One of the pillars to a sound investigation process is timeliness. Complaints and allegations of inappropriate workplace behaviour must be taken seriously, and demonstrating this seriousness means giving immediate attention to the matter. That being said, those of us who receive these complaints and allegations are usually juggling many other things, and it is often
Thank you so much for attending our webcast. We really enjoyed getting the chance to review the impact of Bill 132 and to imagine how it has, and will continue, to change workplaces. Since our broadcast we have found one more case that illustrates the impact of this bill on workplace harassment. In Toronto Community
Employers are increasingly relying on workplace assessments as a tool to gather information from their employees in order to identify organizational culture issues and develop recommendations and strategies to address those issues. Using a combination of information-gathering techniques, such as interviews, focus groups and questionnaires, employers can encourage participation while maintaining the confidentiality and trust
I was recently invited to speak on an Advocates’ Society panel on the subject of privilege of investigation reports. As an investigator who conducts harassment investigations, it was a fascinating discussion because the reasons for attempting to secure privilege over investigation reports of other types were compelling. For organizations dealing with issues such as major
In February of this year, the federal government launched a survey open to all Canadians asking them about their opinions and experiences relating to harassment and sexual violence in the workplace. Participants were also encouraged to offer suggestions on how to improve workplaces in relation to these issues. The stated goals of the process were
Peter Merrifield commenced his service with the RCMP in 1998 and in June of 2007 commenced a civil action against the force, claiming damages for, among other things, the tort of harassment. On February 28, 2017, Madam Justice Vallée issued a 174 page judgment, finding in favour of Mr. Merrifield and awarding him damages in
The first year of law school can be a drag. Endless assigned reading for mandatory courses, some of which had no long-term appeal for me. However, whenever I found myself thinking, “What I am doing here?” a reading assignment for Constitutional Law always saved the day. I loved reading decisions that applied the Canadian Charter
Increasingly, we are being asked by our clients to conduct, or to assist them in conducting, workplace assessments. These are proactive processes designed to gather information relating to the culture, practices or behaviours in the workplace and to identify the root cause of any conflicts or issues, or to determine the effectiveness of an organization’s
