Wednesday, August 18th, 2010
It is obvious that being inebriated or otherwise impaired in the workplace is inappropriate behaviour. The issue is then how employers can protect their workplace from the imposition of drugs and alcohol, while still respecting the rights of their workers.
Read the rest of this post »Friday, July 23rd, 2010
Elsa Torrejon was diagnosed in early 2009 with breast cancer. After telling her employer about her illness and requesting an indefinite leave to receive treatment for breast cancer, she found herself dismissed and fighting for her human rights.
Read the rest of this post »Tuesday, July 20th, 2010
I am often asked by HR Managers and other supervisory personnel how long an employee can be off work due to illness before he is deemed to have abandoned his position. Many HR people question whether they have to retain the opening indefinitely where there is no reliable prediction as to when an employee will return to work. The issue is important in that…
Read the rest of this post »Friday, May 28th, 2010
An employee who hates working and being managed by his or her supervisor – Can this become a human rights issue in the workplace? Well it depends!
Read the rest of this post »Friday, May 21st, 2010
Are you ready for the Customer Service Standard under the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act?
Read the rest of this post »Friday, May 14th, 2010
What can an employer do when an employee has been off work for a significant period of time due to a disability (illness or injury)? How long must the employee remain employed with the employer under human rights law? These are questions often asked by employers and human resources professionals.
Read the rest of this post »Friday, May 7th, 2010
What can employers do in their workplace to prevent discrimination against employees who have disabilities?
Read the rest of this post »Wednesday, April 28th, 2010
What exactly constitutes a “disability” under human rights legislation?
Read the rest of this post »Monday, April 12th, 2010
Is it possible to terminate an employee who suffers from a disability and not commit a human rights violation? I recently read a case that made it clear that employers can do so when there is a justifiable reason to terminate not involving the disability, or after all efforts to accommodate the employee have been exhausted. But employers must be able to show this with evidence.
Read the rest of this post »Wednesday, March 24th, 2010
Accommodating employees with disabilities to the point of undue hardship under human rights legislation can be a complicated task. It’s important to make sure the accommodation process goes smoothly and the employee can focus on working as efficiently as possible, but employers may not be sure about what kinds of questions to ask disabled employees in order to meet their needs.
Read the rest of this post »Thursday, November 19th, 2009
Imagine this: a customer enters your office or store and very quickly suffers an attack of some sort, causing her to break out in hives and have difficulty breathing. Employees remove her from the store, but she’s in such a state that she has to go to the hospital. You later discover that the customer suffers from environmental sensitivities, and unfortunately she had her first major attack at your workplace. Oh, and she claims she can no longer work because of the episode, so she’s suing you for damages and lost wages.
Read the rest of this post »Tuesday, October 20th, 2009
Public sector organizations in the province of Ontario are working toward the January 1, 2010 deadline for implementing the first stage of compliance to ensure accessibility for Ontarians with disabilities in all areas of daily life. The Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA) outlines the new customer service standards businesses and other organizations in Ontario must attain to make the provision of their goods and services more accessible to people with disabilities. Private sector and non-profit organizations need to comply by January 1, 2012.
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