Why is workplace harassment in Canada getting worse?

A recent survey paints a concerning picture of workplace harassment, pointing to a need for a major culture shift at the employer-level.

Despite widespread training initiatives, over half (61%) of the respondents said workplace harassment is “a growing issue” at their workplace and needs more attention, according to online compliance-training company Traliant.

The company surveyed 1,000 Canada-based professionals working in HR with 50 to 1000+ employees from June 24 to Sept. 3, 2024.

Policies ‘that really don’t do anything’

Former RCMP chief superintendent Angela Workman-Stark, now Canada research chair in rights-based organizational development at Athabasca University, emphasizes the need for organizations to shift from compliance-based measures to proactive cultural transformation.

“Part of the issue has been focusing too much on these very reactive, tick-boxing type policies and practices that really don't do anything,” she says, explaining that although these approaches may be implemented with good intentions, they often fall short or even backfire.

“Organizations are just sort of replicating this model, and they’re just not having the results that are expected.”

The survey, reported by, supports this perspective, noting that 28% of Canadian organizations lack comprehensive harassment prevention policies, while 52% of HR professionals report unclear processes.

‘Climate of silence’ around workplace harassment

Workman-Stark identifies a “climate of silence” in many workplaces as a key issue, especially in male-dominated environments.

“In organizations that really adopt these masculine belief systems and have more men in positions of power, we’re much more likely to see this phenomenon of silence,” she says.

Adriana Berlingieri, associate and adjunct research professor at Western University’s Centre for Research & Education on Violence Against Women & Children, further explains: “It’s about the workplace design—precarious work conditions and ambiguous roles contribute to a culture where harassment thrives”​.

“A lot of the time, what workplaces do is they focus on the physical environment — lighting, equipment, those kinds of things,” she says.

“Are they, though, looking at things like, are they a male-dominated workplace, for example? Then you're at more risk of sexual harassment and violence. Do you have a lot of precariously employed workers? Are people overloaded? Are they working a lot of overtime hours? So, these are the kinds of things that have to do with the workplace itself and the design of work and jobs and occupations.”

Systemic problems leading to workplace harassment and violence

Workman-Stark highlights that a critical problem in many workplaces is the "climate of silence"; the cultural tendency of an organization to discourage speaking up about abuse and harassment.

“It’s not just about the victims,” she states. “It’s about the bystanders who don’t say anything, that don’t speak up. It’s about people that potentially silence victims who want to make a complaint or threaten retaliation.”

Workman-Stark explains that in workplaces dominated by masculine cultures, this climate of silence can become more entrenched.

“In organizations that really adopt these sort of masculine belief systems, and have more men in positions of power, we’re much more likely to see this phenomenon of silence, which then… enables harassment to persist.”

The focus, she argues, should shift away from individual perpetrators and instead target systemic change: “It’s not about the rotten apples. It’s about the rotten system, or the rotten orchard, if you will.”

Ambiguity and lack of role clarity can lead to workplace harassment

Elaborating on the role of stress in increasing workplace harassment, Berlingieri explains how poor communication about job roles and task expectations can lead to strained relationships among employees and between employees and their bosses.

Vague job descriptions, role conflicts, ambiguity around who an employee reports to are all factors that lead to stress and potentially toxic relationships and behaviours in the workplace, she says.

“A lot of these also point to leadership. Is leadership present – are they not only present physically, but are they actually engaged in looking at how work is designed?” says Berlingieri, adding that mergers are common periods when employees can lose clarity around their roles and job security and resort to unhealthy coping, including bullying and other problematic behaviours.

The role of leadership: courage and accountability

Workman-Stark underscores the importance of leadership in combating harassment – in not only communicating assertively but in leading by example. When leaders model ethical behaviour, she explains, employees will follow suit: “We’re actually showing in our research that harassment is reduced… when they role model these types of behaviours.”

Many supervisors avoid confronting issues, allowing toxic cultures to develop, she says. “It’s just refraining from having some of those difficult conversations.”

“Part of the problem is the reluctance on supervisors in just communicating about ethics and values.”

Data-driven change and third-party accountability

To build momentum for meaningful change, Workman-Stark recommends that organizations begin collecting and analyzing data on harassment regularly. Without data to back up their claims, she explains, HR leaders will be hard-pressed to communicate the urgency of workplace harassment strategies to decision-makers.

Presenting data to influential leaders is crucial for making harassment prevention a priority; in addition, she suggests that involving external parties in assessments can enhance accountability.

“External voices can be huge advocates,” says Workman-Stark, highlighting that external assessments bring a neutral perspective and hold organizations accountable for following through on commitments.

Berlingieri adds that workplace harassment can’t be purely an HR-driven concern – for change to truly take hold, initiatives must be organization-wide and backed up by company policies that are followed to the letter.

“Harassment and violence is not something that should be on the side table of organizations, and it should not be only HR. They can be the focal point of it, but it needs to be the entire organization, every unit, every level of an organization, needs to be represented in this work and in this strategy,” she says.

“It's an ongoing practice, right? It needs to be constant, and it needs to have the full support, ongoing full support, and overt, articulated support of leadership at all levels.”

Fostering courageous leaders: the future of ethical leadership

The report shows that while 86% of organizations have provided training in the past year, its effectiveness remains inconsistent due to inadequate application across levels.

“A standard response is … some harassment training, without looking at the efficacy of that training or the credibility of the facilitators,” Workman-Stark says.

An effective way to move strategies beyond training and beginning to build a more respectful workplace is by beginning to intentionally select, promote and hire potential leaders who will be able to model ethical behaviour.

“That's something that we're exploring, in terms of looking at ‘How do we train for that, promote for that?’” she says.

“How do we support and develop other leaders? How do we select for leaders that actually model those behaviours, that actually possess those traits of justice, humanity, courage? That's a key part of it too, is selecting and developing leaders.”