1 National Institute of Disability Management and Research (NIDMAR), Code of Practice for Disability Management, 2nd Edition, 2004.

2 Conseil du Patronat du Qué bec, L’absentéisme en milieu de travail : la situation [Employers’ Council of Quebec: Workplace Absenteeism: the Situation], File 98-14, 1998, p. 14.

3 Groupe Conseil AON, "Santé mentale au travail : Quand la tête et le cœur n’y sont plus... [Mental Health in the Workplace: When the Head and the Heart Are No Longer in It]," (Oct. 2001) 69 Assurances, p.487-496, p.487.

4 In a report published by Canadian Policy Research Networks, 50% of mothers and 36% of fathers reported difficulty reconciling family and job-related responsibilities: J. Jenson, Catching Up to Reality: Building the Case for a New Social Model, Jan. 2004, (March 18, 2006); Ontario Human Rights Commission, Human Rights and the Family in Ontario, March 2005.

5 It is instructive to note that time spent at work increased considerably during the 1990s in all job sectors. In 1991 it was estimated that one worker in ten worked more than 50 hours per week, but the proportion had quadrupled by 2001. In this connection, see Linda Duxbury, Chris Higgins, Richard Ivey, The 2001 National Work-Life Conflict Study: Report One, Public Health Agency of Canada, p.10. The study was based on a sample of Canadian workers drawn from the public, private and non-profit sectors. Those surveyed worked for organizations with 500 employees or more.

6 On the connections between Canadians’ growing difficulty balancing work and family and the increased risk of developing physical or mental illness, see Linda Duxbury, Chris Higgins, Richard Ivey, Work-Life Conflict in Canada in the New Millennium: A Status Report. Public Health Agency of Canada, p.7.

7 World Health Organization, Mental Health Disorders Management, Geneva (February 28, 2006).

8 Standing Senate Committee on Social Affairs, Science and Technology, A Proposal to Establish a Canadian Mental Health Commission, October 2005, (March 3, 2006), p. 1.

9 Groupe Conseil AON, "Santé mentale au travail : Quand la tête et le cœur n’y sont plus...," op. cit., p. 490.

10 Standing Senate Committee on Social Affairs, Science and Technology, A Proposal to Establish a Canadian Mental Health Commission, op. cit., p. 1

11 Syndicat des employés et employées professionnels et de bureau, section locale 57 and Caisse populaire St-Stanislas de Montréal, [1999] R.J.D.T. 350 (T.A.).

12 The right to privacy, enshrined in Canadian human rights legislation, includes protection from unauthorized collection and dissemination of personal data. Personal data held by businesses and regulated sectors of the federal government are protected by the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act.

13 See cases 119, 135 and 257, Privacy Commissioner of Canada.

14 Shell Canada Products Ltd and C.A.I.M.A.W., Local 12 (1990), 14 L.A.C. (4th) 75 (Larson).

15 See cases 257, 233 and 135, Privacy Commissioner of Canada.

16 Some rulings from adjudication tribunals stipulate that an employer is entitled to know the diagnosis in cases of prolonged or repeated absence. For example, see Biscuits David Ltée c. Syndicat des employés des biscuits David- C.S.N., S.A.G. 83-07-155; Aliments Culinar Canada Inc. c. Syndicat national de la biscuiterie de Montréal, S.A.G. 94-05-133, Services ménagers Roy Ltée c. Union des employés et employées de service , Section locale 800, S.A. 96-03054. Cited in C. Le Corré; F. Demers; G. Dulude La Gestion pratique de l’absentéisme [Practical Management of Absenteeism], Cowansville, QC, Yvon Blais, 2000, p. 31.

17 See, for example, Scobus Inc.-Mauricie et Syndicat des employés de Scobus Mauricie, [1993] T.A. 186, 191, cited in L. Bernier, L. Granosik, J.-F. Pednault, Les droits de la personne et les relations de travail [Human Rights and Labour Relations], Cowansville, Yvon Blais, Updated Nov. 17, 2005, paragraph 23.321.

18 For example, in case summary #242 of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada, "The complainant, who worked for a transportation company, objected to injured Co-workers, temporarily employed in the company’s office, handling confidential payroll information." The Commissioner found that "This practice posed a serious risk that the workers could have accessed sensitive personal information to which they should not have been privy." She recommended "making the handling of payroll information part of the permanent duties of a few authorized office personnel." She further recommended that those involved sign a confidentiality agreement and receive training in order to understand fully what such an agreement entails.

19 The Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada has prepared a handbook for companies to help them meet their obligations under the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act: A Guide for Businesses and Organizations - Your Privacy Responsibilities, updated March 2004. (February 25, 2006).

