Notwithstanding the implementation of legislation on national and subnational levels and research demonstrating the enormous costs and impacts for individuals, workplaces, and governments, harassment and violence at work continues to be a pervasive problem worldwide
With decades of research on various forms of harassment and violence, effective prevention and intervention practices remain one of the largest knowledge gaps in the field. It is unlikely that harassment and violence, in all its forms, will be eradicated without deeper and broader systemic changes, within workplaces and society. To bring about this type of long-term and sustainable change, action must be collective.
This has implications for developing abroader model in which governments, employers, labour groups, community groups (such as shelters, sexual assault centres,and external experts), academics, and researchers play a large and integral role. Collaboration and coordination are key in such a model. This iterative process of consultation and action occurs at all stages of a preventative strategy, including planning, implementation, evaluation, learning, and modification.
Tripartite consultation and action have been concretely recognised as critically important in finding practical solutions to workplace issues, including harassment and violence. In January 2021, Bill C-65 came into force, amending the Canada Labour Code and strengthening federal legislation on harassment and violence at work.
There are three main aims of Bill C-65:the prevention of incidents, a timely and effective response to incidents, and support for affected employees. In its first annual report following the implementation of Bill C-65, 2021 annual report – Taking action against harassment and violence in workplaces under Canadian federal jurisdiction, the Government of Canada acknowledges that governments cannot tackle this issue alone and that employers and labour have key roles to play in creating safe, healthy, respectful, and fair workplaces.
The International Organization Convention No. 190 (ILO C190) and Recommendation No. 206, adopted in June 2019, are the first international labour standards to provide a common framework to prevent, remedy, and eliminate harassment and violence in the world of work. By ratifying ILO C190, countries (including Canada) that have done so recognise the importance of addressing the issue of harassment and violence at work, as well as the power of a collective, global approach to prevention. Further strengthening the importance of this approach, in February 2024, Minister Seamus O’Regan, Minister of Labour for the Government of Canada, announced that Canada has joined the International Organization’s Global Coalition for Social Justice.
Collaborative projects to prevent harassment and violence at work
The Centre for Research & Education on Violence Against Women & Children (CREVAWC) is located at the University of Western Ontario. Its central mission is to facilitate the collaboration of individuals, groups, and institutions representing the diversity of the community to pursue research questions and knowledge mobilisation to understand and prevent violence and abuse, including harassment and violence at work.
To accomplish its mission, CREVAWC works with extensive partnerships within the university and with external organisations (labour groups, for-profit and non-profit organisations, community-based organisations, and government), nationally and internationally. A large part of the work at CREVAWC is conducting actionable research to inform the development of effective, evidence-based prevention and intervention practices to keep workers and workplaces safe from harassment and violence. Each project is carefully planned to ensure the inclusion of collaborators’ voices, perspectives, and needs. Below, three projects are highlighted as demonstrations of this type of collaboration.
Project Spotlight: Collaborating to Prevent and Respond to Harassment and Violence at Work
This five-year project, which builds on the accomplishments of our Respect at Work project, is funded by the Government of Canada’s Labour Program. It is a collaboration between CREVAWC, Federally Regulated Employers – Transportation and Communications (FETCO), Canadian Labour Congress, and researchers at Université du Québec à Montréal and the University of Toronto. The project aims to increase awareness of health and safety regulations, improve access to sector-specific tools and best practices, foster collaboration with partners to ensure workplaces are healthier and safer for workers, increase the capacity of employers and unions to provide guidance to workers regarding new harassment and violence regulations, and increase the capacity of employers and unions to support workers experiencing sexual harassment and/or domestic violence.
Project Spotlight: Addressing Domestic Violence in the Workplace through Collaboration
The impacts of domestic violence (DV) follow employees to their workplaces. It is estimated that domestic violence costs Canadian employers approximately $77.9 million per year (Zhang, et al., 2012). The Government of Canada’s Labour Program invested in projects to help federal workplaces comply with the amendments to the Canada Labour Code introduced by Bill C-65.
A core mandatory requirement of the funding was the collaboration between employers, unions and harassment and violence experts. CREVAWAC was granted funds to create organisational policies, tools, and online training programs to assist federally regulated organisations to provide support in the workplace for workers who are impacted by domestic violence, either as victims, perpetrators, bystanders, co-workers, supervisors, managers, or union stewards. For this three-year project, CREVAWC collaborated with the Canadian Labour Congress (CLC) and Federally Regulated Employers – Transportation and Communications (FETCO).
Project Spotlight: Sexual Harassment in the Hospitality, Gaming, and Airline Sectors
Sexual harassment occurs across all occupations and industries and can have negative short- and long-term impacts on employees who directly experience sexual harassment, their co-workers who witness the harassment, workplaces, and governments. This three-year project is funded by the Department of Justice Canada. It is a collaboration between CREVAWC and Unifor and focuses on three sectors – hospitality, gaming, and airline – in British Columbia, Manitoba, and Ontario. Without the help of Unifor representatives, it would not have been possible to reach workers in these geographically dispersed workplaces, particularly during the COVID pandemic.
The aims of this project include conducting research to assess how sexual harassment at work is showing up in the lives of workers, how it is currently being addressed, and what information and resources workers, Health and Safety representatives and union representatives need in order to prevent and address the problem more effectively. The findings of this study informed the development of activities and materials to increase awareness of sexual harassment. This included social media and outreach campaigns to help workers identify harassing behaviours and experiences, as well as their rights to harassment-free workplaces and to increase awareness of sexual harassment among third parties (clients and customers).
