Privacy

"Employees are required to disclose confidential medical information for accommodation purposes" McMillan LLP - Employment and Labour Bulletin

Review of Complex Services Inc v Ontario Public Service Employees Union, alerting readers to the employee's responsibility to provide supporting medical documentation as part of the accommodation process; casino employer creating substantial attempt to clarify nature of disability. 

"Perspectives on Disability Disclosure: The Importance of Employer Practices and Workplace Climate", 26 Employ Respons Rights J 237

Looks at the perspective of persons with disabilities to identify the factors that influence their employee duty of disclosure; concerns that are considered when deciding to disclose, such as the unfair negative stigma often received, isolation or lowered expectations; highlighting barriers in the workplace that should be removed in order to address and circumvent such disclosure considerations. 

"Shared Responsibility - The Accommodation Process and Disclosure of Personal and Medical Information", as part of the Workplace Rights & Accommodations Forum 2016 on behalf of Robins Appleby LLP

Conference presentation paper as part of the Workplace Rights & Accommodations Forum 2016, discussing the collaborative process involved in the duty to accommodate, with a focus on the required nature and extent of information disclosure. 

"Balancing Employer Policies and Employee Rights: The Role of Legislation in Addressing Workplace Alcohol and Drug Testing Programs", 46:1 Alberta L Rev 141

A brief discussion of pre-employment drug testing. Discusses the law on when a drug dependency is required to be accommodated, the justification for drug testing, and the workplace health and safety plans to support testing. It discusses when pre-employment, pre-access, random drug testing and zero tolerance policies are discriminatory. It discusses the implications of medical cannabis and recreational use. Discusses a decision where the lack of cannabis testing that could determine impairment was found to be undue hardship.

"Random Alcohol and Drug Testing as a Complex Human Rights Issue", Law Now - Columns

Commentary on SCC case Communications, Energy and Paperworks Union of Canada Local 30 v Irving Pulp and Paper Mill, 2013 SCC 34, and compares ratio to provide an analysis on the then ongoing litigation issues in Alberta Communications, Energy and Paperworks Union Local 707 v Suncor Energy Inc, 2012 ABCA 307; union vs. non-unionized setting on pre-employment drug test and the line of addiction as deciding factor.

"Disability Disclosure in the Digital Age: Why the Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario Should Reform Its Approach to Anonymized Decisions" 25 Journal of L and Social Policy 109

The article gives a significant review of the OHRT adjudication of requests for anonymity in disability cases and discussed the risk of disclosure. It further discusses the balancing of the open courts principle vrs. the right to privacy; the right to privacy vrs. freedom of the press. 

"A Doctor's Note a Day Keeps Employers at Bay", as Tab 13 of The Law Society of Upper Canada's Continuing Professional Development program June 20, 2017 titled The Six Minute Employment Lawyer 2017

Provides a concise description of the duty to accommodate, then moves to the common types of medical documentation requested by employers, examples of independent medical examinations; explains the relevant ORHC policies; the impact of privacy legislation and relevant cases. 

"The Doctor's Role in the Accommodation Process - Employer's Right to Medical and Other Evidence", as Tab 4 of The Law Society of Upper Canada's Continuing Professional Development conference on June 16, 2016 titled The Duty to Accommodate in the Workplac

View of adjudicator's attempt to balance between right to privacy and right to information regarding accommodation needs; discusses cases where employee refuses to provide the necessary documents during the process.

Pages