Legal Assistance Windsor has been chosen to launch a program to support those who have suffered sexual harassment in the workplace.
Executive Director Marion Overholt says the community clinic is one of 20 locations chosen and funded by the Department of Justice Canada for The Sexual Harassment in the Workplace project.
Overholt tells The Afternoon News harassment can cause devastating emotional and financial consequences and the program will be there to ensure workers know what their rights are in a complicated area.
"It involves some employment law so it may involve a wrongful dismissal case, it may involve some rights under the Employment Standards Act. We could be looking at charges under the Criminal Code of Canada," says Overholt.
She says the program will hold seminars to ensure work environments are safe to begin with.
"Particularly aimed at employers; they have obligations in the law to provide a workplace that is free from sexual harassment," she added.
Overholt says there will also be a focus on educating individuals on what is and isn't acceptable.
"People who've experienced this type of problem at work and also doing those public presentations to let people know what their rights are and what their responsibilities are," says Overholt.
The clinic will also provide legal resources to assist people in regaining a sense of control and determine next steps to safety under the program.