The workplace context and other parties (e.g., supervisors/managers, co-workers, union representatives, Health and Safety representatives, and Human Rights representatives) also have important roles to play in preventing sexual harassment and supporting workers who experience harassment. Therefore, the project activities and materials also aim to increase their awareness of sexual harassment and how they can support workers.
Financial costs of intimate partner violence: Collaborating to create safe and productive workplaces
Collective action is important in addressing not only harassment and violence at work but also the effects of intimate partner violence for workplaces and society at large
Canada and other countries have clearly positioned intimate partner violence (IPV) as a health and safety issue, as a workplace issue, and as an employer responsibility. ILO Convention No. 190 (C190) recognizes the right of everyone to a world of work free from harassment and violence, including gender-based harassment and violence. It recognises that IPV can affect employment, productivity and health and safety. It also recognises the importance of collective efforts between governments, employers, and workers in recognising and addressing the impacts of IPV.
When workers experience and/or perpetrate IPV at home, the impacts can be felt in the workplace in many ways. However, companies often focus solely on the most extreme cases, such as needing to provide safety plans for employees who are in fear of their partner coming to the workplace. This ignores the research that has demonstrated substantial negative impacts of IPV on both workers and workplaces through lost productivity. That is, employees affected by IPV – be they survivors, perpetrators, or co-workers – are unable to perform at their optimal level at work when they are dealing with IPV-related challenges in their lives. Workplace costs include, but are not limited to:
- Lost time at work and reduced attention;
- Time spent by co-workers covering for victims-survivors or perpetrators;
- Time invested by the victim-survivor or
perpetrator in communication with their (ex) partner, friends; or family (e.g., on their phone while at work) - Time the victim-survivor or perpetrator may need to take off work;
- Administrative time required for processing their time off;
- Administrative costs for the search and training of a replacement employee if the affected individual leaves the job or is terminated; • Lost profits resulting from the reduced output of victim-survivors or perpetrators; and
- Increased overtime payments to compensate other workers covering for the victim-survivor or perpetrator.
Measuring and managing the costs of intimate partner violence
As documented, these impacts most often come in the form of tardiness, absenteeism, presenteeism and job turnover and can lead to substantial hidden costs for workplaces. Measuring the costs of IPV to individual workplaces became possible in 2012 when Dr. Vara-Horna from San Martin de Porres University in Peru developed a lost days of labour productivity scale. This scale quantifies lost days of labour productivity by considering factors such as tardiness, absenteeism, and presenteeism due to IPV.
Dr. Vara-Horna’s research in South and Central America and Africa has demonstrated that companies face substantial costs due to IPV. His research has shown that calculating these hidden costs at a localised workplace level raises awareness and motivates business leaders to focus on their specific circumstances. This process enables them to recognise the potential benefits of implementing internal organisational changes. Finally, research has demonstrated that implementing managerial training programs grounded in an equitable management approach can result in substantial cost savings and enhance the overall work environment.
Developing scientific evidence to mitigate the costs of IPV
With new funding from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC), researchers at Western University, in collaboration with the Conference Board of Canada, are working directly with employers to develop scientific evidence illustrating the hidden financial costs of IPV in individual workplaces in Canada. These researchers are adapting Dr. Vara-Horna’s survey regarding lost days of labor productivity to measure the costs incurred by IPV, considering factors such as lateness, absenteeism and presenteeism. They will accomplish this by comparing data from respondents who have reported experiencing and/or perpetrating IPV with those who report having never had such experiences. Importantly, the survey collects information on both victimisation and perpetration, along with the effects of co-workers’ experiences of IPV, and encompasses the IPV experiences across all genders. The effectiveness of these survey techniques has already been demonstrated in a pilot survey conducted at a large university in Southwestern Ontario. The pilot not only demonstrated the survey’s applicability in the Canadian context but, more importantly, revealed substantial hidden IPV costs to the employer.
In addition to introducing this costing methodology to North America, the researchers are developing a core curriculum tailored for managers on addressing the effects of IPV in the workplace, mitigating the associated costs, and providing support to their employees. Along with the innovative training, they are developing an evaluation framework for determining its effectiveness in mitigating the costs of IPV. In particular, the goal is to demonstrate that by taking proactive measures and addressing the issue directly, workplaces can benefit financially, reduce turnover rates, and improve employee wellbeing and satisfaction.
Collaboration is key
Collaborative efforts between companies, the Conference Board of Canada and the Western University researchers will be key to the success of this work. Canadian companies who participate in this research study will gain valuable insights into several key areas, including:
- Understanding the prevalence of IPV among employees from multiple perspectives;
- Assessing the financial impact of IPV on their organisation through estimates of lost days of productivity;
- Identifying patterns of absenteeism, tardiness, and presenteeism among different employee groups;
- Exploring employees’ perceptions and attitudes towards management practices;
- Evaluating employee awareness of and willingness to access IPV policies, including mandated leave policies; and
- Examining employees’ attitudes and indicators of mental and physical health.
In addition, companies will receive dedicated support from researchers and the Conference Board of Canada in developing messaging and an engagement campaign to encourage employee participation in the survey. Finally, participating companies will also gain complimentary access to a customised core curriculum designed for training their managers, along with accompanying resources developed specifically for the Canadian context. This initiative presents an exceptional opportunity for companies to proactively address the impacts and costs of IPV at work, and to create long-term and sustainable change through a collaborative approach.
Learn more about the project
Organisations who are interested in learning more about this project are encouraged to contact Leah Ringwald, Associate Director, Human Capital, Conference Board of Canada at ringwald@conferenceboard.ca.
