By Julius Melnitzer | September 8, 2025
The Human Rights Tribunal of Alberta has ruled that termination of employment on the day an employee returns from a year-long mental-health leave doesn’t, in and of itself, support a discrimination complaint.
“In this case, the employer had valid grounds for termination before the medical leave started, and the fact that the complainant’s case had nothing to go on other than the timing of the termination played a big part in the decision,” says Christin Elawny, employment and litigation practice group lead at Getz Collins and Associates and who represented Lethbridge Family Services, the employer in the proceedings.
Sarah Amies, a City of Lethbridge employee, was the subject of three workplace investigations. MORE . . .
Julius Melnitzer is a Toronto-based legal affairs writer, ghostwriter, writing coach and media trainer. Readers can reach him at julius@legalwriter.net or on his website.
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