Canada: Discrimination, Disability & Sexual Harassment

The B.C. Human Rights Tribunal found that an employer discriminated against a long-term employee with a knee injury by insisting he return to his original role as a Second Cook...

Hear me out for a second. In the 5-movie series of Toy Story, Forky is one of the best characters. If you haven’t met Forky, he is a plastic spork that Bonnie turns into a toy on her first day of kindergarten using a pipe cleaner, a popsicle stick and googly eyes. Forky is simple, but deeply inquisitive. He asks big questions about where and how he fits in, including “Why am I alive?” and “Am I trash?” Pixar even gave him his own short-film series, Forky Asks a Question, where he asks everything from “What is Cheese?” to “What is Money?” and “What is a Leader?”

Return to office rights for unionized employees in Ontario depend on the collective agreement, management rights, and accommodation duties. Can your employer mandate in-person attendance, or can the union challenge the policy? The answer turns on negotiated provisions, grievance procedures, and whether protected needs require remote work as an accommodation.

Ontario employers face critical December 31, 2026 deadlines for Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA) compliance reporting, with requirements varying based on organization size and sector.

The Ontario Superior Court of Justice upheld a termination for just cause after an employee in a safety-sensitive position failed a second workplace drug test. This case examines how clear workplace policies, consistent enforcement, and documented warnings can support dismissal decisions, while also clarifying when the duty to accommodate applies in substance-related terminations.

Le gouvernement du Québec impose de nouvelles obligations aux employeurs pour prévenir et gérer la violence à caractère sexuel en milieu de travail. Les exigences incluent la transmission d'informations aux employés...

A recent decision by Québec's Administrative Labour Tribunal clarifies employers' legal obligations when addressing psychological and sexual harassment in the workplace, particularly during business travel.

The Alberta Court of King's Bench recently quashed a human rights tribunal decision that found the Edmonton Police Service liable for discrimination despite dismissing allegations against individual officers.

The Alberta Human Rights Tribunal has awarded more than $1 million in damages in Volpi v. Lifemark Health Corp., underscoring the significant consequences employers may face where the duty to inquire into workplace disability, particularly mental health disabilities, is not met.