11 Items to Include when writing a Harassment Prevention Policy
Let’s start off with the name of this policy. Many jursdictions have regulations under their Employment Act or Workplace Health and Safety regulations which require organizations to have a “Harassment Prevention” policy. Some policy managers prefer to use a more positive name, such as a Respectful Workplace policy.
Check your provincial, state Health and Safety regulations for specific items to be included or procedures to be followed (or Federal regulations if applicable). This is a good starting point as the agency or department that enforces health and safety regulations often has templates and more specific requirements. These can be used to determine the minimum requirements for writing and implementing your policy.
- Employer Statement of Intent and Commitment
- Policy Implementation and Maintenance including the Policy Owner and Company Contacts
- Worker Commitment, to their responsibilities under the policy
- Roles, Rights and Responsibilities
- Harassment Is, and is Not
- Sexual Harassment, may be a separate policy or included under Harassment Prevention
- Definitions of other terms, acronyms or words that require clarification
- References, lists specific regulations which relate to this policy, and need to be monitored
- Confidentiality and Retaliation
- Procedures
- How to Report
- How to Respond
- How to Investigate
- How to Resolve including Corrective Actions
- How to Communicate a Resolution
- Forms and Resources
This Resource is intended to be a starting point when writing a Harassment Prevention policy. As with all policies it is essential that you do your due diligence to be aware of your requirements and responsibilities as an employer. Developing a really good policy takes time and the input and engagement of all stakeholders making each version better than the one before.
