Harassment - what workers need to know

Who do I contact? And when?

Every employee deserves a safe and respectful workplace. 

If you believe you’ve experienced harassment at work, it’s important to understand who to contact based on your specific situation. In most cases, concerns must first be reported to your employer following your workplace’s established procedure. 

Talk to your workplace 

Step 1: Talk to someone you trust in your workplace, to learn more about your respectful workplace policy or Code of Practice for the prevention of workplace harassment.

Step 2: Employees must report harassment incidents to their employer as soon as possible. Follow your workplace's Code of Practice to report the harassment to your employer, or someone you trust in your workplace. examples: supervisor, Human Resources or Health and Safety Representative.

When to call WorkSafeNB 

If no other reporting options are available at your workplace (for example, in a very small business), or if you’ve reported an incident of workplace harassment to your employer and the employer refuses to investigate the incident, workers may contact WorkSafeNB at 1 800 999-9775 for guidance.

What to expect when you call WorkSafeNB about workplace harassment

• We’ll start with safety. If you (or anyone else) may be in immediate danger, or if there are threats/assault/concerns about harm, we’ll tell you to contact emergency services right away.

• We’ll ask for your contact and workplace information.

• We'll ask you to briefly explain the concern. Who was involved, what happened, where and when it happened, and why you’re concerned.

• We’ll ask what steps have already been taken. Have you told your supervisor/employer? Does your workplace have a Respectful Workplace Policy or Harassment Code of Practice? If yes, is it being followed?

• We’ll explain what happens next. If follow-up is needed, your information will be sent to the right health and safety professional to follow up with you within two business days.

• During follow-up, we’ll explain our role and limits. Our role is to explain the workplace requirements in the health and safety law and to assess compliance with those requirements. We cannot discipline or fire someone, force an employer to pay compensation, or act as a mediator in a workplace dispute.

• In some situations, a health and safety officer may get involved. If there may be a health and safety compliance issue (for example, the workplace doesn’t have a required Code of Practice, it isn’t being implemented, training isn’t happening, or the investigation process isn’t in place), a health and safety Officer may contact you and/or the employer to check compliance.

• We’ll talk about confidentiality and what’s realistic. If an officer follow-up is being considered, we’ll discuss this with you before moving forward.

• We may share other helpful resources. Depending on your situation, we may suggest other supports (for example, internal workplace supports, union supports, Employee and Family Assistance Program, Employment Standards, or the NB Human Rights Commission).

An employee who reports or complains of a health and safety matter (including workplace harassment) is protected against any discriminatory action taken by their employer. More information can be found here.

Legislation does not give WorkSafeNB authority to investigate workplace harassment complaints nor does WorkSafeNB mediate workplace harassment complaints.  

WorkSafeNB health and safety officers can require an employer to develop and implement a code of practice for workplace harassment and can investigate whether an existing code of practice has been followed. You may also be directed to a WorkSafeNB health and safety consultant or psychological health and safety consultant for more resources depending on the nature of the harassment complaint.

NOTE: WorkSafeNB does NOT have authority to investigate workplace harassment complaints nor does WorkSafeNB mediate workplace harassment complaints. New Brunswick's Department of Post-Secondary Education and Labour offer free preventative mediation services for some types of complaints. Find out more at gnb.ca/labour

Additional resources

Depending on the nature of the complaint, there are other organizations that may be able to help.

New Brunswick Human Rights Commission 

The New Brunswick Human Rights Act prohibits discrimination and harassment based on 16 protected grounds of discrimination (ex: race, disability, gender identity, family status, etc.). If you believe that you have experienced discrimination based on a protected ground, you can file a complaint with the New Brunswick Human Rights Commission. 

For more information, contact the commission at hrc.cdp@gnb.ca or 1-888-471-2233.  

Government of New Brunswick Employment Standards Branch 

If your issue is about things like pay, vacation, leave, or termination, connect with the provincial government's Employment Standards Branch 

Toll free line at 1-888-452-2687, or; 

Nearest Employment Standards office, or; 

EmploymentStandards@gnb.ca 

More information

For other tips and resources about stopping harassment in the workplace and employee and employer obligations check out our resources page.