After failing in a harassment grievance that was based on the Occupational Health and Safety Act, an employee has failed in his bid to persuade the Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario that safety-related discipline against him was discriminatory under the Human Rights Code.
The employee’s union grievance had alleged bullying and harassment against the supervisor under the Occupational Health and Safety Act; the grievance had been denied.
In his Human Rights Tribunal application, the employee alleged that, in one incident, his supervisor yelled at him about wearing proper safety equipment because he did not have his safety boots on. The employee felt that the safety boots were not necessary. After another incident, the supervisor gave him a letter about the need to wear appropriate safety equipment. The employee claimed that, in yet another incident, the supervisor had berated him, called him stupid, and threatened him with being fired.
The Human Rights Tribunal stated that it does not have a general power to deal with allegations of unfairness. The Tribunal found no link between the alleged actions of the supervisor and any prohibited ground of discrimination under the Human Rights Code (such as sex, race or disability). It was clear that the relationship between the employee and his supervisor was fraught with tension, and that he had been reprimanded for violation of basic safety protocols, but there was no cogent evidence to prove discrimination.
With increasing workplace attention on harassment, some employees are looking to tribunals such as the Ontario Labour Relations Board and Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario for assistance. In the case of the Tribunal, the complaint will fail unless the employee can prove that he or she suffered discrimination or harassment because of sex, race, disability or another prohibited ground of discrimination under the Human Rights Code.
Sfara v. Toronto (City), 2014 HRTO 178 (CanLII)
