Hello my name is [redacted]: Employee privacy trumps employer requirement for surnames on name tags
Prairie Montagues and Capulets can carry out their work with the public on a first-name-only basis, according to a recent ruling from a Saskatchewan labour arbitration panel. The panel sided with a healthcare union that complained about the employer’s policy requiring staff nametags to display both a first and last name. The panel found that requiring surnames to be displayed violated the employees’ privacy and occupational health and safety rights, and was inconsistent with the union’s collective agreement.