"Today" show host Matt Lauer has been fired from NBC over allegations of sexual misconduct, adding to a growing number of high-profile individuals accused of sexual harrassment.
But what happens if sexual harrassment happens in the Ontario workplace?
Speaking on the Lynn Martin Show, Stephen Roberts is a labour and employment lawyer with McTague Law Firm here in Windsor. He says that in the province there are two peices of legislation that can protect employees against sexual harrassment in the workplace.
One of those is the Occupational Health and Safety Act, which requires workplaces to have sexual harrassment policies.
Roberts says because of this act when a harrassment complaintant comes forward, the employer then does an investigation. The investigation must be done by someone with no connection to the parties involved.
"Even if it was a smaller workplace that didn't carry out that, a ministry of labour inspector can come in and require an investigation to take place, and make an order requiring an investigation," he explains. "So workers are quite well protected in Ontario in regards to sexual harrassment."
While some companies use third party investigators, many larger companies conduct internal reviews.
"A report is then done by the person who's conducted the investigation," says Roberts. "Then depending upon the recommendations made in that report and the results of that report the employer may take appropriate action. It just depends on the severity."
Roberts says that can include the person the complaint is launched against being fired.
It may not be simply pressuring someone, it can also be leud comments and an inappropriate work environment, says Roberts.
"We think of it in the more extreme cases in terms of people being actually sexually harrassed in terms of people being asked to perform acts of sex in return for favours in the workplace or something of that nature," says Roberts. "But there's other forms of sexual harrassment. We need to be aware that it's a broad definition and we need to be aware that it can cover a lot of different activities."
Roberts says the other level of protection is the Human Rights Code, which prevents discrimination based on sex, and covers harrassment as well.