Nova Scotia Regulated Company

As an employer under Nova Scotia jurisdiction, your workplace is governed by legislation such as the Nova Scotia Labour Standards Code, An Act Respecting Occupational Health and Safety and the Worker's Compensation Act. These acts, along with the Nova Scotia Human Rights Act create a framework for employment standards, workplace safety and protection against discrimination.

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In the fall of 2024, the Nova Scotia legislature passed Bill 464, also known as the Stronger Workplaces for Nova Scotia Act. This bill made several changes to the employment and occupational health and safety laws currently in place.  

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Under the Occupational Health and Safety Act, employers are required to provide a safe and healthy work environment for their employees. This includes both physical as well as psychological health and safety.

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For this toolkit, we will focus on two specific employer obligations:

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• Harassment Prevention Policy (In force as of September 1, 2025)

• Violence in the Workplace Prevention Plan (Based on the 2007, Violence in the Workplace Regulations under the Occupational Health and Safety Act, requiring employers to develop workplace violence prevention plans.)

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Although these obligations are presented separately to employers from different parts of legislation, it does have similar processes and therefore can be combined to create a comprehensive plan for both Harassment and Violence in your workplace. For this reason, we have combined the two and will reference the applicable legislation as required.

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Please click the links below to find out more about creating your Harassment and Violence Prevention in the Workplace Plan.