Mental Health and Workplace Investigations
If you work in an office with ten or more people, it would not be unusual if someone you work with has recently had some kind of a mental health challenge. The Canadian Association of […]
Where’s the report?
It happens all the time. I get to the end of an investigation and provide my findings. The client reads it over, thinks about it, and decides what to do. Sometimes there is disciplinary action […]
Lessons for HR directors from the Kyle Beach story
A few weeks ago, the only folks who might recognize the name Kyle Beach would be his friends, family, and his teammates in Germany. Possibly a few passionate hockey fans. Today, he is at the […]
The Duty to Investigate vs. Management’s Right to Manage
A Collision Course or Two Ships Passing in the Night? Many investigations involve claims of harassment which are linked to management decisions that staff/complainants do not like and may even cause significant aggravation…but those decisions […]
Are you fluent in body language?
He lied. Did you see it? He moved his eyes side-to-side. What a shifty liar. Oh look, she’s lying too; she’s fidgeting like crazy. I don’t know what they’re lying about because I wasn’t paying […]
Investigations and the New Normal: Assessing Credibility and Reliability in Pandemic Investigations
Workplace investigations can be stressful for all involved. When they happen in the midst of a pandemic (ie. COVID-19), the stress is inevitably amplified. It is crucial for investigators and employers to manage the general […]
Welcome back Larissa Donovan!
I am pleased to welcome Larissa Donovan back as an articling student. Larissa will be working with me on workplace investigations, mediations, and a variety of other legal services. Since she last summered with me, […]
Workplace Investigations During a Pandemic: Three Things We Have Learned
Most of our work is with municipalities and various types of professional offices, so Zoom video conferences usually work well. But what happens when the complainants, respondents, and witnesses are public works staff or other […]
Duty to Investigate – “A Ticking Time Bomb”
Recently, I was retained to conduct two workplace harassment investigations related to employee complaints against senior management. Both investigations were initiated by complaints that were made to the Ministry of Labour well after the employee left […]
Mediation as a Solution in Harassment Cases
You’ll often find lists of tips for dealing with harassment at work. One that I recently came across advised that we take a “work stress inventory to identify” sources of stress and write a “joy […]