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Dismissal after one incident of sexual harassment

Dismissal after one incident of sexual harassment

Did you know that a single incident of sexual harassment can be grounds for dismissal? It’s true, even for long-standing employees with otherwise clean records.

According to Canadian law firm Cassels:

The threshold for establishing just cause for dismissal is high. Courts consider a dismissal for just cause to be tantamount to “capital punishment” in employment law. Accordingly, the courts generally have been hesitant to uphold dismissals for just cause where an employee has long service and an otherwise clean disciplinary record.

“SINGLE INCIDENT OF WORKPLACE SEXUAL HARASSMENT CAN BE JUST CAUSE FOR DISMISSAL” – Cassels website

The takeaway for employers is to be proactive about preventing issues from developing in the first place. Specifically:

  • Putting in place a workplace harassment policy
  • Training employees on that policy
  • Making sure employees understand the importance of the policy