Question

Employers have long been obligated to make reasonable efforts to ensure that the workplace is safe. How have the bill 168 amendments added to, or enhanced, this obligation?

Answer 1

The Bill 168 amendment to Ontario’s Occupational Health Safety Act (OSHA) to save the employees from violence and harassment at the workplace. The amendment also makes it a crime and puts an amount of fine if the harassment and violence are proved in the court. Hence the business wishes to have a safe workplace in the business process and keep its people safe and healthy. The obligation that the amendment to bill 168 makes it essential to monitor the people’s safety and violence which is as per the mandate of the law.

The safety of the workplace and security of the employees are now part of it which also encompasses workplace violence. The employers are thus putting cameras in the public places to monitor the incidents and investigating the complaints to make sure the rule is followed and upkeep in the process. So this is an enhanced obligation for the business to make sure the aspects of violence and harassment are been taken necessary steps to be resolved and the guilty are punished to make sure it doesn’t reoccur.