Employee Privacy Rights at Work: An Update

In previous newsletters we have reported on the progress of R. v. Cole, a criminal prosecution case that was set to define an employee’s privacy rights with respect to personal information stored on a work-issued computer. Cole was a high-school teacher whose school had provided him with a laptop computer to facilitate his duties. While […]

Court Awards $240,000 in Wrongful Dismissal Damages against Embassy

In a recent decision of the Ontario Superior Court of Justice, an embassy employee was awarded $240,000 in damages for wrongful dismissal. Sandra McDonald was 57 years old at the time of her termination, and had been employed by the Embassy of the United States of America in Ottawa for 29 years. After receiving surgery […]

Reminder: Update your Workplace Discrimination and Harassment Policies

On June 19th, 2012, Bill 33, known as Toby’s Act, received Royal Assent. The Bill amends Ontario’s Human Rights Code to prohibit discrimination and harassment on the basis of gender identity and gender expression. This amendment will help to protect transsexuals, transvestites, cross dressers, and other individuals who do not identify with the gender identity […]

Federally-Regulated Employer Liable for Damages for Termination of a Totally Disabled Employee

In January 2011, an inter-provincial transportation company terminated an employee who had been on medical leave following a workplace accident since December 1989. The grievor was in receipt of benefits under the Workplace Safety and Insurance Act (WSIA). The union, relying on the protections of the Canada Labour Code (Code), grieved the dismissal. In November […]