Nova Scotia introduces harassment prevention regulations to build safer, more respectful workplaces
Maintaining a respectful, harassment-free workplace isn’t just the right thing to do—it builds healthier teams, stronger organizations, and better work. As of September 1, 2025, it’s also a legal requirement for workplaces in Nova Scotia. Provincially regulated employers are now required to have a written policy to prevent and respond to harassment, including bullying, intimidation, threats, and other harmful unwanted behaviours.
Effective September 1, 2025, employers must:
- Have a written harassment prevention policy
- Provide training on the policy to employees
- Establish clear procedures for reporting and investigating harassment
- Take steps to prevent harassment from occurring
- Respond promptly and appropriately when incidents are reported
These requirements apply to all provincially regulated workplaces—from small family businesses to large corporations.
These legislative changes serve a meaningful purpose. “Every Nova Scotian deserves to feel safe, respected, and valued at work,” says the Honourable Nolan Young, Minister of Labour, Skills and Immigration. “With the new harassment regulations, we are setting a clear standard: workplace harassment has no place in our province.”
The legislation also responds directly to the needs of workers. “These changes reflect the voices of over 600 Nova Scotians who shared their experiences and called for stronger protections,” says Young. “We are listening, and we are acting—to build safer, more respectful workplaces for everyone.”
Closing a long-standing gap
Until now, Nova Scotia’s workplace safety laws have not specifically addressed harassment and psychological safety. “Previous workplace safety laws focused mainly on physical injuries and did not adequately address psychological harm,” says Scott Nauss, Senior Executive Director of the Safety Branch at the Department of Labour, Skills and Immigration. “These new regulations fill that gap and respond to findings about systemic racism, inequity, and lack of psychological safety in workplaces.”
The regulations reflect both the province’s safety priorities and the feedback gathered during public consultation. “We heard from employers and employees across Nova Scotia that this is needed,” says Nauss.
The ultimate goal of the legislation extends beyond compliance. “Long term, we want to see a cultural shift in how employers and employees see safe workplaces,” says Nauss. “Yes, it is about keeping people physically safe, but we also need to make sure people are psychologically safe and welcome in the workplace. By requiring clear policies, training, and accountability, the regulations promote respectful workplaces and help prevent harassment before it happens.”
Nova Scotia’s manufacturing sector, which employs roughly 36,000 people, is also preparing for the shift.
Canadian Manufacturers & Exporters (CME), one of the country’s largest and oldest trade associations, has long emphasized the link between organizational culture and operational excellence. “The most immediate and impactful way to improve operational efficiency and excellence is through people,” says Mitch Raymond, Vice President at CME. “Many of the top-performing manufacturing operations in Nova Scotia and across Canada are consistently those that foster a best-in-class organizational culture—one that respects and empowers its people.”
Raymond stresses that this is not just the domain of multinational corporations. “Many small and medium-sized enterprises in this province are recognized among the top employers, and they have the retention rates to prove it.”
Support and resources for employers
While implementation may look different depending on the size and nature of the operation, the principle remains the same: every worker deserves a safe and respectful workplace. “It’s important every workplace—big or small—has the awareness and resources to prevent and address harassment effectively,” says Nauss.
As such, the Province is committed to making compliance as straightforward as possible. “Our Department provides templates, checklists, training materials, sample investigation steps, and guidance tools to help employers comply with the regulations,” says Nauss. “For nine months now, our team has been working to help Nova Scotian employers get ready for the regulations.”
That preparation has included direct outreach to employers, a broad awareness campaign, and the launch of a dedicated website which houses videos, templates, posters, FAQs, and detailed guidance. NovaSafe, a web tool launched in 2023, will also include a new harassment module, offering quick and easy access to definitions, requirements, and supporting resources.
“We’ll continue to be a resource to support employers in improving workplace safety,” says Nauss.
To build public awareness, the Department launched the Safety Goes Beyond campaign in March 2025. The campaign ran until June and will return this fall, with a focus on helping workplaces understand what to expect when an officer visits and what is needed to be in compliance.
The campaign video is available on YouTube and emphasizes that safety is not limited to physical hazards.
Overcoming industry challenges
One industry where these changes are already sparking action is construction—a sector where physical safety has always been top of mind, but where psychological safety is now being recognized as equally vital. “We have been working through many methods to ensure that industry employers are ready for these changes,” says MJ MacDonald, CEO of Construction Safety Nova Scotia (CSNS).
A founding member of the Construction Safety Coalition, CSNS has leveraged an industry-wide network—including associations, unions, and councils—to align safety messaging and share resources. Originally formed during the COVID-19 pandemic, the Coalition remains active on priorities like fall protection awareness, gradual onset psychological injury, returning to work after an injury, and now harassment prevention.
Construction is a fast-paced, high-pressure environment with tight deadlines and a rugged culture. “As a historically male workforce, societal pressures and gender stereotypes can make it harder for workers to speak up about emotional or psychological harm,” says MacDonald. Crews often work in transient or remote settings, making it challenging to ensure consistent training, reporting pathways, and enforcement of workplace policies.
MacDonald emphasizes that psychological and emotional safety are inseparable from physical safety. “You cannot have a strong safety culture without them. If workers do not feel safe speaking up — whether it is about unsafe conditions, harassment, or mental health concerns — then critical warning signs may be missed, and preventable incidents can occur.”
