Reinstatement Of Employment Ordered - A Decade After Disability Leave Commenced

In a March 2013 decision that is likely to be challenged in the courts, the Ontario Human Rights Tribunal has ordered the reinstatement of an employee a decade after she went on disability leave, together with loss of wages from June 2003 until the date of reinstatement.

In a 2012 decision in  Fair v. Hamilton-Wentworth District School Board, adjudicator Joachim found that the respondent school board had discriminated against the employee by failing to accommodate her disability.  In particular, in 2001 she developed an anxiety disorder as a result of the highly stressful nature of her job, and went on long-term disability.  She was subsequently assessed as capable of gainful employment in 2004.  From mid 2003 onwards however, the school board failed to take any steps to offer her available alternative work, even though similar jobs were advertised and the employee underwent job hardening in positions for which the employer was seeking employees.