The federal government has invested $2.8 million into a new fund designed to reduce workplace harassment and provide resources for vulnerable workers.

The Roadmap to Future Workplaces project, created by the Canadian Women’s Foundation, in collaboration with AfterMeToo and APTN, aims to provide sector-specific education on legal rights and procedures through both digital and in-person training.

Patty Hajdu, Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Labour, made the announcement on Friday in Toronto, where she led a panel discussion that also included Mia Kirshner, founder of Rosa and co-founder of AfterMeToo, Paulette Senior, president and CEO of the Canadian Women’s Foundation and APTN’s Jean La Rose.

The Roadmap to Future Workplaces project will be housed on Rosa, an initiative and an online resource that will house all relevant reporting forms, as well as information about the laws surrounding workplace harassment.

During the panel, Kirshner said the government investment will provide critical tools for individuals experiencing sexual harassment in the workplace, and help to transform workplaces into transparent, accountable environments.

While an official launch date for the project has not been set, Kirshner said she was hopeful it will get underway in January 2020.

Roadmap to Future Workplaces is among a number of projects designed to help workplaces comply with Bill C-65­, which is a new piece of legislation aimed at protecting employees from harassment and violence in federally regulated workplaces. The legislation comes into effect in 2020.

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