In a recent decision, the Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario
ordered an employer to pay $55,000.00 in compensation to its former
employee plus $2,904.00 for lost wages due to an improper workplace
investigation. The Tribunal described the conduct of the workplace
investigator as egregious and insensitive, resulting in a lack of
respect and loss of dignity to the employee.
In the case of AB v. 2096115 Ontario Inc. c.o.b. as
Cooksville Hyundai, 2020 HRTO 499, the applicant claimed that
she had been discriminated against on the basis of sex while
working for her employer, Cooksville Hyundai. The Tribunal found
that section 5(1) of the Ontario Human Rights
Code (the “Code”) had been violated
and affirmed that “an employer is under a duty to take
reasonable steps to address allegations of discrimination in the
workplace, and that a failure to do so will itself result in
liability.”
