Workplace violence is no longer a behind-the-scenes issue in the transportation industry, it’s a front-line crisis. Whether it’s verbal threats against a conductor, harassment of a freight driver or a physical altercation in a busy terminal, incidents are on the rise and becoming harder to ignore. Transportation workers, often operating alone, under pressure and in direct contact with the public, face a heightened risk of violence that not only endangers their well-being but also threatens operational stability. Now, with tightening legislation like Bill C-65 in Canada, OSHA requirements in the U.S. and Federal labor laws in Mexico, companies operating across North America, or even companies globally, can’t afford to delay action. They need a unified, regionally compliant solution that supports frontline safety, meets union demands and eliminates the guesswork of workplace violence investigations.
In this blog, we’ll break down why the transportation sector is uniquely vulnerable to workplace violence, the rising tide of regulations and compliance expectations across borders and how Sodales for Enterprise Health, Safety and Employee Relations’ all-in-one platform offers a tailored, multilingual and legally aligned solution to track, investigate and resolve workplace violence incidents, no matter the location.
Let’s dive in and explore how transportation organizations can go from reactive to proactive, creating a safer, stronger and more compliant work environment across borders.
The Hidden Crisis in Transportation Workplaces
Transportation employees often face dangerous and unpredictable environments. Long shifts, isolated working conditions and constant public interaction combine to create a volatile workplace ecosystem. Studies have shown that exposure to workplace violence in the transportation sector has a direct correlation with poor health outcomes, including anxiety, burnout and reduced job satisfaction. A recent BMC Public Health studyemphasized the detrimental health impact of workplace violence across various occupational groups, highlighting transportation as a key area of concern.
In fact, the BMC Public Health study also noted that verbal abuse is the most common form of workplace violence, but it is also the least likely to be reported, particularly in sectors like transport, where conflict is often viewed as “part of the job.” This underreporting leads to a culture of silence, perpetuating unsafe environments and pushing incidents under the radar.
A Patchwork of Laws and a Need for Unified Compliance
Transportation companies operating in North America face a significant compliance challenge. Regulations like Bill C-65 in Canada, OSHA standards in the United States and Federal Labor Law in Mexico all require proactive steps to prevent, track and resolve incidents of workplace violence.
In Canada, Bill C-65 specifically targets federally regulated industries such as railways. It mandates that companies assess the risk of workplace violence, develop policies, deliver training and follow structured protocols, such as issuing a Notice of Occurrence and identifying principal and responding parties, when an incident is reported.
Last year, California enacted a new law requiring nearly every employer in the state to create a workplace violence prevention plan by July 1, 2024. As HR Brew reported, the law is part of a broader wave of regulatory reform aimed at addressing growing concerns over safety and violence at work. This trend is spreading and organizations that operate across regions need a scalable, multi-jurisdictional solution.
But here’s the challenge: many transportation companies are unionized. They cannot prioritize workplace safety and compliance in just one country. They need a single, unified platform that works in Canada, the U.S., Mexico and beyond, without compromising the legal and regulatory nuance of each location.
Sodales: A Cross-Border Solution Purpose-Built for Transportation Industry Compliance
Sodales’ an all-in-one compliance platform includes features for workplace violence and harassment, designed specifically for complex, regulated industries like transportation. Whether your teams are working across train yards in Ontario, freight terminals in Texas or distribution centers in Mexico City, Sodales enables transportation organizations to establish a standardized, compliant and transparent process for managing incidents, across all regions.
End-to-End Workplace Violence Reporting, Tracking and Case Management
Workplace violence and harassment often begin with a report or complaint and how that initial report is handled can determine whether the issue is resolved efficiently or spirals into a larger crisis. Sodales provides a configurable, end-to-end solution that enables transportation organizations to track, investigate and manage workplace violence incidents with precision and compliance at every step.
Flexible Reporting and Intake Options
Sodales enables employees, union representatives and management to securely submit incidents or complaints, anonymously if needed, through:
- Self-service intake forms accessible by mobile or desktop
- Role-based access controls that safeguard sensitive personal information
- Automated triage workflows that route each submission to the appropriate team based on the type, severity and location
Whether it’s a harassment complaint from a coworker or a physical altercation with a passenger, Sodales captures every detail in a centralized, auditable record and initiates the appropriate workflow instantly, eliminating delays and ensuring regulatory alignment.