20 See cases 118 and 119, Privacy Commissioner of Canada.

21 See Canadian Human Rights Commission, Preventing Discrimination: the Duty to Accommodate, paragraph 24, (March 23, 2006).

22 See in particular The Queen v. Pohoretsky, [1987] 1 S.C.R. 945; R. v Morgentaler, [1988] 1 S.C.R. 30. cited in L. Bernier, L. Granosik, J.-F. Pednault, Les droits de la personne et les relations de travail, op. cit., paragraph 17.003.

23 Monarch Fine Foods Co. Ltd and Milk & Bread Drivers, Dairy Employees, Caterers & Allied Employees, Local 647 (1978), 20 L.A.C. (2d) 419 (M.G. Picher); C. Le Corré; F. Demers; G. Dulude, La Gestion pratique de l’absentéisme, op cit., p. 46, L. Bernier, L. Granosik, J.-F. Pednault, Les droits de la personne et les relations de travail, op. cit., paragraph 16.280.

24 See various decisions of adjudication tribunals to this effect in L. Bernier, L. Granosik, J.-F. Pednault, Les droits de la personne et les relations de travail, op. cit., paragraphs 16.230, 16.232 and 16.282.

25 Canada (Human Rights Commission) v. Toronto-Dominion Bank, [1988] 4 C.F. 205 (C.A.).

26Re Canadian National Railway Company and United Transportation Union, (1990) 6 L.A.C. (4th) 381, Re City of Winnipeg and Canadian Union of Public Employees, Local 500, (1992) 23 L.A.C. (4th) 441; Union des employés et employées de service, section locale 800 (FTQ) et Commission scolaire English-Montreal, [2005] R.T.J.D.T. 960 (TA) and other decisions cited in L. Bernier, L. Granosik, J.-F. Pednault, Les droits de la personne et les relations de travail, op. cit., paragraphs 17.070, 17.122 to 17.124.

27 C. Le Corré; F. Demers; G. Dulude La Gestion pratique de l’absentéisme, op cit., p. 61. In order to minimize infringement of employees’ rights, the testing procedure should include a number of guarantees, apart from those respecting the competence of the laboratory and the personnel. The Commission des droits de la personne et des droits de la jeunesse du Québec summarizes these guarantees as follows: "First, although the consent of the applicant or employee cannot be considered to have been freely given, it must nevertheless be informed. The employer must therefore inform the employee in what circumstances testing may take place and explain the consequences of the test. The person tested must also be given access to the results, under legislation governing access to personal data. Lastly, test data —such as the medication used by the employee, cannot be disclosed to the employer by the laboratory, in order to preserve its confidentiality." Commission des droits de la personne et des droits de la jeunesse, La compatibilité avec la Charte québécoise des tests de dépistage de drogue en emploi [Human Rights and Youth Rights Commission: Compatibility Between the Quebec Charter and Workplace Drug Tests], Quebec City, June 1998.

28 Section 2.

29 Section 3(1) further prohibits discrimination based on race, national or ethnic origin, colour, religion, age, sex, sexual orientation, marital status, family status, and conviction for which a pardon has been granted. Section 3(2) states that where discrimination is based on pregnancy or childbirth, it is deemed to be based on sex.

30 Section 7.

31 Section 9(c). In this context, "member" means a person who belongs to a union, or anyone in respect of whom a union has obligations under a collective agreement.

32 Section 9(c).

33 Section 10.

34 Canadian Human Rights Commission, Annual Report (2004), Ottawa. In 2004, 39% of complaints to the Commission were based on disability.

35 Section 25.

36 The principles developed in the various laws on human rights are essentially the same. The courts give broad meaning to the interpretations made of similar provisions in other laws. The Supreme Court has ruled that the interpretation of such laws should be consistent even where the wording is not identical, unless there is a specific provision indicating the clear desire of a provincial legislature to assign a different orientation, protection or goal to a particular provision. In this connection, see University of British Columbia v. Berg, [1993] 2 S.C.R. 353; Québec (Commission des droits de la personne et des droits de la jeunesse) c. Montréal (Ville); Québec (Commission des droits de la personne et des droits de la jeunesse) c. Boisbriand (Ville), [2000] 1 S.C.R., cited in: L. Bernier, L. Granosik, J.-F. Pednault, Les droits de la personne et les relations de travail, op. cit., p. 6-5.

37 Québec (Commission des droits de la personne et des droits de la jeunesse) c. Montréal (Ville de); Québec (Commission des droits de la personne et des droits de la jeunesse) c. Boisbriand (Ville), [2000] 1 S.C.R., par. 39-41.

38 See judgments cited in L. Bernier, L. Granosik, J.-F. Pednault, Les droits de la personne et les relations de travail, op. cit., paragraphs 8.348.

