RANS Press Release
Published: July 25, 2025
Updated: July 25, 2025
Start Preparing for the Upcoming Harassment in the Workplace Regulations
Nova Scotia is making important changes to better support psychological health and prevent workplace harassment. This change helps make workplaces safer, healthier, and more respectful for everyone.
Starting September 1, 2025, every employer in the province will be required to have a policy in place to prevent and address workplace harassment.
To learn more, visit: NovaScotia.ca/PreventWorkplaceHarassment
Resources for creating a workplace harassment and bullying policy:
Workplace Harassment and Bullying: Employer Checklist pdf
Developing a Policy Statement for Workplace Bullying and Harassment (WorkSafe BC)
About Harassment & Bullying
A work-related gradual onset psychological injury is caused by repeated significant stressors at work. Most often, these kinds of injuries happen because of ongoing bullying or harassment in the workplace, and they are injuries that build up over time.
Examples of Workplace Harassment and Bullying
Some examples of behaviour or comments that might suggest workplace harassment and bullying are taking place. For more information, you can read the full psychological injury policy (PDF).
- Verbal aggression or yelling
- Calling someone insulting names
- Vandalizing personal belongings
- Sabotaging someone’s work
- Spreading gossip or rumours
- Engaging in hazing
- Making threats or personal attacks based on someone’s private life or personal characteristics
- Inappropriate sexual conduct
Examples of Behaviours or Actions that Are Not Considered Work-related Stressors:
- Expressing different opinions
- Making a valid complaint about someone’s actions following proper processes (e.g., labour relations)
- Changing the work to be performed or the working conditions
- Asking workers to perform job duties, including workloads, deadlines and changes in work hours
- Expecting workers to meet performance targets
- Firing, laying off, transferring, promoting, or reorganizing workers
- Disciplining or supervising workers
- Providing work instructions, supervision, feedback or advice about work-related behaviour and performance
(Source: What is gradual onset psychological injury, Workers’ Compensation Board of NS)
