To document workplace harassment or bullying in Canada, keep a factual journal. For each event, write the date and time, what happened in as much detail as you can, the names of any witnesses and the outcome, and keep copies of letters, memos and emails you received from the person. That is what the Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety (CCOHS) suggests. A journal does not decide what happened; it helps you explain events in order when you use your workplace's process.

Key points

  • Write each event down soon after: date, time, place, what was said or done, and who was there.
  • Add the outcome and your own replies, and keep copies of related emails, memos and messages.
  • Keep what you saw or heard separate from guesses about why someone acted.
  • Where to report depends on whether your employer is federally or provincially regulated.
Contents
  1. What to write in a workplace harassment journal
  2. A fictional example entry
  3. Checklist: what to do and when
  4. Where to report workplace harassment in Canada
  5. Frequently asked questions

What to write in a workplace harassment journal

  • When: the date and time. Mark estimates as estimates.
  • Where: the place, or the email, chat or call where it happened.
  • What: the words or actions you directly saw or heard. Use quotation marks only for words you are sure of.
  • Who: the people present and who may have seen or heard it. Don't speak for them.
  • Outcome: what you said or did next, any reply, and what happened afterwards.
  • Written on: the date you wrote the entry, if it was later.

If your health is affected, CCOHS also suggests a detailed record of symptoms, medical or psychological appointments and any medication or treatment prescribed. For a blank page to start from, see our free incident log template and example.

A fictional example entry

This entry is made up for illustration: “Tuesday, September 8, 2026, about 9:40 a.m., open office. My supervisor stood at my desk and said, loud enough for the next row to hear, that I was ‘useless on this file.’ I am sure of ‘useless’; I am not sure of the rest. Two colleagues sat nearby; I don't know what they heard. I said I would like to discuss the file privately. At 11:05 a.m. I emailed asking for a meeting. No reply by 5 p.m. Written the same day at 6:15 p.m.” It records what happened and what you did, and leaves questions of motive to whoever handles the process.

Checklist: what to do and when

  1. Same day: write the entry and note when you wrote it.
  2. Same day: save the related email, message or calendar invitation as it is. Keep your own replies too, and don't edit the originals.
  3. Later that week: add anything you remember afterwards as a dated addition, not a rewrite.
  4. Every week or two: read the entries in date order and mark gaps and uncertain dates.
  5. Before you report: choose the entries that matter and check who your workplace harassment and violence prevention policy says receives reports.

Where to report workplace harassment in Canada

Canada has no single reporting process. If your employer is in a federally regulated industry, the Canada Labour Code process starts with a notice of occurrence, oral or written, to your employer or its designated recipient. It must include the names of the people involved (if known), the date and a detailed description, which a journal makes easier to give. Other employers follow provincial or territorial rules. In Ontario, for example, the employer's workplace harassment program must set out how to report, including to someone other than the employer or supervisor if they are the person involved.

CCOHS also suggests knowing your organization's harassment and violence policies, reporting to the person the policy names or to your supervisor, building a support network, and using your workplace's employee assistance program if it has one. Before recording a conversation, check the rules that apply where you are and consider telling the other person first; written notes alone are a fine place to start. If gathering information puts you at risk, stop and put your safety first. If you are in immediate danger, call 911.

Kirokune keeps your notes, recordings, photos and imported chats together in a private case on your iPhone, in date order. It does not decide whether something is harassment or how a process will turn out.

Frequently asked questions

Is there one reporting process for all of Canada?
No. Employers in federally regulated industries follow the Canada Labour Code and its harassment and violence regulations; other employers follow the rules of the province or territory where you work. Check which applies before you send records to anyone.
Should I write down what I think the person intended?
You can note your impression, but label it as your view and keep it apart from what you saw or heard. CCOHS notes that the number, frequency and pattern of incidents can matter, so it helps to write a dated entry for each event rather than a summary.
Where should I keep a workplace harassment journal?
Somewhere private that you control, rather than a shared or work account. Keep copies of messages you received, but don't take confidential work files or other people's personal information that you aren't entitled to hold.

Sources

A workplace incident journal arranged on a private desk

Kirokune helps you keep a record. It does not diagnose, decide what happened, or give legal advice.