Are You Doing Enough To Protect Your Employees From Workplace Violence?

Two recent Ontario Provincial Court decisions highlight the increasing importance that the Courts, the Ministry of Labour, employers and employees are placing on the need to protect workers from incidents of workplace violence. On July 15, 2016, after an extensive trial, the Royal Ottawa Health Care Group was acquitted of three charges under the Occupational Health and Safety Act   ("OHSA") following the assault of three employees by a patient. Just over one month later, on August 17, Kinark Child and Family Services was fined $125,000 after pleading guilty to a charge resulting from an assault of two youth workers by a youth in care. These cases might signal the beginning of an increased number prosecutions of public institutions under the workplace violence provisions of the OHSA.