the … [Read more...]
Workplace Bullying: What Employers Need to Know
Bullying in the workplace is slightly different from bullying seen in the childhood sandbox. There is rarely physical violence or threats (although these are possible), and the tormentors may not always be the most obvious culprits. Instead, workplace bullying may not even be noticeable to an … [Read more...]
Unmasking Bullies on the Internet
Introduction Most of us have heard of cyberbullying and the dreadful impact it has had on young people, even driving some of them to suicide. The incidence of bullying online is likely far greater than the average Canadian might expect. As a university professor, I (Bowal) receive menacing and … [Read more...]
Bully Bosses: When Harassment is Not Discrimination
What legal remedies do employees have if they are verbally or non-verbally bullied by their supervisor or co-workers? In the workplace, bullying can include behaviours such as: damaging your reputation; humiliating you in public; accusing you of lack of effort; calling you names; insulting, teasing, … [Read more...]
