New Canadian Law against Workplace Bullying

A new legislative change to the Quebec's Labour Standards Act, dedicated to workplace violence and psychological harassment prevention, took effect June 1. As businesses realize the impact of bullying and abuse in the workplace on their bottom line, human resources personnel are exploring ways to address this issue.
Often, bullying is targeted at the most efficient employees, thereby having a direct effect on the bottom line. The financial impact to an employer can be felt in increased health care costs due to the stress of experiencing the abuse, absenteeism and high turn-over.
And there is the possible litigation, as demonstrated in the recent Kavanagh case. The Newfoundland Association of Public and Private Employees successfully sued the province for failing to prevent a campaign of harassment against an employee. The result was $875,000 in damages.
The programs and training that will address bullying and harassment is currently being explored and developed by managers in the province.