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Serious insight for serious situations.

Serious insight for serious situations.

#MeToo pulse check survey: How has #MeToo changed things within your organization?

Now that we are one year into the #MeToo movement and (in Ontario) quickly approaching the two year anniversary of Bill 132, Sexual Violence and Harassment Action Plan Act (Supporting Survivors and Challenging Sexual Violence and Harassment), 2016 taking effect, we thought that it would be a good opportunity for a bit of a check-in.

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Workplace investigation alert: The impact of an investigator’s notes, in a recent BC case

Workplace investigations sometimes take more twists and turns than a Gillian Flynn novel.1 In the early stages of an investigation, it’s often impossible to say what information is going to be critical to the investigator’s decision-making process. What seemed at first like an innocuous, offhand comment from a complainant could end up cementing, or tarnishing,

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The dilemma of the anonymous complaint

While the promise of anonymity is often what gets complainants to come forward, once employers have that information, it can be difficult and sometimes impossible figuring out how to handle the complaint in a way that continues to protect anonymity. If the incidents described are specific enough and/or follow-up interviews identify the parties involved, the complainant is unlikely to remain anonymous for very long.

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Excerpt from City of Toronto Equity Symposium Keynote by Janice Rubin

During the last several months, many of you have probably found yourself waking up in the morning and thinking: who’s next? Which towering figure from the world of entertainment, art, politics, restaurants, media — you name it — will be toppled due to accusations of sexual harassment? I am an employment lawyer who has worked

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Workplace investigation alert: Reconsidering reprisals

Special note to Ontario and BC readers: If this subject is of interest to you, you may wish attend one of our related workshops. Some spots are still open for the following sessions – we recommend registering soon. We hope to see you there. Conducting Workplace Assessments – June 20, 2018 in Toronto, ON Learn how

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Workplace investigation alert: Lessons on workplace investigations from a wrongful dismissal claim in Alberta

A recent case from Alberta, Smith v Vauxhall Co-Op Petroleum Limited, 2017 ABQB 525, provides a helpful example of what an employer should not do when investigating complaints of sexual harassment and sexual assault. In this wrongful dismissal case, the employer defended its decision to terminate Mr. S, the plaintiff-employee, by relying on the findings

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