#WorkLawWednesday: Why Does the Harassee Always Pay the Price?
Many employers have Harassment Policies. They are mostly well-intentioned. Often, a Harassment Policy will set out the general principles of behaviour that is no longer acceptable in the workplace. There will be a mechanism for filing complaints. Generally, an internal or external investigation…
#WorkLawWednesday: Halifax, We Need to Talk about Sexual Harassment and Violence
A close family friend was walking by a group of teenage boys in a sports facility when he heard them talking about a female classmate who was not present. The boys were commenting on her appearance and began to “joke” about gang-raping her….
#WorkLawWednesday: Is Nova Scotia Heritage Day a Holiday with Pay for Me?
As of February 2015, the Labour Standards Code, RSNS 1989, c 246 recognizes Nova Scotia Heritage Day as a statutory holiday. With some exceptions, statutory holidays entitle employees to a day off with pay. This year, Heritage Day falls on Monday, February…
Requirement for Women to Wear “Full Face of Makeup” for an Interview Is a Human Rights Issue
This blog post is in response to a recent CBC news article entitled “Women told by the Body Shop to Wear ‘full face of makeup’ to Job Interview turns it down.” Imagine this: a young woman applies online for a job as a…
Can Harassment & Bullying Investigations Be Re-Designed to Restore/Transform Workplace Relationships?*
Many workplaces have policies prohibiting bullying and harassment and providing for a formal complaint and investigation process. In some jurisdictions, for example federally-regulated workplaces, employers are required by statute to protect employees from workplace harassment and to have policies and a complaint and…
Ivany 2 Years Later: Can Coaching Help Change Nova Scotia’s Business Culture
On February 12, 2014, the Nova Scotia Commission on building our new economy, headed by Ray Ivany, released its report, “Now or Never: An Urgent Call to Action for Nova Scotians” (the “Ivany Report”). According to Ivany, this Province’s economy is in crisis….
Nova Scotia Court of Appeal Upholds Adoption Leave Top-Up under Human Rights Act
In a decision released on February 10, 2016, the Nova Scotia Court of Appeal allowed the appeal of the International Association of Firefighters Local 268, represented by Gordon Forsyth, Q.C., from a decision of a Human Rights Board of Inquiry. The Court concluded that adoption…
What Matters Most to You in Conflict? Why Clear-sightedness is Critical
People in conflict often lose sight of what matters. As a result, they can forget what they need and cannot act to get what they need. This happens for many reasons. For example, conflict can be emotional. Angry people are not able to…
Gail Gatchalian Moderates Panel on Restorative Justice & Transformative Mediation
On November 27, 2015, Pink Larkin‘s Gail Gatchalian and Stewart McKelvey’s Rebecca Saturley co-moderated an engaging panel on restorative justice and transformative mediation at the 16th Annual Canadian Bar Association’s Administrative Law, Labour and Employment Law Conference in Ottawa. Panelists Jennifer Llewellyn and Paul…
Pink Larkin at Annual Labour and Employment Relations Forum
Pink Larkin was a strong presence at the 12th Annual Atlantic Canada Labour and Employee Relations Forum held in Halifax on September 24-25, 2015, speaking on the following topics: Gail Gatchalian on Latest Developments of Note in Employment and Labour Law – Strategic Implications…