Preventing workplace harassment: engagement

The Government of Nova Scotia is looking for your help to improve workplace health and safety. It’s important that workers have safe, fair and healthy workplaces that are respectful and free from harassment.

About the engagement

The Occupational Health and Safety Act and regulations consider physical injuries in the workplace, but they don’t clearly consider psychological injuries like harassment in the workplace.

Government is starting to develop guidance for workplaces to help prevent and manage harassment at work.

Nova Scotians are invited to share feedback on how to better prevent and address workplace harassment.

Get informed

To help you share your feedback and ideas, government is using the definitions of harassment from the Human Rights Act and the Nova Scotia Human Rights Commission.

The Human Rights Act and the Nova Scotia Human Rights Commission define harassment as “a course of vexatious conduct or comment that is known or ought reasonably to be known to be unwelcome”.

The Nova Scotia Human Rights Commission also defines that “harassment can involve any unwanted physical or verbal behavior or treatment that is demeaning, disrespectful, offensive or humiliating”.

Learn more: Preventing Harassment in the Workplace - Engagement Guide (PDF)

How to participate

Survey closed on 10 December 2023. Public engagement sessions were held 14 November 2023 to 8 December 2023.

Next steps

A summary of feedback will be published after the engagement period. Feedback will be reviewed by government and help develop guidance for workplaces to help prevent and manage harassment in the workplace.

More information about the engagement

You can send questions about the preventing workplace harassment engagement to .

Contact

Department of Labour, Skills and Immigration
Preventing workplace harassment engagement

Related legislation

Related information