Workplace Harassment Prevention, Policy on

Workplace Harassment Prevention, Policy on

Topic: Employees, Employment and Workplace
Approval Authority: Board of Governors
Approval Date: February 22, 2010
Effective Date: 01 March 2010
Last Revised: 03 May 2022

Description: Describes the nature of workplace harassment and the University's commitment to protect its workers from workplace harassment.


I.   Scope

This policy is intended to protect all persons working for York University including but not limited to students, faculty, staff, and volunteers.

II.  Definition

The term, “workplace harassment” means 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; or workplace sexual harassment.  The term "workplace sexual harassment" means:

  1. engaging in a course of vexatious comment or conduct against a worker in a workplace 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
  2. 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 harassment does not include reasonable action(s) taken by an employer or a supervisor relating to the management and direction of workers or the workplace, or rudeness unless extreme, demotion, legitimate performance management, operational directives, job assignments, inadvertent management errors, or a single incident unless grave or harmful.

III. Policy

  1. York University is committed to protecting all persons working for York University and shall take reasonable precautions to prevent workplace harassment.
  2. Anyone who engages in workplace harassment shall be subject to complaint procedures, investigation, remedies, sanctions and discipline up to and including termination.

IV.  Review

This policy shall be reviewed at least annually.

V.   Responsibility

The Vice-President Equity, People & Culture shall be responsible for establishing a program, guidelines and procedures to implement this policy.

Legislative History: Reviewed by President and Vice-Presidents, January 27, 2010. Approved by Board Governance and Human Resources Committee February 10, 2010. Approved by the Board of Governors February 22, 2010. Effective March 1, 2010. Re-approved by the Board of Governors 2013/06/24; 2014/06/23; 2015/06/22. Revised and approved by the Board Governance and Human Resources Committee: 2016/05/02; Re-approved by the Board of Governors 2016/05/03; Re-approved by the Board of Governors 2017/05/02; Name changed and re-approved by the Board of Governors 2018/05/01; Re-approved by the Board of Governors 2019/04/30; Re-approved by the Board of Governors 2020/05/05; Re-approved by the Board of Governors 2021/05/04; Re-approved by the Board of Governors 2022/05/03; Re-approved by the Board of Governors 2023/05/02
Date of Next Review: April 2024
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