Funding to help solve problems of sexual harassment in the workplace
The Department of Justice Canada is providing some necessary funding to help address sexual harassment in Alberta workplaces.
Ottawa is investing more than $1.34 million over five years for the Association of Alberta Sexual Assault Services for their project Healthier and Safer Alberta Workplaces.
“Everyone has the right to feel safe and secure in their workplace. I am pleased to support the Healthier and Safer Alberta Workplaces project, which will provide public awareness and training about workplace sexual harassment across Alberta,” says David Lametti, minister of justice and attorney general of Canada. “We all have important roles to play in creating and maintaining workspaces where everyone can feel safe and respected.”
The first component of the project is the design and delivery of a provincial public awareness campaign promoting a positive response to disclosures of workplace sexual harassment. The campaign will direct individuals affected by workplace sexual harassment to a professional, specialized and confidential, source who will respond with compassion and support and assist individuals to make an informed choice about reporting.
The second component is the delivery of a workplace training curriculum to educate employees and employers about workplace sexual harassment. It will also promote a culture of respect and safety.
“In Alberta, one in five workers has experienced sexual harassment. About a third (36 per cent) would report an incident to a manager; only 15 per cent would report to Human Resources. These unresolved incidents pose serious health and safety risks for people and organizations,” said Deb Tomlinson, CEO of The Association of Alberta Sexual Assault Services.
“This funding by Justice Canada will enable AASAS to lead a ground-breaking prevention-focused campaign—set to launch later this month—that will change the way Albertans work together and reduce the incidents of workplace sexual harassment.”
In February, the Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety (CCOHS) developed three online courses to help employers, managers, and employees in federally regulated workplaces understand their specific roles and responsibilities in preventing harassment and violence in the workplace.
Funding for the new program is provided under the Justice Partnership and Innovation Program, which supports initiatives that work toward our goal of ensuring an accessible, efficient and fair system of justice for all.
