A worker’s refusal to follow a reasonable and lawful mask mandate in the workplace and his use of profanity in a disciplinary meeting didn’t justify his dismissal, the Alberta Labour Relations Board has ruled.
T & T Disposal Services operates a waste and recycling collection services company in Okotoks, Alta. The worker was a driver for T & T.
In early 2021, T & T implemented a masking policy in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The policy made face masks mandatory in all indoor workplaces. The company posted signs all around its property outlining the policy and a similar municipal bylaw, along with a public health order requiring indoor mask-wearing.