ÐÓ°ÉÔ­´´

Workplace Violence Prevention Policy

Approver:
Academic Coordinating Committee
Policy Owner:
Associate Vice President, Risk Management and Secretary General to the Board of Governors
Policy Lead(s):
Manager, Campus Safety
Effective date:
2014-11-05
Date of last approval:
2026-01-14
Status:
Approved

Policy Statement

ÐÓ°ÉÔ­´´ believes in the prevention of violence and promotes a violence-free workplace. With this goal in mind, violence of any kind will not be tolerated, accepted, or condoned.

As required by the Ontario Occupational Health and Safety Act (OHSA), this policy formally establishes ÐÓ°ÉÔ­´´'s commitment to enable a violence-free workplace. 

Scope

This policy applies to all employees, students, contractors, volunteers, and visitors. It applies to Conestoga workplaces and other locations while engaging in College business, activities, or events.

For information on discrimination and harassment, see the Discrimination and Harassment Prevention Policy.

For information on sexual and gender-based violence, see the Sexual and Gender-Based Violence Policy. 

Definitions

ÐÓ°ÉÔ­´´ maintains a glossary of terms specific to the institution. The ones in use for this document are defined below.

Domestic Violence
Violence that occurs between individuals that are or were in a personal relationship, including intimate partners or family members.
OHSA
 Means the Occupational Health and Safety Act, R.S.O. 1990, c. O.1.
Worker
Includes all employees and as defined as any of the following:
  • A person who performs work or supplies services for monetary compensation. 
  • A secondary school student who performs work or supplies services for no monetary compensation under a work experience program authorized by the school board that operates the school in which the student is enrolled. 
  • A person who performs work or supplies services for no monetary compensation under a program approved by a college of applied arts and technology, university, private career college or other post-secondary institution.
  • Such other persons as may be prescribed who perform work or supply services to an employer for no monetary compensation.
Workplace
Means any land, premises, location or thing at, upon, in or near which a worker works.
Workplace Harassment
Workplace Harassment is defined by Ontario’s Occupational Health and Safety Act as engaging in a course of vexatious comment or conduct against a worker in a workplace that is known or ought reasonably to be known to be unwelcome and can include workplace sexual harassment.
Workplace Sexual Violence
  • Engaging in a course of vexatious comment or conduct against a worker in a workplace, including virtually through the use of information and communications technology, because of sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or gender expression, where the course of comment or conduct is known or ought reasonably to be known to be unwelcome, or
  • Making a sexual solicitation or advance where the person making the solicitation or advance is in a position to confer, grant or deny a benefit or advancement to the worker and the person knows or ought reasonably to know that the solicitation or advance is unwelcome.
Workplace Violence
  • The exercise of physical force by a person against a worker, in a workplace, that causes or could cause physical injury to the worker,
  • An attempt to exercise physical force against a worker, in a workplace, that could cause physical injury to the worker,
  • A statement or behavior that is reasonable for a worker to interpret as a threat to exercise physical force against the worker, in a workplace, that could cause physical injury to the worker.

Policy

  1. No person shall engage in violent conduct or make threats of violence, implied or direct.
  2. Every worker must follow this policy and the supporting program.
  3. All workers are encouraged to raise any concern regarding workplace violence with their supervisor.
  4. ÐÓ°ÉÔ­´´ will ensure that all workers have the appropriate information and instruction to protect them from violence in the workplace.
  5. ÐÓ°ÉÔ­´´ will take every precaution reasonable in the circumstances to protect workers from workplace violence.
  6. If the employer is aware, or reasonably aware of domestic violence that could lead a worker to injury in the workplace, every reasonable precaution shall be taken for the protection of the worker.
  7. A worker will be advised and provided with information, including personal information, if there is a risk of workplace violence from a person with a history of violent behaviour. Information will be provided if a worker can be expected to encounter that person in the course of their work and the risk of workplace violence is likely to expose the worker to physical injury.

Relevant Legislation and Related Documents

Relevant legislation


Related documents

Workplace Violence Prevention Program
Discrimination and Harassment Prevention Policy







Revision Log

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​2014-11-05​Academic Coordinating Committee
​2023-05-23​Academic Coordinating Committee
​2025-03-14​Alignment with the Workplace Violence Prevention Program – Approved by Administrative Policy & Procedure Committee
​2026-01-14​Approved – Academic Coordinating Committee


Workplace Violence Prevention Policy