A ‘one-size-fits-all’ approach to RTO ‘doesn't work and doesn't make sense’
The Professional Institute of the Public Service of Canada (PIPSC) applauded a recent federal labour board decision that ordered a government department to pay $28,000 in damages and back pay for "recklessly" denying a disability accommodation request in favour of a blanket return-to-office (RTO) policy.
The decision from the Federal Public Sector Labour Relations and Employment Board (FPSLREB) found Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED) discriminated against a computer engineer diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) when it denied his request to continue working remotely, according to a report from Ottawa Citizen.
PIPSC – which represents more than 80,000 federal public sector professionals – said the ruling confirms that "the duty to accommodate takes precedence over return-to-office requirements."
In July, the Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC) said the Bank of Canada's handling of remote work during the strike contradicts the rationale behind the Treasury Board's four-day in-office mandate,
Board member Christopher Rootham – who authored the decision – wrote that ISED "acted recklessly in failing to properly accommodate the grievor's disability," awarding $10,000 in damages for that conduct plus $18,000 for pain and suffering, on top of full back pay dating to May 2024, the Ottawa Citizen reported.
Rootham...
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