When an employer receives a complaint or becomes aware of an incident of workplace harassment, it must be investigated. But what happens when the complaint is made against a member of the employer’s family, who just so happens to be a co-worker?
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,
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.
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.
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.
When most people think about sexual harassment, they think about unwelcome sexual advances and requests/demands for sexual “favours”: The executive who puts his hand on his administrative assistant’s knee. The professor who tells a student she might get a better grade if she went for a drink with him after class. While these behaviours are
Two 2018 decisions in British Columbia – one from the BC Labour Relations Board and one from the BC Supreme Court – provide workplace investigators with some good insight into what makes a good workplace investigation. Member Paul Love’s March 2018 decision in Western Forest Products Inc. v. United Steelworkers 1-1937, 2018 CarswellBC 826, 135
A few months ago, my colleague Janice Rubin took a look at all of the industries that had been prompted to survey their own members on their own experiences with sexual harassment. Indeed, the variety in these industries was remarkable and ranged from theatre to funds management to media to Members of Parliament. For me,
We are in the midst of a cultural shift where survivors of sexual violence and harassment now feel able to publicly share their experiences and seek justice for those harms. A big part of the public response has been to believe the accusers and acknowledge their bravery in speaking out, and to hold the (mostly)
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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