Ontario Employment And Labour Update: Developments In Workplace Violence And Human Rights

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On June 15, 2010, Bill 168 received royal assent and formally introduced the statutory definitions of "workplace violence" and "workplace harassment" into Ontario's Occupational Health and Safety Act.

Specifically with respect to workplace violence, the following behaviour is now prohibited by the Occupational Health and Safety Act:

• exercising physical force against another worker, where the force causes or could cause physical injury to the worker;
• attempting to exercise physical force against another worker, where the force could cause physical injury to the worker;