By Penny Stevens, The Sydney Morning Herald
A court decision yesterday to issue $335,000 in fines arising from workplace behaviour that resulted in a waitress committing suicide highlights the significant risks associated with bullying and harassment in the workplace.
The owner of Cafe Vamp in Hawthorn was one of four workers to plead guilty to failing to take reasonable care for the health and safety of persons.
The owner and his one-man company also pleaded guilty to failing to provide and maintain a safe working environment.
The company was fined $220,000, and magistrate Peter Lauritsen said he would have doubled the penalties had the defendants not pleaded guilty to what he described as ”the most serious case of bullying”.
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Workplace Violence: Employers Need to be Better Prepared
Coming into force on June 15, 2010, Bill 168 requires every employer in Ontario with more than five workers to develop a violence risk assessment and implementing a policy and program to prevent and manage workplace violence and harassment. This half day Gowling’s seminar will provide a detailed legal analysis of Bill 168 and outline a practical plan for compliance.
The Violence Volcano: Reducing the Threat of Workplace Violence