Recognizing situations where there is a risk

Certain factors may increase the risk of psychological or sexual harassment.

As an employer, if you notice risk factors in your company, put measures in place to resolve these problems before they escalate and have a negative impact on the workplace. By taking prompt action, you can prevent a situation of psychological or sexual harassment in your workplace.

Detect risk factors

• Be attentive to what is going on in the workplace, such as changes in people’s behaviour or the formation of cliques
• Be attentive to tension between people
• Have one-on-one meetings with workers to discuss their expectations and job satisfaction
• Consult staff about risk factors
• Talk to anyone who is leaving your company to find out why they are leaving
• Do an annual review of events that occurred during the year. For example, study the absenteeism rate, the turnover rate, the nature of staff requests for improvements

Monitor risk factors

Certain situations may increase the risk of harassment. For example, periods of major change, such as restructuring, a company merger or a change in technology, can be more critical periods. Here are some more examples of risk factors to monitor:

• lack of respect between coworkers
• interpersonal conflicts
• envy, jealousy or rivalry
• lack of communication between management and staff or between staff members
• excessive competition
• lack of clarity about the tasks to be performed
• lack of training or support during a change (e.g., change in technology)
• unsuitable work tools
• the arrival of new manager or an in-house promotion