FREDERICTON, N.B. – The Government of New Brunswick has declared Sept. 4 to 8 to be this year’s Respectful Workplace Week, an annual event in which the province promotes gender equality while recognizing the issues of workplace bullying and discrimination. The N.B. Ministry of Post-Secondary Education, Training and Labour announced in a Sept. 1 news release that the week would include a series of free joint educational lectures by the Workplace Violence and Abuse Research Team of the Muriel McQueen Fergusson Centre for Family Violence Research and the Women’s Equality Branch, at the Fredericton Public Library on Sept. 8. “All workers deserve to be treated with dignity and respect. Respectful and positive behaviour in the workplace contributes to individual, organizational and societal well-being and prevents unnecessary suffering,” said Post-Secondary Education, Training and Labour Minister Donald Arseneault in a press statement. “It is the employer’s responsibility to prevent and eliminate harassment.” Arseneault added that his government was committed to ensuring healthy workplaces that value all employees.