Document name
Safety and Security - Workplace Violence
Document number
POL 05/2024
Effective date: May 1, 2024
Application: Applies to all WCB staff, contractors, students and volunteers and WCB customers.
Policy subject: Safety and prevention
Purpose:
To establish WCB’s commitment to prevent and respond to workplace violence.
Definition
Workplace Violence as defined by The Occupational Health and Safety Regulations, 2020 means the attempted, threatened or actual conduct of a person that causes or is likely to cause injury and includes any threatening statement or behavior that gives a worker reasonable cause to believe the worker is at risk of injury.
Background
- The Board Members have an obligation to ensure that Workers’ Compensation Board (WCB) management reasonably and practicably provide employees the ability to carry out their duties in a safe and secure environment without fear of harm, whether physical or psychological. Section 3-8 of The Saskatchewan Employment Act (SEA) requires that employees be provided with a safe work environment.
- The SEA requires that all Saskatchewan employers, in consultation with the Occupational Health Committee (OHC), implement a policy statement and prevention plan to eliminate workplace violence. The policy statement and prevention plan must apply to all employees, independent and dependent contractors, students and volunteers (Section 3 21(1)).
- Section 217.1 of The Criminal Code of Canada states all persons “directing the work of others” must take reasonable steps to ensure the safety of workers and the public.
- The Board delegates authority for the safety and security of WCB employees to the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) (POL 09/2010, Safety and Security – Workplace).
Policy
- The Saskatchewan WCB is committed to zero tolerance for all threatening, abusive and violent behaviour.
- The WCB will conduct risk assessments to identify all potential sources of violence and take every reasonable action to eliminate or minimize these risks through the WCB’s workplace violence prevention plan.
- The WCB will manage a process to ensure WCB staff are aware of people with a known history of violent behaviour whom WCB staff may encounter in the course of their work.
- The WCB will ensure procedures are in place for staff for reporting and managing violence incidents.
- The WCB is committed to providing training for all staff for identifying, responding to and reporting violence in the workplace.
- The WCB will review and update all staff safety guidelines, including the workplace violence prevention plan, every three years or whenever there is a change of circumstances that may affect the health or safety of WCB, to ensure the safety of all staff.
Policy references
Section heading
Legislative Authority
Legislative Authority
The Workers’ Compensation Act, 2013
Sections 18, 19, 20, 21, 25
The Criminal Code (Canada)
Sections 217.1
The Saskatchewan Employment Act
Sections 3-8, 3-21(1)
The Occupational Health and Safety Regulations, 2020
Section 3-26
Section heading
Complements
Complements
POL 09/2010 Safety and Security - Workplace
ADM PRO 01/2016 Security of Premises and Property
ADM PRO 03/2016 Meeting After Hours ADM PRO 07/2024 WCB Workplace Violence Prevention
ADM PRO 05/2016 Staff Safety - Workplace
ADM PRO 06/2016 Audio and Video – Monitoring and Recording
Respectful Workplace Policy