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When a “False Complaint” Isn’t the Point: What Workplace Policies Miss About Power and IPV
False sexual harassment complaints are rare—but warnings about them are common. This post explores an Alberta Tribunal case, the role of IPV, and why policy design must do better.

Rika Sawatsky
Jan 153 min read


Doing Better Than “Don’t Do This”: Rethinking Sexual Harassment Training
Boilerplate sexual harassment training focuses on what not to do. This post explains why that approach fails—and how bystander-focused, context-specific training better addresses power, culture, and everyday workplace behaviour.

Rika Sawatsky
Jan 134 min read


Arbitrator upholds just cause termination of grievor who masturbated in back of Uber
A unionized employee was terminated for masturbating in an Uber on the way to work. The arbitration also highlights how trauma-informed assessments are essential in harassment investigations and underscores the dangers of relying on gender-based stereotypes.

Rika Sawatsky
Dec 22, 20253 min read


Why Effective Harassment & Human Rights Training Needs to Be Tailored—And Why Most Programs Miss the Mark
Effective, tailored harassment and human-rights training grounded in adult learning, complex scenarios, and microintervention strategies that actually change behaviour.

Rika Sawatsky
Dec 4, 20254 min read


Gender Pay Gap & Sexual Harassment Start Early
Teenage girls earn $3 less per hour than boys in their summer jobs — and the gap is even wider in caregiving roles. What does that tell us about the roots of workplace inequity, and what can organizations do to make change?

Rika Sawatsky
Oct 10, 20252 min read


When “No Harassment Complaints” Doesn’t Mean “No Harassment” in the Workplace
Many workplaces take comfort in having little to no harassment complaints. But “no complaints” doesn’t always mean “no problems.” Here are three overlooked gaps that might be hiding behind seemingly clean stats — and what HR leaders can do to close them.

Rika Sawatsky
Oct 8, 20253 min read


Context Matters: Rethinking Sexual Harassment in the Workplace
A recent HRTO decision found certain acts weren’t sexual harassment when viewed in isolation. But context reveals otherwise. Here’s why workplace harassment programs must focus on patterns, power, and control—not just individual incidents.

Rika Sawatsky
Sep 23, 20252 min read


Upwards Harassment: The Overlooked Gap in Workplace Policies
Workplace harassment isn’t always top-down. A recent BC Human Rights Tribunal case shows how leaders can face harassment from subordinates—and how employers fail when they don’t take these complaints seriously. Here’s why upwards harassment matters, and what organizations must do to address it.

Rika Sawatsky
Sep 17, 20252 min read


Sexual harassment at work
The theme for this week's videos was sexual harassment at work, from real life challenges, to legally required topics, to training solutions

Rika Sawatsky
Mar 14, 20251 min read
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