Respectful Workplace Training

Respectful Workplace Training provides instruction on recognizing, preventing, reporting and responding to harassment, bullying, discrimination-related conduct, workplace violence and other inappropriate behaviour. It supports, but does not replace, the employer’s prevention plan, reporting channels, supervision or case-specific response.

The leadership version adds early intervention, receiving a concern, immediate safety, documentation, confidentiality limits, interim measures, retaliation prevention, escalation and investigation fundamentals. It does not qualify a participant to conduct a particular investigation or provide legal, medical or human-resources advice.

Workers and workplace leaders make different decisions. Workers need to understand expected conduct, recognition, reporting, support, and bystander options. Supervisors, managers, leaders, and HR personnel also need guidance on receiving concerns, documenting decisions, maintaining appropriate confidentiality, preventing retaliation, escalating issues, and supporting an impartial process.

Requirements vary by jurisdiction, industry, employer, and workplace risk. Canadian jurisdictions address harassment and violence through different occupational health and safety, employment, human rights, or sector-specific rules. Employers should assess the law that applies to their workplace and ensure training supports their own policy and prevention program.

Yes. Alberta employers must instruct workers on how to recognize violence and harassment, the employer’s violence and harassment prevention plan, appropriate responses including how to get help, and how to report, investigate and document complaints or incidents. The rules don’t require a particular course or set a refresher date, so online, virtual or classroom training can cover the general knowledge, with instruction on your own plan and reporting process added.

Training is suitable for workers, new hires, contractors where appropriate, supervisors, managers, senior leaders, human resources professionals, and safety or committee representatives. Participants should take the version that matches their responsibilities.

Core principles can support multi-jurisdiction organizations, but the course must not be presented as nationally compliant. Each workplace needs its applicable OHS, employment, human rights, privacy, language and sector requirements, reporting channels and emergency process confirmed by appropriately qualified persons.

Virtual and classroom sessions can be adapted to employer-approved policies, reporting contacts and scenarios after conflicts or gaps are identified. Customization does not validate legal sufficiency; policy, privacy, employment or human-rights issues may require qualified legal review.

The General Worker Knowledge version covers respectful conduct, recognizing harassment, bullying, discrimination-related conduct and violence, reporting options, bystander response, confidentiality, available support, and protection from retaliation.

Yes. Participants who complete the online requirements receive a Certificate of Completion. It records course completion only; the employer must still provide workplace-specific instruction, assess understanding or practical competency as appropriate, retain required records and verify implementation.

Yes. Respectful Workplace Training is available as self-paced online learning, live virtual instructor-led training, and in-person classroom training. Both the worker and leadership versions can be delivered according to the organization’s needs.

Refresher timing should reflect applicable law, the employer’s prevention plan, workplace risk, staff turnover and evidence of understanding. Retraining should be considered after policy or legal changes, incidents or complaints, role changes, ineffective responses, identified knowledge gaps or other evidence that the training is not working.