A follow-up national survey developed by Western researchers shows workplace harassment and violence continue to be widespread in Canada, with some signs of improvement.
Adriana Belingieri (Submitted)
The second national survey on harassment and violence at work in Canada was conducted by Western's Centre for Research and Education on Violence Against Women and Children (CREVAWC), in partnership with the Canadian Labour Congress. The study was funded by Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC).
The survey builds on the first national study on harassment and violence at work, conducted between October 2020 and April 2021, with results reported in 2022. The 2025 survey aimed to answer one key question: Is work becoming safer for Canadians?
Results show people are continuing to experience workplace harassment and violence at very high rates that haven't meaningfully decreased in almost five years.
Faculty of Education professor and CREVAWC researcher Adriana Berlingieri was principal investigator of the report summarizing the second national survey findings. She said workplaces reflect society at large, and the responsibility for addressing workplace harassment and violence rests with all of us.
"It's not solely an HR issue and it shouldn't be relegated to someone only in HR," she said. "This is an organization-wide, society-wide, country-wide, worldwide concern."
Harassment and violence at work survey highlights
The second nationwide survey, conducted between September and December 2025, drew more than 5,600 responses. The researchers examined three categories of workplace harassment and violence, including harassment and violence, sexual harassment and violence, and online harassment.
Key findings of the survey show:
- Nearly 7 in 10 respondents (69.4 per cent) of survey respondents experienced at least one behaviour or practice of harassment and violence or sexual harassment and violence in the two years prior to completing the survey.
- Just over 3 in 5 (62.0 per cent) of survey respondents experienced at least one behaviour or practice of harassment and violence while at work in the two years prior to completing the survey.
- More than 2 in 5 (41.1 per cent) of survey respondents experienced at least one behaviour or practice of sexual harassment and violence while at work in the two years prior to completing the survey.
- Nearly 1 in 5 (19.1 per cent) of survey respondents experienced at least one behaviour or practice of work-related online harassment in the two years prior to completing the survey.
One clear area of improvement was a drop in online harassment, down 7.4 percentage points from 2022. The report notes this is likely in part because many workers have returned to in-person or hybrid work since the last study, which was conducted during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Persistent criticism, third-party harassment on the rise
Persistent criticism of work or effort is now the most common behaviour or practice of harassment and violence reported, up from third most common in 2022.
Workplace harassment and violence occurs across all occupations and sectors, but harassment and violence and sexual harassment and violence from third parties, customers, patients or students (rather than co-workers), is on the rise. Harassment and violence moved from 30.7 per cent in 2022 to 36.2 per cent in 2026, as co-worker harassment fell during the same period (from 39 per cent to 33 per cent). Sexual harassment and violence from third parties moved from 33.7 per cent in 2022 to 41.4 per cent in 2026.
Berlingieri says zero-tolerance signs, increasingly common in health care and service settings, have had limited long-term effect.
"Zero-tolerance policies or statements are not enough," she said. "What actions back them up and what practices and processes are in place? When something does happen, how are staff being supported and what ensures it doesn't happen again?"
As reported in 2022, marginalized populations are the most affected by workplace harassment and violence. Indigenous respondents reported the highest rates of harassment and violence overall (73.7 per cent), while gender-diverse and 2SLGBTQIA+ workers were far more likely than their peers to experience sexual harassment specifically - 66 per cent of gender-diverse respondents, compared to 43 per cent of women and 34 per cent of men. Workers living with a disability also reported markedly higher rates across every category measured.
The personal and bottom-line costs of workplace harassment
The human costs of workplace harassment and violence are significant. Among those experiencing harassment and violence, 79.8 per cent of respondents reported negative emotional impacts, including sleep issues (66 per cent), career disruption (25 per cent were denied promotions/pay increases/good performance ratings) and drops in productivity due to missed work, tardiness or early departures.
The costs extend to employers as well. Berlingieri noted a 2007 study that found sexual harassment cost companies $22,500 USD per person in productivity alone.
"If you put all the forms of harassment and violence at work together, it's costing hundreds of thousands of dollars per worker, and we don't even know all the costs." - Professor Adriana Berlingieri, researcher and principal investigator, Centre for Research and Education on Violence Against Women and Children
Accessing help, creating safe workplaces together
The harassment and violence provisions in the Canada Labour Code took effect in January 2021, with the law required a review every five years.
"This is an important year for this report, because of that review," Berlingieri said. "It and our previous report will help provide the information needed to identify the problems and where change is needed."
The report calls for continued monitoring through repeated surveys every five years and a comprehensive strategy to implement ILO Convention 190 - the first international definition of violence and harassment in the world of work - across every jurisdiction.
"We need to continue this work, because we see change happening," she said. "We see it on the ground, not only in research and reports. We need constant research and sharing and collaboration. We need to work together to make it happen."
Learn more about how Western is navigating new realities.
