New Brunswick launches new digital platform to combat workplace sexual harassment

Platform provides free online workplace training and resources

New Brunswick launches new digital platform to combat workplace sexual harassment

The New Brunswick government has launched a free online training platform to combat workplace sexual harassment.

SaferPlacesNB.ca is an educational website that aims to help employers comply with a regulation issued in 2019 under the New Brunswick Health and Safety Act. The regulation mandates employers to establish policies and training on workplace violence and harassment, including sexual harassment.

The N.B. Human Rights Commission and the N.B.’s Public Legal Education and Information Service (PLEIS-NB) created the website as part of their five-year collaborative project funded by the Department of Justice Canada.

“Our consultations with employers revealed that many were unaware of their legal obligations with regard to preventing and addressing sexual harassment,” said Amber Chisholm, PLEIS-NB interim executive director. “Employees who had experienced workplace sexual harassment told us they felt unsure and fearful about what to do next.”

The website provides free online workplace training and resources to employers, employees, legal professionals, and the public to help address and prevent sexual harassment in workplaces across the province.

These free online workplace training and resources include a facilitated Zoom workshop, a self-guided e-learning course accompanied by various educational tools, such as a workplace harassment policy guide and a harassment complaint form for employees.

“Any type of harassment anywhere has devastating effects for all involved,” said Marc-Alain Mallet, N.B. Human Rights Commission director. “This comprehensive and accessible [website] will help employers focus on the well-being of their employees by creating and maintaining respectful and inclusive work environments.”