Resources: Human Rights

  • BC Human Rights Tribunal Rules Exclusion from Disability Benefits and Mandatory Retirement Not Discriminatory

    July 2015

    by Gabrielle Scorer

    The BC Human Rights Tribunal (“Tribunal”) recently considered the application of s. 13(3)(b) in two age discrimination complaints. The Tribunal dismissed both complaints on preliminary applications.

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  • “Physical Disability” Defined – A Critical Threshold Question

    January 2015

    by Michael Wagner

    Human rights statutes across Canada prohibit discrimination in employment on the basis of, among other things, “physical disability”. Sometimes it is clear that an employee is physically disabled, and entitled to statutory protection. However, there are other times when it is unclear if an employee’s medical circumstances fit the definition.

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  • Establishing Undue Hardship Is Possible: Wilcox v. University of British Columbia and others, 2014 BCHRT 228

    December 2014

    by Jennifer Devins

    A recent decision of the B.C. Human Rights Tribunal, Wilcox v. University of British Columbia and others, 2014 BCHRT 228, demonstrates that undue hardship is not an impossible threshold to meet, even for a large and diverse employer such as a university.

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  • Do You Speak My Language? Language Proficiency as a Potentially Unforeseen Human Rights Risk

    December 2014

    by Gavin Marshall

    Many employers which have business operations that require a high and proficient level of communication struggle with the English language abilities of their employees.

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  • Equal, not Better, Treatment: Accommodating Employees with Disabilities

    November 2014

    by Michael R. Kilgallin

    In Jardine v. Costco Wholesale Canada, 2014 BCHRT 214, the employer was able to accommodate an employee, while holding its ground on certain requests from the employee.

     

     

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  • B.C. Employers Need a “Reasonable Basis” to Conduct Employee Surveillance: Unifor, Local 433 v. Crown Packaging Ltd. (Giesbrecht Grievance), 2014 B.C.C.A.A.A. No. 43 (Dorsey)

    November 2014

    by Danielle Scorda

    Unifor, Local 433 v. Crown Packaging Ltd. (Giesbrecht Grievance), [2014] B.C.C.A.A.A. No. 43 (Dorsey) is a recent arbitral decision considering the admissibility of surveillance evidence in British Columbia.

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  • Disabled Employee Entitled to Equal Treatment, Not Better Treatment

    October 2014

    by Michael R. Kilgallin

    A recent case from the B.C. Human Rights Tribunal addressed the protections afforded to an employee who could no longer work at a full-time level on account of her disability. In particular, the issues of guaranteed hours of work and the right to full-time benefits were canvassed.

     

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  • Be Thorough, Thoughtful and Careful in the Accommodation Process: Rajigadu v. University of British Columbia (No. 3), 2014 BCHRT 157 (McCreary)

    October 2014

    by Gabrielle Scorer

    Ron Rajigadu was employed as an electrician at the University of British Columbia (UBC). He filed a complaint with the B.C. Human Rights Tribunal, alleging that UBC discriminated against him on the basis of physical and mental disability by failing to accommodate him and terminating his employment.

     

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  • Employer Obligated to Accommodate Employee’s Childcare Obligations: Attorney General of Canada v. Johnstone

    May 2014

    by Jennifer Devins

    In Attorney General of Canada v. Johnstone, 2014 FCA 110, the Federal Court of Appeal issued the latest decision in the long-running saga to determine the scope of family status protection under the Canadian Human Rights Act, R.S.C. 1985, c. H-6 (the “Act”).

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  • Ontario Employer Not Liable for Harassing Conduct between Employees

    May 2014

    by Delayne Sartison K.C.

    The Ontario Human Rights Tribunal recently made an interesting finding with respect to an employer’s limited responsibility for harassing conduct between employees in Baker v. Twiggs Coffee Roasters, 2014 HRTO 460 (Carey).

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