Public Services and Procurement Canada
Responding to harassment or violence

Notices of occurrence of harassment and violence

The PSPC Centre of Expertise on Values, Ethics and the Prevention of Harassment and Violence is the designated recipient of notices of occurrences (complaints) of harassment and violence.

The Centre of Expertise accepts notices of occurrences of harassment and violence regarding persons employed by PSPC (employees, students, casuals, etc.).

The Centre of Expertise does not accept notices of occurrences for other government departments or other federally regulated industries or workplaces. Each organization has its own designated recipient for complaints.

As per section 15 (2) of the Work Place Harassment and Violence Prevention Regulations, a notice of occurrence must not be provided if:

• the responding party is neither the employer nor an employee
• exposure to harassment and violence is a normal condition of the principal party’s work
• the employer has measures in place to address workplace harassment and violence

Persons who can submit a notice of occurrence

As per section 15 of the Work Place Harassment and Violence Prevention Regulations, anyone who experiences or witnesses harassment and violence at PSPC can make a notice of occurrence. This includes:

• any person employed by the department (no matter your role or length of time employed by the department)
• a former employee (within 3 months of departure; an extension from the Minister of Labour may be obtained in certain specific circumstances)
  • for additional information, consult Section 3 of the Labour Program’s Work Place Harassment and Violence Prevention: 943-1-IPG-104
• a member of the public (only as a witness)

Required information to submit a notice of occurrence

As per section 16 of the Work Place Harassment and Violence Prevention Regulations, to submit a notice of occurrence of harassment and violence, you must provide the following information verbally or in writing (email is acceptable):

• the name of the principal party (the employee or employer who is the object of an occurrence of harassment or violence), if known
• the name of the responding party (person who is alleged to have been responsible for the occurrence of harassment or violence), if known
• the date(s) of the occurrence(s)
• a detailed description of the occurrence(s)
  • answers regarding who, what, how, when, how often, where, context, witness, etc. are important to help us understand the situation
  • contact the centre for more detailed information

If any of the required information is missing or insufficient, especially if the identity of the principal party cannot be determined from the information provided, the process will be considered complete and the case will be closed. This means that the situation of harassment and violence is likely to continue or escalate.

If you are a witness submitting a notice of occurrence, you may remain anonymous, however, providing a way to contact you is helpful if additional information is required.

Contact us

Contact the PSPC Centre of Expertise on Values, Ethics and the Prevention of Harassment and Violence for information, advice, guidance, submitting a notice of occurrence or to obtain a copy of the Interim Standard on Harassment and Violence Prevention in the Workplace.

Telephone: 1-866-516-2276

Email: tpsgc.dgrhpreventionharcelement-harassmentpreventionhrb.pwgsc@tpsgc.gc.ca