WORKERS in British Columbia will continue to receive free legal advice and education to help address workplace sexual harassment, supported by $1.5 million in federal funding. The Sexual Harassment Advice, Response and Prevention for Workplaces (SHARP Workplaces) project, is being delivered by the Community Legal Assistance Society. It will provide free legal advice and resources to workers across the province, including those in rural and remote areas.
The announcement was made on Tuesday by Hedy Fry, MP for Vancouver Centre, on behalf of Sean Fraser, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada.
The Community Legal Assistance Society will use the funding to provide up to five hours of free legal advice in person, by phone, or via video conference, to British Columbians experiencing workplace sexual harassment. It will also offer referrals to other services such as counselling, housing, and employment support.
In addition to direct legal services, the Community Legal Assistance Society will conduct outreach activities, develop legal resource materials and public legal education resources, and train lawyers and staff to deliver trauma-informed and culturally appropriate services. These efforts aim to increase awareness of legal rights and responsibilities in the workplace, particularly among vulnerable workers in male-dominated trades.
The federal government said that with a recent increase in violence in BC workplaces, including bullying, harassment and sexual harassment complaints, there is a growing need to provide support to workers through free legal advice and resources. This project will help workers be informed of their rights and responsibilities and seek the services they need.
“This funding will help British Columbians who have experienced workplace sexual harassment understand their rights and access to resources. By supporting the Community Legal Assistance Society to deliver this initiative, the federal government is helping vulnerable workers get the culturally appropriate support they need to navigate difficult situations and protect their well-being,” said Fraser.
“The federal government is making this funding available so that if a woman in the trades is being harassed at work, she has somewhere to turn. She can get free, confidential legal help and real support, without having to choose between her safety and her job,” said Fry.
“We welcome the Federal Government’s continued funding of the SHARP Workplaces program through the Department of Justice. Sexual harassment in the workplace remains a serious and unacceptably common issue for workers in British Columbia, and access to free legal advice has been shown to make a meaningful difference in people’s lives. This renewed funding will enable us to expand the program to provide education for workers in especially hard hit industries, such as the trades, to know their rights and better address sexual harassment when it happens,” said Jacqui Mendes, Executive Director of Community Legal Assistance Society.
