The free legal help program Sexual Harassment Advice, Response, and Prevention for Workplaces (SHARP Workplaces) is now up and running again and able to provide help to you and your patrons!
SHARP Workplaces provides legal help to those who are experiencing or have experienced workplace sexual harassment in BC. Their clinic can provide up to five hours of free legal advice. Their clinic can help with things like:
- Explaining rights and legal options for those who have experienced or are experiencing workplace sexual harassment.
- Advising on how to address sexual harassment in the workplace.
- Filing complaints, such as human rights complaints, WorkSafe BC complaints, or contacting the police. This can include coaching for those going through the complaint process.
- Reviewing and drafting documents.
- Advising in negotiations and settlement meetings.
SHARP Workplaces is available province wide. They can also assist those who experienced workplace sexual harassment in BC but no longer live here. The service is free, confidential, and not limited by financial eligibility criteria.
Patrons can contact SHARP Workplaces by:
- Phone at 604-673-3143 or 1-888-685-6222
- Email at SHARPWorkplaces@clasbc.net
- Through their online Application for Legal Services. This intake form is also available in multiple languages on their website. Interpreters are provided as needed for both the intake process and when meeting with a lawyer, at no cost.
If your patrons are looking for more information about what workplace sexual harassment is, you can check out SHARP Workplaces FAQs. These provide more information on what the law says, different bases for sexual harassment, microaggressions, sexual assault, and consent.
If patrons would like something to take home with them, there are SHARP Workplaces program brochures available on their website. These brochures are available in multiple languages and can be downloaded and printed. SHARP Workplaces also offers free printed English copies of their brochures, posters, and wallet cards, which can be mailed to you free of charge. If you’d like to receive any of these printed materials for your library, please feel free to email SHARPWorkplaces@clasbc.net to request them.
If you want more in-depth information about what SHARP Workplaces can offer, please check out our previous guest post from the program, as well as our previous webinar. Note that the program is no longer partnering with the Ending Violence Association of BC to provide education as stated in the webinar. However, SHARP Workplaces does still offer free workshops and public education on workplace sexual harassment. If you are interested, feel free to contact them using the information above.
This article is a LawMatters Blog post written for current awareness at the time of publishing. Please check the publication date as some information may have changed since then.