Harassment-Free Workplace Policy Applicable to Complaints Against MHAs

On April 1, 2020 the Harassment-Free Workplace Policy Applicable to Complaints Against Members of the House of Assembly (the Policy) came into effect. It was amended by the House effective April 6, 2022.

The Policy is the result of a recommendation of the Standing Committee on Privileges and Elections to the House of Assembly, which was concurred in by the House (Final Report to the House of Assembly on the Development of a Legislature-Specific Harassment-Free Workplace Policy – April 2019).

The Policy applies to interactions that a Member of the House of Assembly has with other Members and employees in the context of carrying out that Member’s duties as an elected official.

Under the Policy, complaints of harassment can be brought against a Member by:

1. Another Member of the House of Assembly;
2. An employee of the Legislative Branch*; or
3. An employee of the Executive Branch*.
   *Applicable definitions of these employees are outlined in Section 2.0 of the Policy.

Inquiries & Submitting Complaints

The Office of the Citizens’ Representative (OCR), an independent Statutory Office of the Legislature, has the responsibility for oversight of the Policy, including intake of complaints and coordination of the resolution process. There are options for both informal and formal resolution (refer to Section 9.0 of the Policy for further details).

The Intake Officer is the main point of contact within the OCR for inquires and for submitting a formal complaint. The Intake Officer can be reached at:

(709) 729-7647
1-800-559-0079
**Ask to speak with the OCR Intake Officer

The following resources are available on specific processes provided for under the Policy:

• Complaint Process Notifications & Timelines (refer to Section 8.0 of the Policy)
• Privileges and Elections Committee Process & Timelines – Review of Final Investigative Reports (refer to Section 9.0 of the Policy)

Support & Advice

An Independent Support Advisor provides support, advice and guidance to individuals involved in dealing with and resolving issues of harassment. Contact with the Independent Support Advisor is completely confidential and is available to anyone involved in the process. This resource is independent of and external to the Legislature and its statutory offices, including the Office of the Citizens’ Representative.

The Independent Support Advisor can be availed of at any time prior to submitting a complaint, or throughout the process once a complaint has been submitted, by contacting:

Denise Lawlor, RSW, MSW
709-579-8064
d.lawlor@nf.sympatico.ca