Tailored Workflows by Case Type and Source
Not all incidents are the same and Sodales treats them accordingly. The platform can intelligently categorize cases as internal formal or informal complaints; or external incidents involving passengers, contractors or other third parties. Each report is mapped to a configurable workflow that aligns with organizational policies and legal requirements. These workflows include:
- Required documentation and forms
- Automated communications
- Built-in investigation protocols
- Policy-specific escalation checkpoints
This ensures that no incident is overlooked, mishandled or improperly closed.
Integrated Support for Investigations, Disability and Return-to-Work
In cases where a workplace violence incident leads to injury, trauma or disability, Sodales seamlessly transitions the case into relevant workflows that support:
- Formal investigations, with templates, evidence tracking and task assignments
- Short-term and long-term disability management, allowing employees to submit leave requests and medical documentation
- Return-to-work planning, including accommodation workflows and case reassessments
All steps are connected within the same platform, giving HR, labor relations and safety teams a holistic view of each case and reducing administrative burdens.
Corrective Actions, Monitoring and Reporting
Investigations alone don’t solve workplace violence; preventive and corrective actions must follow. Sodales enables:
- Assignment of corrective tasks to specific roles or departments
- Monitoring of completion deadlines to ensure accountability
- Analytics dashboards that identify trends and flag recurring risk areas
This enables transportation companies to move from reactive to proactive, building safety into their operations with every incident resolved.
Purpose-Built for Unionized Environments and Proactive Labor Relations
Sodales was designed with the complexities of unionized, cross-border transportation organizations in mind. With operations often spanning multiple unions, jurisdictions and languages, transportation companies need more than just a reporting system, they need a platform that strengthens labor relations, supports grievance management and promotes transparent communication with union representatives. Here’s how Sodales delivers:
Union-Aware Case Management
Sodales allows HR and labor relations teams to manage workplace violence cases within the broader context of union agreements. The platform includes:
- CBA-linked workflows that reflect the unique processes and timelines outlined in each union’s collective bargaining agreement
- Clear identification of union-represented employees within cases, triggering union involvement where required
- Automatic assignment of union reps to relevant cases, with visibility into steps and documentation as allowed
Collaborative Investigation Tools for Labor and Management
Sodales supports cross-functional collaboration between HR, legal, operations and union representatives. This includes:
- Joint access to investigation files (with appropriate permissions)
- Transparent documentation of evidence, proposed resolutions and more
- Configurable approval checkpoints, allowing unions to participate in review processes where appropriate
This promotes trust, ensures due process and reduces the risk of disputes escalating unnecessarily.
Grievance Management and Escalation Handling
When a workplace violence incident results in a formal grievance, Sodales seamlessly transitions the case into its labor relations grievance management module:
- Track grievances by stage, topic, department or union affiliation
- Define timelines and escalation paths per collective agreement
- Use integrated templates for letters, responses and resolution agreements
- Monitor outcomes and trends with built-in analytics
This means organizations can address incidents while also preserving the integrity of union grievance protocols, without switching systems or duplicating effort.
Support for Multi-Union, Multi-Region Environments
Many transportation companies work with multiple unions across different locations, each with distinct rules and expectations. Sodales allows:
- Region-specific configurations for each CBA, location or union local
- Multilingual forms and interfaces so unionized employees in North America, South American or globally, can all access and navigate the platform with ease
- Role-based access for leadership, union reps or employees, ensuring enterprise-wide visibility into labor relations health and risk exposure
Violence Has No Borders, Neither Should Your Solution
In transportation, safety isn’t optional and workplace violence shouldn’t be normalized. With Sodales, organizations gain a future-ready platform that doesn’t just track incidents, but actively helps prevent them, strengthens compliance and improves outcomes for employees and leadership alike. Workplace violence and harassment are systemic risks that demand attention, investment and action. For transportation companies navigating union demands, regional regulations and frontline worker safety, a one-size-fits-all approach simply won’t work.
Sodales is the purpose-built platform that transportation leaders trust to stay compliant, reduce risk and protect their people. Because every location matters and every employee deserves to feel safe at work.
Ready to address workplace violence with confidence?
Learn more about how Sodales can help your organization manage violence and harassment across borders. Book your free industry-specific demo today.
