PM41261516
Employee/third-party screening:
COVID-19 edition PG.4
Screening practices that may once
have been thought to be breaches of
privacy will be essential in the
post-pandemic workplace
BY JEFFREY R. SMITH
AN ADJUDICATOR has dismissed an Ontario work-
er's unjust dismissal complaint because his dismissal
was due to a legitimate business decision to restruc-
ture the business.
Robert Q Airbus is a company that operates a bus
service between London, Ont. and the international
airports in Toronto and Detroit. With its fleet of vans
running at all hours, the company needs to have a
dispatcher on duty 24 hours a day.
Traditionally, Airbus employed four full-time dis-
patchers along with a full-time dispatch supervisor
to cover its schedule. Thomas Ferri was one of them,
having been hired as a dispatcher by Airbus in 2001.
The company also employed part-time dispatchers
to cover absences due to illness, vacation or training.
In 2013, the dispatch supervisor went on sick leave
and the company operated without replacing her.
The following year, Airbus reorganized its staff and
told the dispatch supervisor that when she returned
to work from her sick leave she would be working
as a regular dispatcher with some limited supervisor
Former Shell exec gets $800,000
for wrongful dismissal
Employee fired for discussions with subordinate on conflict of interest
and investigation, but conduct didn't breach policies: Alberta court
A FORMER Shell executive has won $800,000
after the oil company wrongfully dismissed
her on trumped-up charges of breaching its
conflict-of-interest policy and investigation
processes.
Kathryn Underhill, 57, was the vice-pres-
ident of commercial strategy and business
development, heavy oil for Calgary-based oil
company Shell Canada. She had previously
been with Shell for 17 years before leaving
the company, with Shell hiring her back and
appointing her to the VP position in early
2014.
In 2015, however, the price of oil dropped
significantly and the oil industry was faced
with challenges. Shell decided it needed to
review the economic feasibility of some of
August 12, 2020
Mission impossible: COVID-19
and frustration of contract PG.3
The global pandemic is causing job losses and
making workers fall ill — making it difficult to
fulfil some employment contracts
EXECUTIVE on page 6 »
CREDIT:
SJO
iSTOCK
WORKER'S on page 7 »
with Brian Johnston
Ontario worker's dismissal
after reorganization not unjust
Reorganization and evaluation used to select worker
for layoff were legitimate business reasons
Ask an Expert PG. 2
Employee work refusal
