{"id":11067,"date":"2018-06-06T17:20:47","date_gmt":"2018-06-06T21:20:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/jss.ca\/living-safety-information\/%e3%82%aa%e3%83%b3%e3%82%bf%e3%83%aa%e3%82%aa%e5%b7%9e%e3%81%ae%e3%82%bb%e3%82%af%e3%82%b7%e3%83%a5%e3%82%a2%e3%83%ab%e3%83%8f%e3%83%a9%e3%82%b9%e3%83%a1%e3%83%b3%e3%83%88%e3%81%a8%e4%ba%ba%e6%a8%a9\/"},"modified":"2021-04-14T18:06:55","modified_gmt":"2021-04-14T22:06:55","slug":"sexual_harassment_andhuman_rights_in_ontario","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/jss.ca\/en\/news\/sexual_harassment_andhuman_rights_in_ontario\/","title":{"rendered":"Sexual harassment and human rights in Ontario"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>* This is a translation of \u201cSexual harassment and human rights in Ontario\u201d published in March 2018, produced in English by <a href=\"http:\/\/www.cleo.on.ca\/en\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">CLEO (Community Legal Education Ontario)<\/a>. Japanese Social Services is wholly responsible for the accuracy of this translation, produced with permission of CLEO.<br \/>\n<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-10956 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/jss.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/07\/e1499906814282-300x89.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"529\" height=\"157\" srcset=\"https:\/\/jss.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/07\/e1499906814282-300x89.png 300w, https:\/\/jss.ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/07\/e1499906814282.png 577w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 529px) 100vw, 529px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Sexual harassment at work has been in the spotlight recently with media coverage often focusing on celebrities and politicians. And the\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/www.cbc.ca\/news\/entertainment\/me-too-harassment-weinstein-1.4356297\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">#MeToo movement<\/a>\u00a0has raised awareness about the widespread nature of the problem.<br \/>\nThis month&#8217;s On the Radar talks about making a human rights complaint about sexual harassment at work.<\/p>\n<h3>Sexual harassment and human rights<\/h3>\n<p>Human rights laws give people the right to live free from discrimination.\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/stepstojustice.ca\/common-question-plus\/employment-and-work\/what-if-im-being-harassed-work-reasons-go-against-my-human-rights\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Harassment that goes against a worker&#8217;s human rights<\/a>\u00a0is a form of discrimination. This includes harassment because of:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>sex or gender<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.ohrc.on.ca\/en\/sexual-orientation-and-human-rights-brochure\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">sexual orientation<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.ohrc.on.ca\/en\/gender-identity-and-gender-expression-brochure\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">gender identity or gender expression<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Examples of sexual harassment<\/strong><br \/>\nThere are many ways in which people are harassed at work. Here are some examples:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>sexual comments about a worker&#8217;s appearance<\/li>\n<li>jokes about a worker&#8217;s sexual orientation<\/li>\n<li>insulting remarks about a worker&#8217;s gender expression<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Harassment can also include:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>touching someone without their permission<\/li>\n<li>pressure from a supervisor or co-worker to get together outside of work, if this makes a worker uncomfortable<\/li>\n<li>being bullied because of something that&#8217;s a human right, like the right to express one&#8217;s gender<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>A single comment or event is usually not harassment. Most often, it&#8217;s when something is repeated or persistent that it&#8217;s harassment.<br \/>\nBut something that happens once could be harassment if it&#8217;s serious enough and affects someone a lot. For example, touching someone in a sexual way might be harassment, even if it only happens once.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Workplace violence<\/strong><br \/>\nHarassment is different than\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/stepstojustice.ca\/common-question-plus\/employment-and-work\/what-should-i-do-if-someone-work-being-violent-or-threatening-me\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">workplace violence<\/a>. If someone is assaulted or threatened while they&#8217;re at work, this is workplace violence.<br \/>\nThere are\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/stepstojustice.ca\/common-question-plus\/employment-and-work\/what-should-i-do-if-someone-work-being-violent-or-threatening-me\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">steps people can take<\/a>\u00a0if this happens, including removing themselves from danger and calling the police.<\/p>\n<h3>Employers&#8217; responsibilities<\/h3>\n<p>Ontario&#8217;s laws say that employers must have a policy on harassment at work.<br \/>\nIn a workplace that has\u00a0<strong>at least 6 people<\/strong>\u00a0regularly working there, the policy has to be in writing and posted where it&#8217;s easy for people to see.<br \/>\nIf a worker reports harassment to their employer, the employer is supposed to:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>look into it<\/li>\n<li>take steps to stop the harassment<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>The law also says that\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/stepstojustice.ca\/common-question-plus\/employment-and-work\/can-my-employer-punish-me-if-i-act-my-rights\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">employers are not supposed to punish workers<\/a>\u00a0who complain about harassment.