Resource Hub

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

How do I maintain privilege over investigation reports?

June 30, 2017 | By Christine Thomlinson

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

Sometimes all you have to do is ask

April 3, 2017 | By Cory Boyd

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

More lessons learned from the RCMP

March 17, 2017 | By Christine Thomlinson

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

150 Words

March 1, 2017 | By Cory Boyd

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

Increasing employee participation in workplace assessments

January 10, 2017 | By Cory Boyd

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

Can a non-denominational school prohibit prayer that is too overt?

November 4, 2016 | By Cory Boyd

In past blogs, I’ve talked about the duty to accommodate in the context of creed, and specifically about the scope of the ground of creed and how employers could determine whether or not a religious belief was sincerely held. A recent decision of the Court of Queen’s Bench of Alberta has provided some additional guidance

What makes an investigation “reasonable”?

September 2, 2016 | By Cory Boyd

While large organizations often have robust policies, human resources departments and, at times, human rights and/or investigation specialists to help them ensure that they are meeting the expectations of the Ontario Human Rights Code, it can be more challenging for smaller, less legally sophisticated organizations to ensure that they too are meeting expectations when faced with

Ensuring witness statement accuracy in investigations

August 12, 2016 | By Cory Boyd

As an external investigator, I conduct investigations for various organizations using their policies and procedures as the basis for my process. Sometimes these organizations include within their policy a requirement that parties and witnesses be given the opportunity to review and sign off on my interview notes, or a statement that I have prepared based

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