As Janice and I prepare for the Teleseminar on Bill 168 on April 8, 2010, I’ve come to realize that although the legislative amendments to the Occupational Health and Safety Act demonstrate the importance of addressing violence and harassment in the workplace, the amendments do not provide universal guidelines on how to do that.

As lawyers, we are tasked with guiding our clients to ensure compliance with legislative guidelines. Given that there is limited information in the legislation, employers must ensure that their workplace is properly evaluated and policies are properly crafted to address the needs and risks of the specific workplace. For example, it is becoming more and more apparent how company-specific risk assessments need to be. We must look at the physical features, social environments and policies and procedures which exist in each workplace to determine the best approach to conducting a risk assessment. In other words, there isn’t a set way to conduct a risk assessment.

The date that the amendments come into force is creeping up (June 15, 2010). If you haven’t yet begun to look at ensuring compliance in your workplace, the time to begin is now.

Hena Singh