A recent ruling by the Alberta Labour Relations Board (LRB) reaffirms for employers how important it is to get zero tolerance policies in writing.
The decision, Bulldog Energy Group Ltd. v Brown, 2024, found that Bulldog Energy Group had not provided sufficient evidence to prove an employee had violated a drinking and driving policy when he drove a company truck to a bar and was seen by a supervisor “with a beer bottle in his hand.”
The employer claimed it fired the employee because he violated the “zero tolerance” alcohol and substance abuse policy, but according to Chris Jones, employment lawyer at Bow River Law in Calgary, the actions of management after the alleged violation discounted that claim.
