SHARP Workplace partnership: Education and advocacy on sexual harassment at work

BCCWITT is proud to be working alongside the Community Legal Assistance Society (CLAS) to help deliver on the education and advocacy goals of their Sexual Harassment Advice, Response, and Prevention for Workplaces (SHARP Workplaces) program.  SHARP Workplaces Legal Clinic provides up to five hours of free confidential legal advice to help any worker who has experienced sexual harassment at work, in addition to offering navigation support to other services or assistance that victims of these incidents may need.

BCCWITT is partnering with SHARP Workplaces to help deliver critical public education and advocacy support by providing free workplace training around sexual harassment—training designed to provide people with the information, resources, and guidance they need to address these issues that are affecting too many workers in BC, with a particular focus on supporting those most impacted in the trades industry.

Why it matters

Almost 1 in 2 women have experienced harassment or sexual assault in the workplace (Statistics Canada 2024) …and we know those statics are considerably higher when we look at what women and gender-diverse workers in the male-dominated trades and construction industry face.

From an individual perspective, sexual harassment causes deep harm and trauma to individuals who experience it. And it can have devastating effects on the mental health and wellbeing of both those who experience it, and on the people who care about them.

From an organizational perspective, sexual harassment also leads to lower productivity, missed days at work, and possible continued conflict in the workplace.

About the training
This training will help people:

• understand their rights and responsibilities,
• navigate legal processes,
• develop skills to communicate and address sexual harassment, and
• help people take steps to advocate for themselves and others in the workplace, creating safer workplaces for everyone.

The training will be offered in either two 1.5 hour sessions virtually (one hour for the presentation and session content delivery, 30 minutes for discussion and Q&As), or one in-person 4 hour session. The sessions will cover:

Session 1: What is workplace sexual harassment

• Understanding workplace sexual harassment
• Identifying workplace sexual harassment
• Understanding contributing factors

Session 2: Intervention strategies for workplace sexual harassment

• Rights and responsibilities as workers and employers
• Documentation and reporting
• Allyship and bystander intervention strategies

Who is eligible?
These training sessions are open to anyone working in the trades industry in British Columbia—including but not limited to tradespeople, trades training instructors, OHS professions, union representatives, etc.

Please note: People of all genders are welcome at this training. The training has been designed to support those who may be newer to navigating legal rights and responsibilities, or new to being advocates supporting those who may experience workplace sexual harassment.

Register today!
The training dates will be available as follows.

Online sessions (please attend session two after attending session one): 

Session 1: Wednesday January 28 – 12 to 1:30pm
Session 2: Wednesday February 25 – 12 to 1:30pm

Session 1: Wednesday April 22 – 5 to 6:30pm
Session 2: Wednesday May 13 – 5 to 6:30pm

Session 1: Wednesday June 24 – 12 to 1:30pm
Session 2: Wednesday July 22 – 12 to 1:30pm

In-person (both parts):

Saturday, March 14 – 10am to 2pm (at the BCFED office in Burnaby)

Saturday, June 13 – 10am to 2pm (in Prince George, location TBD)

Saturday, September 12 – 10am to 2pm (in Victoria, location TBD)

* More dates and locations will be released in Fall 2026!

Application link: https://form.jotform.com/BCCWITT/sharp-workplaces-training