Workplace Harassment Lawyer
in Toronto, Ontario
Workplace Harassment Is Not a Personal Matter. It Is a Legal One.
Most employees who experience harassment at work are told the same things: it is a personality conflict, a management style, or simply how things work here. In many cases, that is wrong. Ontario law places clear obligations on employers when it comes to workplace harassment. When those obligations are not met, employees have legal options.
The problem is that most employees do not know what those options are, or whether what happened to them even qualifies. That uncertainty is exactly where Bune Law can help.
Sezar Bune works directly with employees in these situations. He will give you an honest assessment of what happened, what your employer was required to do, and what your options are before you make any decisions.
What Is Workplace Harassment Under Ontario Law?
Workplace harassment in Ontario falls under two separate legal frameworks: the Occupational Health and Safety Act and the Ontario Human Rights Code. Each approaches the issue from a different legal angle.
Under the OHSA, workplace harassment is defined as engaging in a course of vexatious comment or conduct against a worker in a workplace that is known or ought reasonably to be known to be unwelcome.
This covers both general workplace harassment and workplace sexual harassment. Employers have specific legal obligations to investigate complaints and maintain a written harassment policy.
Under the Human Rights Code, harassment is addressed where the conduct is connected to a protected characteristic, such as race, gender, disability, age, or sexual orientation.
This framework applies when the harassment is connected to who you are, not just how you were treated. The remedies available and the process for pursuing a claim are distinct from those under the OHSA.
The difference between these two frameworks is not technical. The obligations they place on employers, the remedies available to employees, and the process for pursuing a claim are all different. Which framework applies to your situation, and whether both are engaged, is one of the first questions a workplace harassment lawyer will work through with you.
What Workplace Harassment Actually Looks Like
Workplace harassment is not limited to dramatic or overtly aggressive conduct. It covers a wide range of behaviour, some of which employees are reluctant to describe as harassment because it does not fit the image they associate with the term.
Persistent unwelcome comments: Repeated remarks about an employee's work, appearance, personal life, or characteristics that are known or ought to be known to be unwelcome.
Belittling or demeaning behaviour: Conduct that undermines an employee's dignity or professional standing, including in front of colleagues.
Exclusion or isolation: Deliberately excluding an employee from meetings, communications, or workplace activities in a manner that is targeted and persistent.
Unwarranted criticism or scrutiny: Subjecting an employee to standards, oversight, or criticism that is disproportionate and not applied to comparable colleagues.
Threats or intimidation: Conduct designed to create fear, anxiety, or a sense of vulnerability in the workplace.
Sexual harassment: Unwelcome sexual solicitation, advances, or conduct of a sexual nature that creates a hostile or uncomfortable working environment.
Employer Obligations Under the Occupational Health and Safety Act
Ontario employers have specific legal obligations under the Occupational Health and Safety Act regarding workplace harassment. These obligations are not discretionary. They apply to every employer in Ontario regardless of size or industry.
When Workplace Harassment and Other Legal Claims Intersect
Workplace harassment often raises legal considerations that go beyond the harassment itself. Depending on the circumstances, it may connect to other areas of employment law that carry their own rights and remedies.
These frameworks can overlap. Which combination of legal avenues applies to a specific situation is part of the assessment Bune Law provides.
Why Early Legal Advice Matters in Workplace Harassment Situations
The decisions made in the early stages of a workplace harassment situation directly affect what options remain available and how strong the legal position is if a claim is ultimately pursued.
How an employee responds to harassment, what is documented and when, whether a complaint is made internally, and how the employer responds are all factors that shape the outcome. Acting without understanding the implications of each of these steps, or waiting too long to obtain legal advice, can narrow the options available.
Speaking with a workplace harassment lawyer before taking any formal steps provides the clearest picture of what happened, what your employer was required to do, and what you can do about it now.
Why Clients Choose Bune Law for Workplace Harassment Matters
Sezar Bune has worked directly with employees in workplace harassment situations across Toronto, the GTA, and Ontario since 2014, in industries ranging from financial services and healthcare to tech, retail, and professional services.
Sezar Bune is a member of the Law Society of Ontario. Bune Law provides workplace harassment legal services to employees in Toronto and throughout Ontario.
Experience on Both Sides. Now Entirely on Yours.
Sezar's background includes Bay Street employment law, which gives him a clear understanding of how employers and their legal counsel approach harassment complaints and internal investigations. He knows what they are looking for — and what that means for the employee on the other side.
You Speak With Sezar Directly.
When you contact Bune Law, you speak with Sezar Bune directly. Not a junior associate, not a paralegal, and not an intake coordinator who routes your call elsewhere. Every client gets the same level of direct, thorough attention.
Honest Assessment. No Volume Practice.
Bune Law is not a high-volume referral operation. Sezar takes the time to understand what happened, what the law requires, and what your options are — so you can make informed decisions, not rushed ones. Learn more about Sezar Bune.
Experiencing workplace harassment in Ontario? Speak with a workplace harassment lawyer at Bune Law to understand your options.
Schedule a ConsultationFrequently Asked Questions
Workplace harassment under Ontario law refers to a course of vexatious comment or conduct against an employee that is known or ought reasonably to be known to be unwelcome. It can be a pattern of behaviour or, in serious cases, a single incident. Where the harassment is connected to a protected characteristic such as race, gender, disability, age, or sexual orientation, the Ontario Human Rights Code may apply in addition to the Occupational Health and Safety Act. Whether a specific situation meets the legal threshold is a fact-specific determination that requires legal assessment.
Ontario employers are legally required under the Occupational Health and Safety Act to conduct an appropriate investigation when a harassment complaint is made, and to inform the parties of the results and any corrective action taken. Whether your employer has met those obligations in your specific situation is something a workplace harassment lawyer can assess.
An employer's failure to respond appropriately to a harassment complaint may give rise to legal consequences. This includes failing to investigate, dismissing the complaint without adequate process, or allowing the conduct to continue. Speaking with a workplace harassment lawyer before deciding how to proceed is an important early step.
Limitation periods vary depending on the nature of the claim and the legal avenue being pursued. What applies across all harassment-related matters is that acting promptly matters. Delays can affect what options remain available. Speaking with an employment lawyer as early as possible is the most reliable way to understand what timelines apply.
Where workplace harassment is connected to a protected characteristic such as race, gender, age, disability, or sexual orientation, the Ontario Human Rights Code may apply in addition to the protections under the Occupational Health and Safety Act. For more information, visit our Human Rights and Discrimination page.
Speak Directly With a Toronto Workplace Harassment Lawyer
If you are experiencing workplace harassment, or have experienced it and are uncertain what options may be available, getting an honest legal assessment before making any further decisions is the right first step.
Sezar Bune is a Toronto workplace harassment lawyer who has worked directly with employees in harassment situations across Ontario since 2014. His background includes Bay Street employment law, which gives him a clear understanding of how employers and their legal counsel approach harassment complaints and internal investigations, and what it takes to handle those matters effectively on behalf of employees. Every matter at Bune Law receives direct, senior-level attention from the first conversation through to resolution.
Whether you are facing ongoing harassment at work, an employer who has failed to investigate your complaint, or a situation connected to a protected characteristic under the Ontario Human Rights Code, Bune Law will give you a straight answer about where you stand. Bune Law serves employees in Toronto, the GTA, and throughout Ontario.
This page provides general legal information about Ontario employment law and workplace harassment for educational purposes only. It does not constitute legal advice and does not create a lawyer-client relationship. Every situation is different. Contact Bune Law to discuss the specific facts of your matter.
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Speak directly with Sezar Bune. No junior associates. No handoffs.