‘Cascade of excuses’ for unreasonable firing
Janet Williamson, a health care worker at a retirement home in Mitchell, Ontario, was summoned to a meeting and told that if she took her vacation as planned, she would lose her job.
Williamson had agreed to join an 87-year-old resident on a Mediterranean cruise when the resident’s partner cancelled the last minute before their trip. Williamson received approval for the time off and agreed to step in.
However, a few days before the cruise, Williamson was called to a meeting with a newly-appointed CEO and told that her plans were a violation of her employer’s policy on accepting gifts from residents and given an ultimatum: If she went on the trip, she would be fired.
In my Metro news article from this week, I discuss the case in further detail.
Daniel A. Lublin is an employment lawyer with Whitten & Lublin LLP, which provides practical legal advice and advocacy for workplace issues.