Harassment Prevention Training in Canada

What is the key legislation for harassment prevention training in Canada? 

Canada does not have a single nationwide harassment prevention training law that applies to all employers. Instead, requirements vary depending on whether an employer is federally regulated or provincially regulated. 

For federally regulated employers, key legislation includes the Canada Labour Code and the Work Place Harassment and Violence Prevention Regulations. 

For provincially regulated employers, relevant legislation includes: 

• British Columbia: Workers Compensation Act and Occupational Health and Safety Regulation 
• Alberta: Occupational Health and Safety Act and Occupational Health and Safety Code 
• Ontario: Occupational Health and Safety Act and Occupational Health and Safety Awareness Training Regulation 
• Québec: Bill 42, An Act to prevent and fight psychological harassment and sexual violence in the workplace 
• New Brunswick: Occupational Health and Safety Act and General Regulation 
• Newfoundland and Labrador: Occupational Health and Safety Regulations, 2012 

NOTE: This page focuses specifically on the harassment prevention components of these requirements. Some jurisdictions also impose workplace violence prevention obligations that may require additional employer-specific training and education. 

Which types of employers are affected? 

Requirements vary by jurisdiction: 

• Federal: Employers in federally regulated industries 
• British Columbia: Employers in provincially regulated industries 
• Alberta: Employers in provincially regulated industries 
• Ontario: Employers in provincially regulated industries 
• Québec: Employers in provincially regulated industries 
• New Brunswick: Employers in provincially regulated industries 
• Newfoundland and Labrador: Employers in provincially regulated industries 

Because Canadian employers are generally regulated either federally or provincially, the applicable requirements depend on the employer’s industry and jurisdiction. 

What are the seat time and training frequency requirements? 

The jurisdictions addressed on this page generally do not prescribe minimum seat-time requirements for harassment prevention training. 

Certain jurisdictions do specify when training or instruction must occur: 

• Federal: Before employees begin work 
• British Columbia: During new worker orientation 
• New Brunswick: During orientation for new workers 

Other jurisdictions require employers to provide appropriate training and instruction but do not specify a particular training frequency. 

Which topics are required for training? 

Requirements vary by jurisdiction, but harassment-related training commonly addresses: 

• Recognition of harassment and inappropriate workplace conduct 
• Employer harassment prevention policies and programs 
• Employee rights and responsibilities 
• Reporting procedures 
• Investigation processes 
• Complaint handling procedures 
• Psychological harassment prevention 
• Appropriate responses to harassment and how employees can obtain assistance 

For example: 

• Alberta requires training on recognizing violence and harassment, the employer’s prevention plan, reporting procedures, investigation processes, and responses to incidents. 
• Ontario requires workers to receive information and instruction regarding workplace harassment policies and programs. 
• Québec requires measures aimed at preventing psychological harassment and sexual violence. 
• Newfoundland and Labrador requires harassment prevention training and education regarding the employer’s harassment prevention plan. 
• Federal requirements include education on preventing workplace harassment, employee rights and responsibilities, discrimination protections, and responding to harassment and violence. 

Because requirements differ among jurisdictions, employers should review the specific obligations applicable to their workplace. 

How can ComplyEQ help employers meet these requirements? 

ComplyEQ’s Preventing Harassment and Discrimination: Canada training helps organizations address the harassment prevention components of Canadian workplace requirements by providing education on recognizing, preventing, reporting, and responding to workplace harassment. 

Because many Canadian jurisdictions combine harassment and workplace violence requirements within the same legislative framework, employers may need additional content beyond harassment prevention training alone. Depending on the jurisdiction, employers may also need to provide information about: 

• Workplace violence prevention policies 
• Violence risk assessments 
• Violence reporting procedures 
• Employer-specific prevention programs 
• Violence response protocols 
• Other workplace violence obligations required under applicable laws 

Organizations can use ComplyEQ’s included customizable course elements to incorporate employer-specific policies, reporting procedures, and program information. Employers seeking to address workplace violence requirements may also need supplemental workplace violence training or other employer-specific education resources in addition to harassment prevention training. Learn more about how this training can address your compliance goals here.