The Problem of Different Types of Workplace Harassments in Canada

“The workplace scandals in Canada” is a report which explains the harassments faced by employees in their workplace in Canadian economy. This report not only explains about only harassments but also provides some solution to overcome them. There are some laws which provide protection from this kind of harassments are also explained. The report also explains about the various types of harassments faced by both men and women.

The information for the topic is collected from various online sites and library sources. After analyzing all the information, the report has been prepared.

Research result/significance of results:

Understanding the harassments based on the past experiences and live examples in the Canadian economy.

Introduction

Workplace scandals like sexual harassment, racial discrimination became very much common in United States which lead to “Me Too Movement” last year. Those floods now reached the shores of Canada. According to a survey “10,349 valid respondents understood the types of harassments and violent behaviors perpetuated in Canadian workplace” (march,9,2017).

The survey recommends the preventive measure for the risk present and supports that can provide to fix this problem. The Me-Too Movement has given women “A Place of privilege” which also gave them freedom to talk about what they are facing at workplace. But there is power imbalance at workplace which is leading to this kind of harassments.

History

There was a survey conducted in the Canada regarding workplace scandals which says 1 in every 10 Canadians – both male and female, says harassment of women in their workplace Is very common. Bruce Anderson chairperson of “Abacus Data” company that conducted the survey said that the “Numbers represented are quite striking”.

There was a question raised in Hollywood media regarding unwanted sexual pressure experienced by Hollywood women for which, 5% said it is “very often”, 7% said “often”, 41%said “occasional” and 46% said they “never” experienced unwanted sexual pressure.

In the past few big shots in Canadian Politics are also involved in the scandals like sexual harassment namely OPC (Ontario Progressive Conservative) party leader Patrick Brow, and federal disabilities minister Kent Hehr and Soule pepper.

Not only women even men are also becoming the victims of workplace scandals. Not everyone can show up, because many of them do not have alternate option to work. Some examples of harassments faced without any Gender Bias are Racial Discrimination, Alcoholism.

Types of Workplace Scandals

Sexuality

Sexuality in the workplace occurs when an employee is subject to negative employment action, harassment or denial of certain benefits because of their sexual orientation. It is important for employees to have the right information about what constitutes discriminations based on sexual orientation.

Racism harassment

Racial or ethnic discrimination in the workplace can be ugly in a variety of forms.one of the more difficult aspects or racial discrimination at work is that it can often take place entirely undetected. There are often strict timelines for reporting and filing claims of racial discrimination so if we feel we have been discriminated against we have to contact employment attorney in your area to discuss about your situation

Gender discrimination

In the workplace, women are frequently subjected to subtle discrimination by both sexes qualifiable women may be passed over for promotions because they become pregnant. Women are also more likely to be judged by their appearance and hoe they dress than their female counterparts.so basically women facing more problems than men at workplace.

Alcoholism

In the workplace, the costs of alcoholism and alcohol abuse manifest themselves in many ways. As far as the government as an employer is cocentral, an as an employee’s decision to drink is that individual’s personal business. However, when the use or abuse or alcohol interferes with the employee’s ability to perform his or her duties, the employer does have legitimate concerns including proper performance of duties health and safety issues and employee conduct at workplace

Laws and Acts

Laws and their uses are explained below

1. The Canadian Human Rights Act

The Canadian human rights act is a law passed by the Canadian legislation in 1977 with an aim to extend law to remove any kind of discrimination based on age, sex, gender, race, marital status, and provide equality to each and every citizen of the Canada.

2. Duty to Accommodate

According to the Duty to Accommodate employers must make every reasonable effort, short of undue hardship, to accommodate employees who are facing the discrimination within human rights legislation. Supreme court decision (“meiorin”) describes what is duty of accommodation.

3. The Employment Equity Act

Employment equity, as defined in federal law of Canada by the employment equity act, requires federal jurisdiction employers to engage in practice to increase the representation of four designated groups, women, people with disabilities, aboriginal people, and visible minorities

4. The Federal Contractors Program

FCP ensures that any contractor who is doing business with Canadian government should represent a workforce and the workforce should include four types of designated groups

• Women
• Aboriginal people
• Persons with disabilities
• Visible minority groups

This program should promote, enhance, and support women, aboriginal people, persons with disabilities, visible minority groups.

It is an act of Canadian government, the main aim of the code is to protect statues of the labour representatives, and to carry on production by avoiding any kind of strikes and lockouts.

This act protects foreign workers who are working temporarily in Canada.

These are various types of laws which protect employees from different kind of harassments and make them feel safe at workplace.

Preventive measures

Precautions must be implemented at the workplaces and awareness must be made to all the employees and the employers through frequent guest lectures for effective understanding.

Unethical behavior damages the reputation and the good will of the organization and leads to shutdown with the loss of credibility. Employers and employees should come forward to object the unethical activities in their organization, there are some ways with which we can control these activities.

1. Code of etiquette

A written document must be passed to all the employees in the organization stating the type of behavior and activity accepted around the company and the particulars of type of behavior, which is unacceptable, consequences should be Enlighted which leads to firing from the organization.

2. Lead by example

Employees look up to their bosses in any organization and they aspire to be like them, employer’s behavior plays a pivotal role and impacts the employees who follow them.

being in a lead position business-owners should make ethic-based decision and should look after their associates so that they are also in the right path. Employees lose the credibility with the other employees and may indulge in workplace relationship if they don’t have any authority to check their behavior.

3. Fortify the negative outcome:

employers should hold the employee accountable if they are found doing any unacceptable activities in the organization and should inform all the newly hired employees about the unacceptable activities and the measures which will be taken for the violation.

4. Hire for values:

As in the business world, all the employers will look for the employees who is well educated and has skills so that they can adapt to the work. In addition to this, to avoid the unethical environment in the organization they’ve to hire the employees who will well suited for the required roles and ready to adapt to the company policies.

Recommendations

Recommendation #1

Educating employees

Most of the employees are unaware of the laws and rights they possess at workplace and this is the main reason why many of the employees are not showing up or not complaining about the harassments they face at the workplace.

Recommendation #2

Implementation of strict punishments

People who are trying to harass co-workers at the workplace should be punished strictly by the government, so that no one will try to commit such crimes at workplace. This will happen only when the victims of the workplace believe that they are safe though they file a complaint against such harassments.

Recommendation #3

Appointment of safety teams

The management of the workplace should appoint a safety team that will always look after such harassments and they should also strive to avoid this kind of incidents at workplace. Before appointing such team, the management should verify the background of the team members and select those people only who does are not involved in any such crimes in the past.

Conclusion

Workplace harassments is a crime and should not be taken place in any of the organization. It is both organization and government’s responsibility to avoid or restrict this kind of incidents.

There are many examples I the past regarding this kind of harassments, most of the sectors have such faced such incidents in the past. Every sector should take their past experiences as a failure of protecting their employees and should take necessary actions not to happen such incidents in the future.

There are some countries like Dubai where there are no specific laws for workplace harassments, and there are no legislations that cover the workplace. Though there are some articles in UAE penal code such as article 359and 364which considers incidents of harassments both physical and verbal are punishable, but do not specify the types of incidents.

From the above example governments of all economies should create specific laws for specific type of incidents, so that people may not involve in such kind of incidents and have some fear before committing them.