Resource Hub

Explore our collection of practical articles and curated resources designed to support professionals in building stronger workplaces.

Handling anonymous complaints – lessons from case law

September 12, 2024 | By Lori-Ann Green

When it comes to anonymity in workplace investigations, there are various facets. One of our partners, Liliane Gingras, recently wrote a blog about the risks of promising complainants a guarantee of anonymity throughout the investigative process. However, I would like to talk about situations where complaints are made by individuals who are completely unknown to the employer.

Mushy mandates and scope creep: how investigators lose their way

September 11, 2024 | By Cory Boyd

“If you can’t write out your mandate in a short and simple paragraph, don’t start.”
When delivering our Workplace Investigation Fundamentals sessions, this is how I start the discussion on mandate. Simply put, an investigator’s mandate is the thing (or things) that they are being asked to do, the decision (or decisions) that they are being asked to make.

How do policies help? A journey through a typical respectful workplace policy

August 14, 2024 | By Christine Thomlinson, | By Lori-Ann Green

Most Canadian jurisdictions require employers to have policies that address issues like workplace harassment, discrimination, and violence. In our investigation practice, we read many of these “respect at work” policies, and the overwhelming majority of them are clearly written to specifically comply with legislative requirements.

Bill C-65 – 3 years later … Are you up to date?

May 28, 2024 | By Christine Thomlinson, | By Lori-Ann Green

Where does the time go? Federally-regulated organizations surely recall the passing of Bill C-65 which amended the harassment and violence provisions of the Canada Labour Code (“CLC”). They also no doubt recall the accompanying Work Place Harassment and Violence Prevention Regulations (“Regulations”) that came into effect in January of 2021, and set out more specific requirements for those employers that fall within federal jurisdiction.

Workplace investigations: When to start and how to finish

April 30, 2024 | By Lori-Ann Green

We speak (and blog and train) often about how to conduct a workplace investigation. However, it’s important to remember that employers need to be aware of their legal obligations relating to when to start one and how to finish it. Two recent decisions provide important information about these investigation bookends.

5 Simple ways to help elevate workplace culture

February 29, 2024 | By Christine Thomlinson

I was waiting in a security line at the airport last week when someone brushed past the woman and child behind me to jump the line. I was struck by the rudeness (and boldness) of this act of incivility and so I discretely pointed it out to the offender. They responded by raising their voice, denying the act, and telling me to mind my own business in a fit of profanity. Whew! That took the initial incivility to a whole other level!

Respect at Work Training – why now?

March 21, 2022 | By Christine Thomlinson

We’ve been hearing much talk about the “Great Resignation” – specifically, between April and September 2021, more than 24 million American employees left their jobs, an all-time record. While the same hasn’t yet been seen in Canada, experts speculate that this may just be delayed…

Revisiting workplace assessments under Bill C-65: What we know now

August 26, 2021 | By Cory Boyd

In August 2020, my colleague Veronica Howard and I published a blog on conducting workplace assessments under Bill C-65. At that time, Bill C-65 and the related Regulations set out the requirements that federally regulated employers were required to meet in order to satisfy their obligations under the Canada Labour Code (CLC)…

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