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The Québec Labour Standards Act provides that every worker has a right to a work environment free from psychological harassment. A unionized worker’s recourse lies with grievance arbitration. Analysis of arbitration decisions reveals language that is often more psychological in nature than legal, especially when associated with the denial of a grievance. Arbitrators take a harsh view of complainants, directing inquiry as to whether their personality is “normal” and whether they have a mental illness. The tendency towards a psychological reading of harassment grievances effectively displaces social and organisational analysis of workplaces, even though legislative intention was to make workplaces healthier through a critical examination of work organization and exercise of management prerogatives.

Keywords

  • grievance arbitration
  • psychological harassment
  • psychologization
  • reasonable person test
  • victimization
  • Québec
Rachel Cox
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