Workplace violence and harassment training in Ontario
A plain-language guide to Ontario employer duties for violence and harassment information and instruction.
Published · 9 minute read
Who needs information and instruction?
Workers covered by Ontario's Occupational Health and Safety Act need information and instruction on the employer's policies and programs. Ontario guidance specifically includes regular workers, new hires, contract, casual, temporary, part-time, and student workers.
Everyone needs the company procedure. The depth can differ by role. A worker needs to know how to get help and report a concern. A supervisor who receives reports needs additional instruction on immediate response, escalation, confidentiality, and documentation.
Contractors and people who are not workers under the OHSA may still need site information for operational or contractual reasons. Confirm who is covered instead of relying on payroll status alone.
Workplace violence content
Workers should understand the violence policy and the measures in the workplace violence program. At minimum, the instruction should make the actions below clear.
- How to summon immediate assistance
- How and where to report incidents, threats, or concerns
- What protective measures and procedures apply to the worker's job
- How the employer investigates and responds to a report
- What to do after an incident and where support can be found
Tailor the instruction to the risk assessment. Employees working alone, handling cash, providing care, enforcing rules, or dealing with the public may need scenario practice or more frequent instruction.
Information about a person with a history of violent behaviour is a separate and limited duty. Ontario law restricts it to situations where a worker can be expected to encounter the person and the risk is likely to expose the worker to physical injury. Do not turn training into unnecessary disclosure of personal information.
Workplace harassment content
Harassment instruction should explain the employer's written policy and program in practical terms. Workers need more than a definition and a reminder to be respectful.
| Workers should know | Company-specific detail |
|---|---|
| How to make a report | Named role, channel, and information to provide |
| How to report the usual recipient | An alternative when the employer or supervisor is alleged |
| How reports are investigated | Process, responsibility, and expected communication |
| How confidentiality works | Limits needed for investigation, correction, or law |
| What happens after an investigation | How results and corrective action are communicated |
Use examples that fit the workplace without asking employees to share personal experiences in front of colleagues. The training should make reporting easier, not turn disclosure into a group exercise.
Supervisors and investigators
Supervisors need to recognize when a conversation is a report, know what requires an immediate safety response, and avoid promising total confidentiality. They also need a clear escalation route when the complaint involves someone senior.
A person conducting a harassment investigation needs instruction on the employer's program and on conducting an investigation appropriate in the circumstances. Ontario does not require that investigator to hold a licence, but independence, competence, and the facts of the complaint still matter.
Joint health and safety committee members or representatives should understand the program and the resources available to workers. Their role is not automatically the same as the investigator's role.
When instruction should be repeated
Provide the applicable information when a worker is hired or changes jobs. Repeat or update it when policies, reporting channels, emergency arrangements, risks, or protective procedures change.
An incident, complaint, or failed response may show that the program is not understood. That calls for a review of both the procedure and the instruction. Replaying the same slides will not repair an unclear reporting route.
Ontario guidance does not reduce the duty to one universal annual online course. Set a review schedule, but keep change and risk as the reasons for the content.
What to document
Keep a training record with the worker, date, policy and program version, topics covered, delivery method, and any role-specific follow-up. Preserve earlier records when the program changes.
Keep training records separate from complaint and investigation files. A completion history does not need confidential allegations, witness information, or investigation notes. Access to those records should follow the program and applicable law.
Ontario's approved harassment code of practice also addresses records for complaints and investigations. Those are different records with different purposes and confidentiality concerns.
Primary sources
- Ontario OHSA guide: workplace violence and harassment
- Ontario guidance on workplace violence and harassment law
- Ontario code of practice to address workplace harassment
- Ontario guidance on workplace harassment investigations
This guide provides general information, not legal advice. Workplace facts, sector requirements, and collective agreements can affect the appropriate program and response.