Workers who have low control over how they do their jobs, with no clear definition of job roles, where their skills are not being used, or with very little responsibility or opportunity to advance, are more likely to be the victims of assault (Rospenda, Richman, Ehmke, & Zlatoper, 2005).
Research tells us that incidents of harassment, sexual harassment, or bullying, can lead to development of anxiety, depression, panic attacks, sleep loss, loss of concentration and/or post-traumatic stress disorder. Research has also shown that harassment of any kind places a worker at higher risk of becoming sick, injured, or the victim of an assault. Workers can suffer from experiencing these events, especially if they happen often. Workers who have lived through experiences of workplace violence, like being sworn at, bitten, kicked or hit, are more likely to fear it happening again, and that fear leads to physical symptoms (Rospenda et al., 2005; Namie, 2003).
Bill 168 amended the Occupational Health and Safety Act (1990) in Ontario in December 2009. The amendments define workplace violence and harassment, and describe employer obligations to prevent workplace violence by performing risk assessments and developing measures and procedures to prevent workplace violence. Employers must also develop procedures for reporting and investigating harassment in the workplace.
The Bill came about after a few tragic incidents. The first tragedy occurred in Ottawa in 1999 when an worker who had been bullied for years ended up shooting six people, four of whom died. That worker then committed suicide. The second event involved a worker who had ended a relationship with a co-worker. This co-worker refused to admit the relationship had ended, and stalked and harassed her at work. The co-worker stabbed her to death while at work and then committed suicide.
When it came into effect, Bill 168 made some key changes to the Occupational Health and Safety Act (1990) and imposed some key obligations on Ontario employers, including taking precautions to protect their workers from workplace harassment and violence, even if the risk of violence comes from home (Occupational Health and Safety Act, 1990, Sect. 32.0.4).