39 Sections 2 and 15.

40 Since the Supreme Court’s decisions in Parry Sound (District) Social Services Administration Board v. O.P.S.E.U., Local 324 , [2003] 2 S.C.R., and N.A.P.E. c. Terre-Neuve (Green Bay Health Care Centre) 2 S.C.R. 3, it is clear that labour adjudicators have the right and the duty to apply rights that flow from human rights legislation. Labour tribunals now constitute one of the main fora for discussion of the duty to accommodate; Chris Rootham, Sean McGee, Bill Colf, "More Reconcilable Differences: Developing a Consistent Approach to Seniority and Human Rights Interests in Accommodation Cases," (2004) 11 Canadian Labour & Employment Law Journal, p.69-112, p. 79; Michael Lynk, "A Hardy Transplant: The Duty to Accommodate and Disability Rights in Canadian Labour Law," (1998) 49 Labour Law Journal, p. 962-980, p. 965.

41 The Supreme Court of Canada, in Meiorin, British Columbia (Public Service Employee Relations Commission) v. BCGSEU, [1999] 3 S.C.R., developed a new three-step test to determine whether a measure or standard adopted by an employer constitutes a bona fide occupational requirement. To satisfy its criteria, the employer must show: 1. that it adopted the standard for a purpose rationally connected to the performance of the job; 2. that it adopted the particular standard in an honest and good faith belief that it was necessary to the fulfilment of that legitimate work-related purpose; and 3. that the standard is reasonably necessary to the accomplishment of that legitimate work-related purpose, and that it is impossible to accommodate individual employees sharing the characteristics of (the employee concerned) without imposing undue hardship upon the employer. On this subject, see in particular: Canadian Human Rights Commission, Bona Fide Occupational Requirements and Bona Fide Justifications under the Canadian Human Rights Act, 2000.

42 Section 15(2), Canadian Human Rights Act.

43 An Act to amend the Canada Evidence Act and the Criminal Code in respect of persons with disabilities, to amend the Canadian Human Rights Act in respect of persons with disabilities and other matters and to make consequential amendments to other Acts, S.C. 1998, c. 9.

44 Union des employ és du transport local et industries diverses, section locale 931 (I.B.T.) et Aramak inc., D.T.E. 2002T-6003. See also part 2.2 of this paper on medical examinations in such cases.

45 L. Bernier, L. Granosik, J.- F. Pednault, Les droits de la personne et les relations de travail, op. cit., paragraph 8.408.

46 Ontario Human Rights Commission v. Etobicoke, [1982] 1 S.C.R. 202; Bhinder v. Canadian National Railway Co., [1985] 2 S.C.R. 561; Action Travail des femmes v. Canadian National Railway Company [1987] 1 S.C.R. 1114; Saskatoon (City of) v. Saskatchewan Human Rights Commission, [1989] 2 S.C.R. 1297; Large v. Stratford (City of), [1995] 3 S.C.R. 733; cited in L. Bernier, L. Granosik, J.-F. Pednault, Les droits de la personne et les relations de travail, op. cit., paragraph 6.290.

47 Ibid.

48 Canadian Human Rights Commission, Preventing Discrimination: The Duty to Accommodate, paragraph 10, (March 14, 2006).

49 See Central Alberta Dairy Pool v. Alberta (Human Rights Commission) [1990] 2 S.C.R. 489, 520-521.

50 For more information on the repercussions of a collective agreement on accommodation, see part 3.8 of this paper.

51 See a series of decisions to that effect in L. Bernier, L. Granosik, J.-F. Pednault, Les droits de la personne et les relations de travail, op. cit., paragraph 6.542.

52 The Canadian Human Rights Commission stated in the obiter dicta in Desormeaux v. Ottawa-Carleton Regional Transit Commission, [2003] C.H.R.D. No.1 (QL) par. 91, and in Parisien v. Ottawa-Carleton Regional Transit Commission, [2003] C.H.R.D. No. 6 (QL), par. 60, that the only reason it considered the set of criteria developed in Central Dairy Pool and Renaud in the Transit Commission cases was that the complaints were filed before passage of section 15(2) of the Canadian Human Rights Act. For a detailed analysis, see Chris Rootham, Sean McGee, Bill Cole, "More Reconcilable Differences: Developing a Consistent Approach to Seniority and Human Rights Interests in Accommodation Cases," op, cit, p. 77.

