People in Ontario experiencing workplace sexual harassment can now get free legal help
- Craig Clark
- 11 Jun 2020
Pro Bono Ontario (PBO) is offering Ontarians who have experienced sexual harassment in the workplace free legal advice through their new hotline that was launched earlier this week.
The hotline is funded by the Department of Justice and connects people directly with a lawyer who can provide free summary advice and information to people who were employed in Ontario.
Lawyers are experts in employment and human rights law and can help anyone who experience harassment on the job related to sex, sexual orientation, or gender.
Ontarians experiencing workplace sexual harassment can now get free legal help through Pro Bono Ontario thanks to @JusticeCanadaEN https://t.co/GoTZ1ehQ3d pic.twitter.com/ksFCGTdYcv
— Pro Bono Ontario (@ProBonoOntario) June 10, 2020
After calling the hotline, lawyers will help victims identify the nature of their legal issues, provide assistance and advice on steps they can take themselves, draft letters and basic legal documents, and make referrals to lawyers who can help further.
The Workplace Sexual Harassment Hotline uses a model that has already been successful. PBO began offering free legal advice in 2017 after launching a general Free Legal Advice Hotline for Ontarians experiencing legal problems such as employment, housing, consumer debt and protection, civil litigation, and estate planning issues.
PBO has helped through over 40,000 people in Ontario through their hotline with calls increasing 173% since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Workplace sexual harassment is not a new problem, but its impacts are much more pernicious in this climate as victims are worried about job security and are that much more afraid to stand up to abuse,” says executive director Lynn Burns.
“This hotline is here to support them, to help guide them and to give them the legal resources they need.”
PBO is a registered charity that was founded in 2001. They have provided legal help to almost 30,000 people each year in Ontario who are seeking advice with civil non-family cases, which make up about 60% of unmet legal needs in the province.
PBO’s Workplace Sexual Harassment Hotline is open Monday to Friday from 1 pm to 7 pm EST at 1-855-776-1855.
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