Starting Jan. 1, all businesses and organizations in Quebec will be obligated to implement policies to prevent psychological and sexual harassment in the work place.
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The new rules are part of an update to the Labour Standards Act, which was amended in the wake of the 2017 #MeToo scandal that rocked North America.
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The amendment requires all workplaces, regardless of size, to have a harassment prevention policy in place, including a complaints procedure.
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According to the law, “this prevention policy must include, in particular, a component concerning harassing behaviour in the form of verbal comments, actions or gestures of a sexual nature.”
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The policy must also be made easily accessible to all employees.
The amendments were adopted by Quebec’s National Assembly on June 12, 2018.
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They also include important provisions to facilitate work-life balance for families.
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