Canada: Discrimination, Disability & Sexual Harassment

The Alberta Human Rights Tribunal awarded nearly one million dollars in wage loss damages after finding an employer discriminated against an employee by delaying his mental health leave and accepting his resignation without proper inquiry. This landmark decision establishes significant obligations for employers to investigate the circumstances surrounding employee resignations, particularly when mental health concerns are evident.

The Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario (the “Tribunal”) recently reaffirmed the central importance of the duty to investigate in the workplace. In Dabbagui v. AV Terrace Bay, 2026 HRTO 784, the Tribunal found that an employer’s failure to meaningfully investigate allegations of workplace discrimination before terminating a probationary employee resulted in a breach of the Human Rights Code (the “Code”).

Le Tribunal administratif du travail (le « TAT ») a rendu, en tout début d’année, une décision marquante à l’intersection du harcèlement psychologique, de la violence à caractère sexuel et de la réclamation pour lésion professionnelle. Elle rappelle que les obligations de prévention de l’employeur ne s’arrêtent pas nécessairement à la porte de l’établissement, ni même à la fin officielle d’une activité sociale.

A recent decision by Québec's Administrative Labour Tribunal clarifies employers' legal obligations when addressing psychological and sexual harassment in the workplace, particularly during business travel.

The Alberta Court of King's Bench recently quashed a human rights tribunal decision that found the Edmonton Police Service liable for discrimination despite dismissing allegations against individual officers.

The Alberta Human Rights Tribunal has awarded more than $1 million in damages in Volpi v. Lifemark Health Corp., underscoring the significant consequences employers may face where the duty to inquire into workplace disability, particularly mental health disabilities, is not met.

When can a court intervene to stop a workplace harassment investigation before it concludes? This case examines the circumstances under which judicial intervention is appropriate during an ongoing administrative process, and what standards of independence and procedural fairness must be maintained by external investigators conducting workplace harassment inquiries.

Le gouvernement du Québec a récemment adopté le Règlement concernant les mesures pour prévenir ou faire cesser une situation de violence à caractère sexuel (le « Règlement »), lequel entrera en vigueur le 27 mai 2027, à l’exception des dispositions relatives à la formation, prévues pour l’année suivante.

A law student shares the three critical factors that guided their decision-making during the competitive 2L summer student recruitment process, revealing how they evaluated firms based on practice area diversity, mentorship support, and commitment to inclusion. The article provides practical insights into identifying what matters most when choosing where to build a legal career.