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Serious insight for serious situations.

Serious insight for serious situations.

Addressing conflicts in the workplace caused by historical complaints

A challenging question that employers may face is how to respond to historical complaints of harmful behaviour when such complaints arise and cause conflict in the workplace. It is not unusual for complaints to not be brought forward immediately. At times we see complaints of incidents dating back a few years, sometimes even over a decade.

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You’re not the boss of me! Codes of conduct and freedom of expression

A workplace investigation will often start with an internal dispute between co-workers. The issue for an investigator will usually be to hear the evidence and to determine what was said or done, and to then determine whether the conduct in question was contrary to the standard of behaviour expected under an organization’s policies.

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Creating a safe space in training sessions for both trainers and trainees

In recent years, we have seen important shifts in how employers are working to prevent and address harassment, discrimination, and violence in the workplace. As part of their efforts, employers are increasingly implementing training on these topics as a proactive measure.

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Milligan v. Maczak Holdings Ltd. – Sexual harassment, and the perils of a policy-less workplace

On September 29, 2023, the Human Rights Commission of Prince Edward Island (“PE HRC”) rendered its decision in the matter of Milligan v, Maczak Holdings Ltd. , a case involving sexual harassment of a restaurant worker at Smitty’s Family Restaurant (“Smitty’s”) in Charlottetown, PEI.

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Can jokes amount to harassment if no one told the jokester to stop?

“How was I to know they were offended by my jokes? They never told me they were uncomfortable.”

Jokes between colleagues can be an important contributor to positive workplace culture. Unfortunately, some employees are subjected to jokes and teasing that is offensive or demeaning.

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Québec cases we should all know about, part 1: Navigating gender-based harassment in the workplace: A look at Lippé v. Québec

Québec case law often goes unnoticed in the rest of Canada and remains inaccessible to most workplace investigators across the country, primarily due to linguistic reasons. This situation is quite unfortunate since Québec courts, tribunals, and adjudicators render interesting and innovative decisions every year in various areas of interest, including human rights and labour law.

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