Tag: workplace investigations

Arbitrator says that an employer owes an employee no duty to investigate reasonably suspected wrondoing

On December 21st, Ontario arbitrator Ian Anderson dismissed a termination grievance brought by an employee who was terminated for bringing personal computing devices into a high-security workplace and downloading significant volumes of unauthorized (and risky) software onto an employer’s network.

The outcome is driven by the facts, but Arbitrator Anderson did deal with an asserted employer duty to investigate suspected wrongdoing. He dismissed the union’s argument that the employer could not charge the grievor with the downloading offence given it did not investigate and discover the grievor’s downloading sooner, at the same time it discovered and disciplined the grievor with excessive internet use. Arbitrator Anderson said:

The Union suggests that an employer has a responsibility to investigate potential misconduct of which it has reasonable suspicion. Put differently, the Union suggests that in order to justify discipline delayed on the basis of earlier lack of knowledge of the alleged misconduct, there must previously have been no reasonable basis to suspect that misconduct.

The Union’s argument, as I understand it, is not restricted to circumstances that might give rise to estoppel. Absent some provision in the collective agreement, I do not agree that there is such a general duty of investigation on an employer. Nor, in my view, is this proposition supported by the cases relied upon by the Union.

General Dynamics Land Systems v National Automobile, Aerospace, Transportation and General Workers Union (Caw-Canada, Local no 27), 2012 CanLII 86240 (ON LA).

Employer Denied Order to Have Telco Produce Text Messages

On May 18th, the Ontario Superior Court of Justice dismissed an employer’s application for an order to compel a telephone company to produce text messages in aide of an internal investigation.

The employer, a social services agency, was investigating an allegation that a caseworker had an inappropriate sexual relationship with a client. The client admitted the relationship and the caseworker did not. The client said he no longer had text messages between he and the caseworker that would prove the allegation but consented to their release from the TBay Tel. The caseworker and her union refused to consent.

Rather than discipline or discharge the caseworker and seek a production order through the grievance arbitration process as necessary to defend a grievance, the employer deferred the completion of its investigation and sought a production order in court. It argued this was in the best interest of “all concerned,” likely a sign that it did not want to rest its discipline case too heavily on its client.

Justice Fregeau denied the order, primarily because it was not necessary. He said:

CLFFD has some evidence that J.T. violated their employment policy. They are in a position to discipline her for her conduct should they choose to do so. Their expressed position during the hearing of this Application is that for the interests of all concerned, they do not want to do so without “full information” or the “best evidence” available. It would certainly be advantageous or beneficial for CLFFD to have the information sought, but I do not find that they require it to proceed with the discipline of J.T.

While a Norwich order is a discretionary, flexible and evolving remedy, it is also an intrusive and extraordinary remedy that must be exercised with caution. I do not feel that it is appropriate to grant Norwich relief on all the facts and circumstances of this case.

Notably, the caseworker’s union opposed the requested order as being beyond the Court’s jurisdiction because the essential nature of the dispute arose out of the collective agreement between the caseworker’s union and the employer (i.e., because of the Weber principle of exclusive arbitral jurisdiction). The Court did not decide this issue.

This case should be considered by employers considering a Norwich order as an aide to an internal investigation. They should also beware that many (if not most) telephone companies do not log text messages.

Community Living v. TBay Tel et al., 2011 ONSC 2734 (CanLII).