An Ontario worker’s failure to follow the policy and procedure for reporting her own workplace injury broke the employer’s confidence to the point where dismissal was justified, the Ontario Superior Court of Justice has ruled.
The 56-year-old worker was the health, safety and training manager for Patene Building Supplies, a provider of interior and exterior building products with several branches in Ontario and one in Winnipeg. Hired in 2006, the worker was responsible for providing leadership in health, safety, and operational training.
The worker’s duties included ensuring that the company met its compliance requirements under applicable legislation such as the Ontario Workplace Safety and Insurance Act (WSIA), ensuring that Patene had a system to investigate all workplace accidents, and establishing policies and procedures to minimize accident costs and workers’ compensation claims. She also had to administer Patene’s accident reporting policies.
