He was fired by text after two on-the-job injuries but one refusal sealed his fate
A truck driver injured twice in his first two weeks on the job was fired by text message after announcing he could return to work, and still lost his human rights complaint. A key reason: he refused to hand over a single medical document.
In a decision dated July 27, 2026, Vice-Chair Anthony Michael Tamburro of the Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario dismissed the worker's claims of disability discrimination, age discrimination, and reprisal against an auto parts company. The employee had been hired at a starting rate of $18 as a full-time truck driver in August 2019 and alleged he was terminated because of injuries he sustained on the job.
The worker started at the company on August 19, 2019. The very next day, according to the decision, he sustained his first injury while moving tires alone, a task he said should have required two people. By August 27, his doctor had diagnosed him with an inguinal hernia. Three days later, he was hurt again while dragging a heavy steel door from a garbage bin and developed a groin strain.
On September 5, a specialty clinic confirmed both conditions, and the worker informed his employer. The next day, he received a paycheque marked "final pay." When he called the company owner about it, he was told to let him know when he was ready to return.
On September 15, the worker texted the owner to say he could return on September...
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