Upcoming Webinar: May 7, 2024 @ 12:00 P.M. (ET)  |  Cultural Initiatives in Policing: Part 2 – Calgary Police Service  |  Register Today!

Serious insight for serious situations.

Serious insight for serious situations.

No more clarity on family status

A recent decision of the Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario (HRTO) has created further confusion on the duty to accommodate as it relates to discrimination on the basis of family status. Family Status – A (brief) History Historically, there have been multiple (and conflicting) lines of cases on the test to be applied in cases

Read More

More on childcare: When saying no is not discriminatory

I recently blogged about a case (Clark v. Bow Valley College 2014 AHRC 4) in which an employer was found by the Human Rights Tribunals of Alberta to have discriminated against an employee on the basis of her family status.  The Tribunal concluded that the College had not accommodated the employee when she asked for her

Read More

Calgary college fails to accommodate employee’s childcare needs: Tribunal orders substantial damages for human rights breach

A recent case from the Human Rights Tribunals of Alberta is an example of how childcare is quickly becoming a hot human rights issue in the post Canada (Attorney General) v. Johnstone [1] workplace. Readers will recall that in Johnstone, the Federal Court of Appeal articulated a four part test for prima facie discrimination in family

Read More

Don’t stay “mum” when accommodating a mom

The past year has seen family status accommodation become a hot topic, and at times, a challenging employment law issue for many employers and human resources professionals. Adding to the law on family status, a recent Ontario arbitration reaffirms the legal obligation of an employer to address an employee’s accommodation request. In this case, Renee

Read More