Canadian HR Reporter

CANADIAN HR REPORTER OCTOBER 2018 NEWS 7 #UPSkillsForWork fl Find out how to get the skills edge at upskillsforwork.ca/workplace This project has been partly funded by the Government of Canada through the Adult Learning, Literacy and Essential Skills Program. Founding Sponsor Equip your team with the key skills they need to be confident and job ready. Does your team have the right skills for the job? In Trump era, human resources should get ahead of potential conflicts: Experts Termination of B.C. manager highlights challenges of political differences BY MARCEL VANDER WIER e termination of a British Co- lumbia manager for requesting that a restaurant patron remove his hat — which sported a slogan supporting U.S. President Don- ald Trump — has ignited debate around politics and the workplace. "Nothing is black and white in the field of people," said MaryAnn Kempe, spokesperson for CPHR Canada and past president of CPHR Manitoba. "From a people engagement perspective, going to the corporal punishment of ter- mination should always typically be your last action." But with the topic of politics growing more divisive by the day, it would be wise for human re- source professionals to get ahead of the issue, if they haven't already, she said. "We see the political divide hap- pening in the United States — it's very apparent," said Kempe. "It's on every news channel. It's every night; you can't get away from it." "So, how do we create cultures that allow for differences of opin- ion, differences of perspective, differences of religion? You don't always have to agree, but you've got to bring some respect." Defending free speech In terminating employee Darin Hodge, the Teahouse restaurant's parent company said it did not support intolerance of any kind, according to media reports. "It is because of these princi- ples that we cannot discriminate against someone based on their support for the current adminis- tration in the United States or any other bona fide political party," said Eva Gates, vice-president of operations for Sequoia Company of Restaurants in Vancouver. e company's actions in this case are understandable, accord- ing to Brian Kreissl, a human resources product development manager at omson Reuters in Toronto (publisher of Canadian HR Reporter). "When you're in a customer service kind of scenario, you've got to take the public as they are," he said. "You have to be respect- ful and tolerant of differences of opinion — and I think that that does include political opinions." "As long as the person isn't actually saying anything that's hateful or racist… banning the person or not allowing them to be served might be a little bit much unless the entire organiza- tion has a political orientation," said Kreissl. "If it's just a general commercial organization, I think we have to be careful about that sort of thing." Going back to the first prin- ciples of the employer-employee relationship is helpful in this case, said Stuart Rudner, employment lawyer at Rudner Law in Toronto. "As an employee, you can't pick and choose which customers or clients you're going to serve, the same way you can't pick and choose which colleagues you're going to work with." To decline working with col- leagues or serving clients because of skin colour, religious prefer- ences or sexual orientation is un- acceptable under human rights legislation, said Rudner. "From an employment per- spective, it's equally unaccept- able to say, 'I'm not going to serve this person because I don't like their politics,'" he said, noting that would qualify as a fundamen- tal breach of their duties as an employee. "Unless there is some reason to fear for their safety or some other concern, you can't refuse to serve a (customer) because of their po- litical views and if you do, that should lead to discipline." It doesn't matter if the customer is your ex-girlfriend or a Trump supporter, said Rudner. "It helps to go back to first prin- ciples… You are, as an employee, required to do your job, and you can't pick and choose when and with who you do it." Is policy necessary? At this point, specific policy cov- ering the topic of political dis- course isn't required in the work- place, according to Kempe. "When dealing with people, try to stay with guidelines rather than policy because the minute you create a policy, then you've cre- ated this barrier," she said. "ere are certain things that absolutely DIVERSITY > pg. 12 Credit: Google Street View The Teahouse restaurant in Vancouver, where a manager was fired.

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