A recent Alberta arbitration decision puts renewed focus on a familiar argument in workplace harassment cases: that conduct must be understood in light of the surrounding workplace culture.
A question that has come up in my work as an investigator, which prompted me to research the issue (and now blog about it), is: whether it is racist to not want to talk about race? And, what if someone takes it a step further, and judges or penalizes an employee for wanting to talk about race?
Ma collègue Liliane Gingras a récemment publié un billet intitulé « Le démantèlement des programmes d’EDI : une réponse de juristes ». Dans ce billet, Liliane a fait part de ses préoccupations face aux réactions négatives et à l’opposition croissante que suscitent actuellement les programmes d’équité, de diversité et d’inclusion (« EDI »). Plus précisément, elle s’inquiète du fait que certaines personnes pourraient croire que l’absence d’un programme d’EDI en milieu de travail signifie la disparition des protections juridiques contre la discrimination, ce qui n’est pas le cas.
My colleague Liliane Gingras recently wrote a blog titled, “The dismantling of DEI programs: A lawyer’s response.” In that blog, Liliane discussed her concerns regarding the current DEI backlash. Specifically, she expressed concern that some may believe that the absence of a DEI program in the workplace may mean that legal protection from discrimination disappears, which is not the case.
If you have encountered an allegation of ageism while conducting a workplace investigation, chances are that it involved an older employee who was passed over in favour of someone younger.
A random question occurred to me the other day, “Could disciplining an employee due to their body odour be a form of discrimination?” This question occurred to me when I did a double take reading the headline of the Washington Post article, “Lawsuit says American Airlines kicked 8 Black men off plane, citing body odor.”
I was excited when I found out that Usher was performing for this year’s Super Bowl Halftime show. In my opinion, an artist who has been highly underrated, was finally given the opportunity to perform for millions of people on live TV. Usher beautifully executed promotion of his performance, as the commercials highlighted his body of work that I have known since I was young. I may not be a complete NFL fan or “buff.”
I was not shocked when I read a recent newspaper article that said, “Black student allegedly locked in a room at an elementary school.” For those reading this blog, you are probably wondering why. Simple answer: this was not the first time I heard about such a concerning story.
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