Decision Awards $200,000 to Wrongfully Dismissed Cancer Patient

The decision came out last month and Ms. Altman won a sweeping victory. The judge awarded her 22 months salary, a host of other payments and tacked on $55,000 in “moral” and punitive damages, bringing the total above $200,000. Steve's isn't appealing and a company official declined comment.

Click here to read the full article on the Globe and Mail

Salon Worker fired over headscarf, she says

A young Markham woman who works as an esthetician claims she was fired for wearing an Islamic headscarf because the salon “promotes hair.”

Mehwish Ali, a 22-year-old esthetician with Trade Secrets in Pickering, was fired Tuesday, a day after she says the co-owner told her the hijab was unacceptable.

“I was devastated when I heard that,” Ali told the Star. “I have worn the hijab for more than 10 years and never felt any kind of discrimination.”

The hijab, burqa and niqab, all Islamic gear worn by women, have been generally accepted in Canada but complaints like these are still common, said Jennifer Ramsay of Human Rights Legal Support Centre in Toronto.

“It’s unfortunate but we do get a lot of complaints,” said Ramsay. “It is perplexing.”

Read the full article on the Toronto Star.

Lear more about your Human Rights at the Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario.

Human rights tribunal slams Toronto police

The Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario says Toronto police must undergo training for dealing with internal complaints after a former constable was “stripped of her dignity as a woman.” The respondents shall jointly and severally pay to the applicant $20,000.00 as compensation for injury to her dignity, feelings and self-respect.

Toronto Star article.
http://www.thestar.com/news/article/874400--human-rights-tribunal-slams-toronto-police

The case on CanLii
http://www.canlii.org/en/on/onhrt/doc/2010/2010hrto2037/2010hrto2037.html

Human Rights Tribunal awards $20,000 to employee fired after cancer diagnosis

Still reeling from the news that she had breast cancer, Elsa Torrejon was shocked when her employer told her not to bother coming back to work. Yesterday the Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario ordered the Weston Property Management Corporation to pay Ms. Torrejon over $20,000 in general damages and lost wages. The Tribunal also ordered the company to learn about Ontario's Human Rights Code and report back to the Tribunal when the training has been completed.

Vice Chair Naomi Overend of the Human Rights Tribunal found that Weston "acted upon this mistaken belief that it could terminate the employment of the applicant, who was going to require time off work for surgery and treatment, without regard to whether or not her disability-related absence could be accommodated."

To review the full case please visit CanLII Elsa Torrejon v. 1147335 Ontario Inc. O/A Weston Property Management

$25,000 Judgement for Racist Comments

Here is a perfect example of an employee enforcing the rights afforded to every employee in Ontario under the Ontario Human Rights Code. According to an article in yesterday's Toronto Star, Cheryl Khan received a $25,000 judgement in her favour after her employer berated her with racist comments and fired her. She was also awarded $6,750 in lost wages.

For more information on human rights in the workplace, take a look at our pre-recorded webinar on the topic.

Human Rights in the Workplace Webinar

Our friends at CLEONet have graciously hosted our Human Rights in the Workplace Webinar on their site. You can view the Webinar in its entirety below, or view it on CLEONet.

See also:

• PowerPoint slides
  
• PowerPoint slides in PDF

Woman Fired Over Pregnancy Wins $35,000 in Rights Case

The Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario orders beauty salon to pay former worker damages

From the Toronto Star October 30, 2009

Jessica Maciel was four months pregnant when she started working as a
receptionist at the salon in August 2008. She didn't mention her pregnancy
during her job interview, knowing that if she divulged that information, she
wouldn't have gotten the job. There is no requirement under the Ontario's Human
Rights Code to advise prospective employers about a pregnancy.

Kate Sellars said Ontario's Human Rights Legal Support Centre, which
handled Maciel's case, receives about 40 calls per week from women facing
similar discrimination. "What happened to Jessica isn't unique, but it is
illegal," Sellars said. "It takes a lot of courage and conviction to see the
matter through. And she did that."

News article available: www.torontostar.com

Read the full decision on CanLII

Arrested While Delivering Newspapers Wins $5,000 Award

Sharon Abbott was out delivering newspapers to a west Toronto neighbourhood, a job she has held for 12 years when she was arrested. The Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario found that race and gender played a role in her arrest by the Toronto Police.

Read the newspaper article.

Read the full decision on CanLII.