In construction, where physical demands are paired with tight schedules and high accountability, mental strain can directly impact physical safety. “These pressures are not separate. They are deeply connected. A worker who is stressed, fatigued, or unsupported is more likely to make mistakes or overlook hazards, which increases the risk of injury.”
Alongside preventing harm, supporting psychological safety improves engagement, retention, and productivity. “Given the workforce challenges facing the construction industry, from an aging labour pool to difficulties in recruitment and retention, creating psychologically safe and healthy workplaces is more important than ever,” she says.
But the culture of the job site is shifting, according to MacDonald. “What may once have been dismissed as joking or ‘just part of the job’ is now being viewed differently, especially as the workforce becomes more diverse,” says MacDonald. “More women, newcomers, and individuals from a wider range of backgrounds are entering the industry. That means employers must avoid making assumptions about what is acceptable and instead focus on fostering a respectful environment where everyone feels safe and valued.”
Similar pressures are being felt in manufacturing, which, like construction, remains a male-dominated field. “Roughly three in ten workers in the sector are women, with comparable representation from other underrepresented groups,” says Raymond. “That diversity makes it critical to establish baseline rules and policies that clearly identify required behaviours.”
For Raymond, cultural change means rethinking old assumptions. “It wasn’t long ago that the Golden Rule was thought to be ‘treat others as you would like to be treated,’” he says. But people are unique. The new Golden Rule is to treat others as they would like to be treated.”
For industries that have traditionally focused on project delivery and resource management, the inclusion of “soft” skills in regulatory requirements represents a significant shift. “These regulations are a catalyst for culture change,” says MacDonald. “They send a clear message that harassment and bullying are not tolerated, and they also raise the bar on what it means to lead.”
Over time, MacDonald expects the new rules will lead to more respectful, inclusive, and productive worksites. “In fields like construction, where women and minorities are already underrepresented, that shift won’t happen overnight,” she says. “But with consistent leadership, clear policies, and practical training, we can start to break down outdated norms and replace them with a culture of professionalism and accountability. That benefits everyone, from apprentices to site supervisors to business owners.”
The construction industry’s approach to safety must evolve to address more than physical risks, according to MacDonald. “To move forward, psychological safety needs to be integrated into the foundation of occupational health and safety, just like fall protection or PPE,” she says.
Using the right tools
While harassment prevention may be new in regulatory form, the concepts behind it are familiar to CSNS. “These are areas we cover in many of our courses, including Construction Entry-Level Training, Leadership for Safety Excellence, Principles of Health and Safety Management, Psychological Injury Prevention, Mental Health First Aid, and Hazard Identification and Control,” says MacDonald.
This past August, CSNS partnered with the Department to host a webinar for members, giving them the chance to hear directly from government representatives and ask questions. CSNS is also developing practical tools, tailored training, and clear guidance documents that break the legislation into actionable steps for construction employers of all sizes.
To complement existing offerings, CSNS is developing an industry toolkit, designed with input from stakeholders and mental health professionals. Possible resources include harassment prevention policies and templates, field-ready toolbox talks on respectful behaviour and bystander intervention, supervisor-focused training to build confidence in responding to complaints, and on-demand eLearning modules for workers and managers.
Manufacturing leaders in Nova Scotia have identified key pitfalls and opportunities as they strengthen their own harassment prevention processes. A common misstep, says Raymond, is the so-called “check in the box” policy. “Some organizations create policies that exist only to meet legal requirements, but lack genuine commitment, enforcement, or a proactive approach.”
The difference between compliance on paper and true cultural change is stark. “Best-in-class organizations not only have defined policies but also review their effectiveness and continuously improve them,” says Raymond. “They invest in training, mentoring, and regular toolbox talks so employees know what the policies mean in practice and how to report incidents.”
Celebrating positive behaviours is equally important. “Too often, we focus only on what goes wrong,” says Raymond. “Organizations that see the greatest success take the opportunity to recognize when people demonstrate respect and care for each other. It reinforces the right culture and provides others with learning opportunities.”
A shared responsibility
For both government and industry, these regulations mark a shared responsibility to create safe, respectful workplaces across Nova Scotia. The tools are in place, the resources are available, and the message is clear: workplace harassment will not be tolerated.
For manufacturers, anti-bullying and harassment policies are not only about meeting regulatory requirements—they are a cornerstone of competitiveness. “A respectful workplace directly impacts trust, reduces conflict and stress, and strengthens an organization’s reputation,” says Raymond. “And organizational reputation is not just about attracting customers. It’s one of the most important advantages in attracting and retaining the talent companies need for long-term success.”
Raymond emphasizes that prevention is built on leadership. “Policies alone cannot prevent harassment,” he says. “It takes strong, committed leadership to set expectations, enforce standards, and sustain a culture where harassment is not tolerated. Without that foundation, policies risk becoming empty words on paper.”
As Nauss puts it, “These changes are intended to create safer, more respectful workplaces by providing clear expectations and responsibilities for everyone. For most workplaces, this change means strengthening existing practices, and we’re here to support that transition.”
For employers wondering how to start, the Department’s advice is simple: use the templates, access the training, and reach out for support. Building a safer, more respectful workplace is not just about meeting a legal requirement—it’s about fostering an environment where everyone can do their best work.
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