Human Rights Archives - Page 7 of 10

How microaggressions can turn a “compliment” into discrimination and harassment

May 14, 2019 | By Melody Jahanzadeh

Examples of problematic workplace behaviours often include the obvious: a racial slur, a homophobic “joke” or inappropriate touching. But what happens when the behaviour in question is less overt? While seemingly innocuous, these types of comments can amount to what has been dubbed “microaggressions”. Named the ‘Top Word of 2015’ by the Global Language Monitor, this term has become increasingly popular in our common parlance. But what are microaggressions and why should employers (and other institutions) be concerned about them?

Employee who is harassed, slapped in the face, and then fired for cause gets $200,000 in damages

April 29, 2019 | By Janice Rubin

Sometimes, when I tell people that I conduct workplace investigations for a living, I am met with surprise. “There is a need for that?” they ask, often adding their view that harassment is a thing of the past. When I explain that it is not only harassment that is a problem in Canadian workplaces, but also violence, I am often met with complete disbelief.

But I did an Investigation…: BC Human Rights Tribunal weighs in on investigative gaps in discrimination case

April 26, 2019

The law on harassment investigations tells us that an employer must conduct an investigation that is “reasonable” and “appropriate in the circumstances.” The challenge is to know what the exact content of a reasonable and appropriate investigation is, particularly when the workplace issue to investigate appears to be like a puzzle with missing pieces whose final picture is constantly shifting.

Believing the complaint is not enough: Guidance on appropriate investigations into inappropriate comments

January 28, 2019

Guidance on appropriate investigations into inappropriate comments
As investigators, we see that harassment often comes in the form of derogatory comments about people’s racial and ethnic background, as well as their sex, gender identity and gender expression. What we do not see as investigators, but can reasonably assume, is that these comments often go uninvestigated. Why?

Jane Doe and the myth of the “real” victim

November 2, 2018

The Federal Court of Appeal recently heard an application for judicial review of a decision of the Public Service Labour Relations and Employment Board (the Board) in which the Board had found that an employer – the Canadian Border Services Agency (CBSA) – failed to provide a harassment-free workplace for one of its employees.

BC employer’s lackluster response to sexual harassment offers helpful reminder to us all

September 24, 2018

n employer’s recent application to dismiss a complaint at the BC Human Rights Tribunal—which the tribunal rejected—reminds us of the importance of training and policies to arm employees with the tools to respond appropriately to incidents of workplace sexual harassment.

For Vancouver employers, embracing #MeToo makes good business sense

September 10, 2018

When it comes to making buying decisions, we all want the same thing: quality merchandise that is readily available, for a fair price. But this isn’t all – more and more consumers are factoring corporate image and business ethics into their buying decisions. We want to know how a business treats its workers, what impact its production methods have on the environment, and what corporate values it champions.

Workplace investigation alert: BC case shows how employers should NOT handle workplace harassment

April 20, 2018

Special note to BC readers: If this subject is of interest to you, you may wish attend one of our related workshops in BC. Some spots are still open for the following sessions – we recommend registering soon. We hope to see you there. Bystander Intervention Training – May 23, 2018 Learn how to enable &

Serious insight for serious situations.