The Community Legal Assistance Society has received $1.5 million in renewed federal funding to expand its Sexual Harassment Advice, Response, and Prevention for Workplaces program, which provides free legal advice and support to workers across British Columbia who experience workplace sexual harassment.
The funding from the Department of Justice will allow the program to strengthen its focus on women in construction through a new partnership with the BC Centre for Women in the Trades. Women in male-dominated fields face significantly higher rates of workplace sexual harassment, with 91 per cent of tradeswomen and gender-diverse trades workers reporting at least one form of sexual or gender-based harassment, according to a recent YWCA Halifax study.
A 2020 national survey by Statistics Canada found that 47 per cent of women in trades, transportation, equipment operation and related fields reported experiencing inappropriate sexualized behaviour, compared with 19 per cent of men in the same fields. Women represent five per cent of British Columbia’s construction workforce, according to the BC Construction Association.
Program services
SHARP Workplaces offers up to five hours of free, confidential legal advice, including help assessing legal options, reviewing or drafting documents, coaching through complaints processes, and referrals to counselling, peer support and employment services. The program now includes support from a social-work advocate to help clients navigate the system.
“Sexual harassment happens in all sectors, and SHARP Workplaces services are available to workers across the province,” said Jacqui Mendes, executive director of the Community Legal Assistance Society. “But women working in male-dominated environments face a much greater risk, so our expanded program strengthens support where it’s needed most: on the job sites and shop floors of B.C.’s construction industry.”
The funding will enable province-wide outreach, development of legal education materials and resources, and training for lawyers and staff to deliver trauma-informed, culturally appropriate support, according to Jennifer Khor, supervising lawyer and project manager at the organization.
Rising workplace violence
WorkSafeBC data shows a 25 per cent increase in acts of violence from 2018 to 2022, rising from 2,292 to 2,868 workers’ compensation claims. The data includes nearly 1,000 bullying and harassment complaints involving sexual harassment.
“If we are serious about meeting ambitious federal and provincial targets for affordable housing and infrastructure development, we must confront the issues that keep women from feeling safe in the workplace,” said Kristen Keighley-Wight, executive director of the BC Centre for Women in the Trades. “Only by creating safer, more diverse workplaces can the industry attract and retain the workforce it needs today and into the years ahead.”
The funding comes from the Legal Support and Awareness to Address Workplace Sexual Harassment initiative announced in Budget 2024, which committed $30 million over three years to provide access to legal information and advice services for Canadians.
Workers in British Columbia experiencing or witnessing workplace sexual harassment can access the program by phone at 604-673-3143 or toll-free at 1-888-685-6222, by email at [email protected], or online at clasbc.net/sharpworkplaces.
