A recent article from the Globe and Mail explores the difficulties of returning to work after settlement, scandal or termination. For Lisa Rundle, who is set to return to her role as rights and contracts director at Penguin, returning to the workplace after “a gossip inducing absence” may not be easy.

Returning after termination, workplace scandal or, in Ms. Rundle’s case, winning a settlement against your employer, can lead to sticky situations – from reintegrating with employment structure to dealing with office politics.
Experts say it’s best to avoid gossiping even if you are not bound by confidentiality agreements.
Bobbi Olsen, lawyer with Ricketts Harris LLP and counsel for Ms. Rundle, says that while she can’t comment on the specifics of the case, generally employees returning after a lawsuit are entitled to a safe work environment free from aggravation resulting from the complaint.
However, “with human nature being what it is … there will inevitably have been debate regarding the credibility of the complainant [among co-workers],” she adds.
Even if you win your case and get your job back, Ms. Olsen says, “there are limitations to what litigation can actually do for a person; it can’t ‘unring the bell,’ so to speak.”

Read more from this article here.