Workplace harassment continues to be a pressing occupational health and safety (OHS) issue across Canada. In 2025, reported incidents have highlighted both the progress and gaps in how jurisdictions are protecting workers from harassment and violence.

This article explores recent incidents, key legislative updates, and what employers need to know to meet their obligations under Canadian OHS laws.

Harassment Incidents in 2025: A Cross-Canada Snapshot

From healthcare to public safety, harassment and violence remain prevalent. According to recent reports:

  • Healthcare workers continue to face significant risks, including multiple incidents of nurses being assaulted in Nova Scotia, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, and British Columbia.
  • Public sector employees have been targeted, such as liquor clerks in the Northwest Territories facing harassment from customers.
  • Higher education and emergency services have also been impacted, with cases involving professors in New Brunswick and a class-action settlement by Alberta firefighters.


Legislative and Policy Developments

Across Canada, occupational health and safety laws require employers to take proactive measures, including:

  • Written harassment and violence policies
  • Worker training on policies and reporting
  • Prompt, impartial investigations
  • Corrective measures and protections against reprisals

Recent changes include:

  • Nova Scotia’s 2025 Stronger Workplaces Act – requiring employers to recognize psychological health as part of safety.
  • Quebec’s Bill 42 (2023) – explicitly expanding protections to include sexual violence and integrating harassment policies into prevention programs.
  • Alberta amendments (2025) – streamlining review rules for harassment and violence prevention plans.

Where explicit laws are lacking, such as in the Northwest Territories and Nunavut, general duty provisions and human rights law still apply.

Sector Spotlight: Healthcare at the Forefront

Healthcare workers remain disproportionately affected by harassment and violence. Incidents in Halifax, Brandon, Estevan, Montreal, and Langley hospitals in 2025 highlight the urgent need for robust violence prevention programs.

Under OHS laws, employers must go beyond reactive investigations to implement preventive measures such as:

  • Risk assessments
  • Ongoing staff training
  • Support systems for workers who experience harassment or violence

What Employers Need to Know

Employers across all jurisdictions should:

  1. Review and update policies regularly – ensuring compliance with evolving provincial/territorial laws.
  2. Provide consistent worker training – including refresher sessions and sector-specific guidance.
  3. Encourage early reporting – ensuring confidentiality and protection from reprisals.
  4. Integrate harassment prevention into overall OHS programs – particularly in high-risk sectors like healthcare, education, and public service.

Moving Forward

Harassment and violence at work are not only legal compliance issues—they are workplace culture issues that directly affect worker well-being, retention, and organizational safety.

The trends from 2025 make clear that employers must remain vigilant, proactive, and committed to fostering safe, respectful workplaces across Canada.