Alberta’s new Occupational Health and Safety Code came fully into force on March 31, 2025, reshaping how every employer must prevent and address workplace violence and harassment. The big shift? A single, consolidated Violence & Harassment Prevention Plan now replaces the separate policies and procedures that once caused needless duplication and confusion.
For HR leaders whose mandate is building positive culture, the amendments are more than a compliance checklist; they are an opportunity to hard-wire psychological safety into daily operations.
What the Law Now Requires
Instead of maintaining separate violence and harassment plans, employers are now required to implement a single consolidated prevention plan. This plan must include:
- Hazard control measures,
- Communication protocols for informing workers of risks,
- Reporting and investigation procedures, and
- Confidentiality safeguards.
Employers must now review and update the plan:
- After certain incidents,
- When workplace changes affect risk,
- Upon request by a safety representative, or
- At least once every three years.
Training is required whenever the plan is revised.
The updated rules remove the need to share investigation reports with the OHS Director, committee, or workers, but employers must:
- Investigate incidents thoroughly,
- Document the circumstances and corrective actions, and
- Keep the report accessible for OHS officers.
These changes reduce duplication, promote proactive risk management, and emphasize ongoing communication and procedural clarity.
Ignoring these duties can trigger stop-work orders, administrative penalties, or prosecution under the OHS Act.
Turning Legal Duties into Culture Builders
Legal risk is only part of the story; unresolved harassment erodes engagement, increases turnover, and undermines employer brand. Here’s how you can use this legislative change to improve your workplace culture:
- Psychological-Safety Audits. Pair the hazard assessment mandated by the Code with anonymous culture surveys to surface “silent” bullying behaviours (e.g., gossip, exclusion).
- Human-Centred Reporting. Offer multiple, trauma-informed channels including anonymous web forms, hotline numbers, trusted-person pathways, so employees feel safe to speak up.
- Bystander Empowerment. Go beyond compliance training; run scenario-based workshops that teach peers to intervene early.
- Leadership Modelling. Require executives to open every town-hall with a “respect moment”, sharing a concrete example of how harassment was addressed promptly and fairly.
- Timely, Transparent Investigations. Use impartial investigators, communicate milestones to complainant and respondent, and share outcome summaries that respect privacy yet reinforce accountability.
Practical Steps for HR Teams
Human resources departments can embrace these changes by:
- Gap Analysis. Benchmark existing policies against the 2025 Code checklist; prioritize high-risk worksites such as client-facing retail or lone-worker settings.
- Update & Cascade. Update the policy, secure leadership sign-off, then train managers first- they are your frontline explainers.
- Embed it into Onboarding. New-hire orientation should showcase real-world examples of the policy in action, not just present a PDF. Walk new hires through what respectful conduct looks like.
- Measure What Matters. Track complaint resolution times, repeat-offender data, and engagement-survey trust scores. Use the data to evolve your strategy year over year.
Bottom Line
The 2025 amendments simplify statutory obligations, but they also set a higher bar for cultural maturity. Employers that respond with transparent processes, inclusive training, and empathetic leadership will not only avoid fines, they’ll energize teams and strengthen retention. In Alberta’s tight labour market, that cultural dividend may be the most valuable compliance benefit of all.
Contact Us
At Cashion Legal, we provide legal advice and representation to Alberta employers on employment law matters. We’ll guide you with practical advice suited to the needs of your business.
If you require the strategic, tactical, and administrative support of a human resources professional to navigate your situation and transform HR challenges into culture-building opportunities, we encourage you to contact Daeco HR Ltd.