Resolutions

WHEREAS, municipalities in Saskatchewan are often vulnerable to harassment from the members of the public; and

WHEREAS, municipalities often lack the resources to deal with harassment from the public; and

WHEREAS, harassment from the public is harmful for municipal councils and administration and leads to high turnover and burnout and feelings of a lack of safety;

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED THAT SUMA advocate the Government of Saskatchewan for more resources to be available to municipalities so they can better deal with problematic harassment from members of the public.

Dear Randy Goulden:

Thank you for your correspondence dated May 13, 2024, regarding resourcing for municipalities to address problematic harassment from members of the public directed towards municipal councils and administration.

Our government strongly believes that harassment has no place in our workplaces. I appreciate the resolution from your members and know that it's their desire to see municipal councils and administration staff protected.

As you may be aware, elected officials of municipalities are not "workers" as defined by The Saskatchewan Employment Act (the Act). As such, the anti-harassment provisions of occupational health and safety legislation do not apply to these individuals.

However, the Act does include provisions indicating that all workplace parties are responsible for ensuring healthy and safe working conditions. Employers must protect workers from exposure to harassment by developing and implementing a harassment policy. Workers must refrain from causing or participating in the harassment of another worker. Specific resources to assist employers in developing a harassment policy in compliance with legislation are available at the following link: https://www.saskatchewan.ca/business/safety-in-the-workplace/hazards-and­ prevention/bullying-and-harassment-in-the-workplace.

Sincerely,

Honourable Don McMorris

Minister of Labour Relations and Workplace Safety