Human Resources 101

In January, the Supreme Court of British Columbia awarded a female RCMP officer $950,000.00 damages for harassment she suffered at the hands of her supervisors. You can read the judgement here. This is the third Canadian Human Rights case, over the past number of months, where damages have reached a half-million dollars or higher. (Keays v. Honda Canada and Rees v. RCMP were the others.) Canadian courts are continuing to reinforce the message that employers have a significant responsibility to ensure employees experience workplace environments and interactions consistent with their well-being.

In February’s Human Rights Law Alert (PDF), management lawyer Barbara Humphrey reminds employers of steps they should take to manage risk in this area:

1. Develop and implement civil, respectful workplace policies.
2. Deliver relevant training to employees and management regarding respectful workplace requirements.
3. Monitor, reinforce and enforce compliance with respectful workplace standards: Take issues of conduct below the standards seriously.
4. Equip supervisors and managers with the knowledge, sensibilities and skills they require to direct, manage, supervise and performance manage employees consistent with current standards.
5. Respond in a timely, effective and meaningful manner to all incidents of conduct below the required standards.
6. Take the issues seriously: Investigate and re-mediate.