<br \/>\nBut before talking to an employer, it can be a good idea to\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/stepstojustice.ca\/common-question-plus\/employment-and-work\/where-can-i-get-help-and-advice-about-my-rights-worker\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">get legal advice<\/a>. This can help a worker understand what can happen and what their options are.<\/p>\n<h3>Making a human rights complaint<\/h3>\n<p>Most employers in Ontario must follow the Ontario Human Rights Code. The\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/www.sjto.gov.on.ca\/hrto\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario<\/a>\u00a0deals with complaints against these employers.<br \/>\nA worker may be able to\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/stepstojustice.ca\/common-question-plus\/employment-and-work\/how-do-i-make-claim-human-rights-tribunal-ontario\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">apply to the Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario<\/a>\u00a0if:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>they were harassed at work for reasons that go against their human rights, or<\/li>\n<li>their employer punished them for reporting the harassment.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>What the Tribunal can do<\/strong><br \/>\nIf the Tribunal decides that an employer broke the law, they can order that the employer:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>pay money to the worker<\/li>\n<li>change things at work so a worker does not have to work with someone who harassed them<\/li>\n<li>change its practices so they follow human rights laws<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>The Tribunal can also order an employer to give a worker back their job if they were fired. But this rarely happens.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Industries covered by federal laws<\/strong><br \/>\nSome industries are covered by federal laws. These are laws made by the Government of Canada and they apply throughout the country. These industries include banks, airlines, some trucking businesses, and broadcasting. The Government of Canada website has\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.canada.ca\/en\/employment-social-development\/programs\/employment-equity\/regulated-industries.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">a more complete list<\/a>.<br \/>\nEmployers in these industries must follow the Canada Labour Code. The\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.chrc-ccdp.gc.ca\/eng\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Canadian Human Rights Commission<\/a>\u00a0deals with complaints against these employers.<\/p>\n<h3>Getting help<\/h3>\n<p>Being discriminated against or harassed often causes health problems for workers. Many workers become anxious or depressed. When this happens, they may want to talk to a doctor about it.<br \/>\nA doctor may be able to suggest treatment. And if a worker needs to take legal action, the doctor may be able to write a letter.<br \/>\nIt&#8217;s also a good idea for workers to\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/stepstojustice.ca\/common-question-plus\/employment-and-work\/where-can-i-get-help-and-advice-about-my-rights-worker\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">get legal advice<\/a>to help them decide what to do.<\/p>\n<p>*This email alert gives general legal information. It is not a substitute for getting legal advice about a particular situation.<\/p>\n<p>Original source:\u00a0\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/mailchi.mp\/cleo\/on-the-radar-sexual-harassment-and-human-rights-in-ontario\">https:\/\/mailchi.mp\/cleo\/on-the-radar-sexual-harassment-and-human-rights-in-ontario<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>* This is a translation of \u201cSexual harassment and human rights in Ontario\u201d published in March 2018, produced in English by CLEO (Community Legal Education Ontario). Japanese Social Services is wholly responsible for the accuracy of this translation, produced with permission of CLEO. &nbsp; Sexual harassment at work has been in the spotlight recently with [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":21,"featured_media":10956,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[280],"tags":[303,357],"class_list":["post-11067","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","tag-living-safety-information","tag-sexual-harassment-en"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/jss.ca\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11067","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/jss.ca\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/jss.ca\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jss.ca\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/21"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jss.ca\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=11067"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/jss.ca\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11067\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":13997,"href":"https:\/\/jss.ca\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11067\/revisions\/13997"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jss.ca\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/10956"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/jss.ca\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=11067"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jss.ca\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=11067"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jss.ca\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=11067"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}