All Saskatchewan employers will soon be required to have a violence policy and prevention plan in place.
This requirement was first introduced under The Saskatchewan Employment (Part III) Amendment Act, 2022 (the "Amendment Act, 2022") which came into force on May 17, 2023. The Amendment Act, 2022 provided that employers would have one year to develop a written policy statement and prevention plan (i.e. May 17, 2024).
Prior to the amendments, violence policies and prevention plans were only required by prescribed places of employment where violent situations have occurred or were likely to occur. The expansion of this requirement to all employers is consistent with other amendments that address violence in the workplace. These other amendments emphasize violence prevention duties for employers, supervisors and workers.
Employers are also now required to provide workplace violence training to employees and to investigate all incidents of violence.
As the Amendment Act, 2022 expanded the definition of "worker" to include volunteers, contractors and those enrolled in secondary or post-secondary education, these individuals will also be subject to the policy and plan.
In developing a policy and prevention plan, employers will need to consider and identify what worksites and positions are at risk of being exposed to violence. The specific requirements for the violence policy and prevention plan are set out in The Occupational Health and Safety Regulations, 2020.
More information on the requirements for a violence policy and prevention plan can be found in our previous blog post.
If you do not have a workplace violence policy and prevention plan in place or need help updating your plan to comply with the amendments, the MLT Aikins Labour & Employment group would be happy to assist you.
The content of this article is intended to provide a general guide to the subject matter. Specialist advice should be sought about your specific circumstances.