53 C. Le Corré; F. Demers; G. Dulude, La Gestion pratique de l’absentéisme, op cit., p. 23.

54 Case law seems to find that a minimum of two years must elapse before dismissal in such cases.

55 C. Le Corré; F. Demers; G. Dulude, La Gestion pratique de l’absentéisme, op cit., p. 23.

56 Ibid.

57 This seems to be a controversial but nevertheless dominant interpretation. See in particular Toronto Star Ltd. v. CEP and Bachouse, (1997) 97, C.L.L.C. 230-014; Toronto Hospital (1992), 31 L.A.C. (45h) 22 (P.C. Picher); (Uniroyal Goodrich Canada Inc. (1996), 60 L.A.C. (4th) 260 (Solomatenko); Canada Packers (1992), 28 L.A.C. (4th) 193 (Solomatenko); cited in Michael Lynk, "A Hardy Transplant: The Duty to Accommodate and Disability Rights in Canadian Labour Law," op cit., p. 970.

58 C. Le Corré; F. Demers; G. Dulude La Gestion pratique de l’absentéisme, op cit., p. 24.

59 Ibid.

60 Belleville General Hospital and S.E.I.U., Local 183 (1993), 37 L.A.C. (4th) 375 (Thorne), cited in Morton Mitchnick, Brian Etherington, Leading Cases on Arbitration, Discharge and Discipline , Lancaster House, Volume 2, December 2005, pp. 14-60.

61 United Food & Commercial Workers, Local 1518 v. Save-on-Foods # 969, [2005] BCCAAA No.53 (QL), Quackenbush v. Purves Ritchie Equipment Ltd, [2004] BCHRTD No. 10 (QL), Anderson v. Alberta, [2004] A.J. No. 1216 (QL); Morton Mitchnick, Brian Etherington, Leading Cases on Arbitration, Discharge and Discipline, op. cit., pp. 14-66; Michael Lynk, "A Hardy Transplant: The Duty to Accommodate and Disability Rights in Canadian Labour Law," op cit., p. 979.

62 CANPAR and U.S.W.A., Local 1976 (2000), 93 L.A.C. (4th) 208 (M. Picher), Re Canadian Pacific Ltd. (1996), 57 L.A.C. (4th) 129 (M. Picher); Michael Lynk, "A Hardy Transplant: The Duty to Accommodate and Disability Rights in Canadian Labour Law," op cit., p. 980.

63 For example, the Supreme Court found that giving an employee a day without pay out of a 5-day work week to meet the requirements of the employee’s religion constituted an excessive burden on the employee; L. Bernier, L. Granosik, J.-F. Pednault, Les droits de la personne et les relations de travail, op. cit., paragraph 6.531.

64 Guibord v. Queen, (1996), 97 C.L.L. C. 230-019, cited in Michael Lynk, "A Hardy Transplant: The Duty to Accommodate and Disability Rights in Canadian Labour Law," op cit., p. 980.

65 Central Okanagan School District No. 23 v. Renaud, [1992] 2 S.C.R. 970, 991 et seqq; British Columbia (Public Service Employee Relations Commission) v. BCGSEU, [1999] 3 S.C.R. 3; L. Bernier, L. Granosik, J.-F. Pednault, Les droits de la personne et les relations de travail, op. cit., paragraph 6.520.

66 Central Okanagan School District no. 23 v. Renaud, [1992] 2 S.C.R. 970 cited: L. Bernier, L. Granosik, J.-F. Pednault, Les droits de la personne et les relations de travail, op. cit., paragraph 6.520.

67 C. Brunelle, Discrimination et obligation d'accommodement raisonnable en milieu de travail syndiqué [Discrimination and the Duty to Provide Reasonable Accommodation in Unionized Workplaces], Cowansville (QC), Éditions Yvon Blais, 2001, 482 p., p. 272.

68 See Central Okanagan School District No. 23 v. Renaud, [1992] 2 S.C.R.

69 Central Okanagan School District No. 23 c. Renaud, [1992] 2 R.C.S. 970, pp. 991-992 (Sopinka J). Case law is not consistent on this point, and the courts have reached different decisions based on similar facts; see several relevant decisions in Chris  Rootham, Sean McGee, Bill Cole, "More Reconcilable Differences: Developing a Consistent Approach to Seniority and Human Rights Interests in Accommodation Cases," op, cit.

70 Re Union Carbide Canada (1991), 21 L.A.C. (4th) 261 (Hinnegan), cited in Michael Lynk, "A Hardy Transplant: The Duty to Accommodate and Disability Rights in Canadian Labour Law," op cit., p. 973.

71 Ibid, p. 972, 977; Re Better Beef ltd. (1994), 42 L.A.C. (4th) 244 (Welling).

72 Re Riverdale Hospital (1994), 41 L.A.C. (4th) 24 (Knopl); Municipality of Metropolitan Toronto (1994) 46 L.A.C. (4th) 110 (Fisher). Also see Municipality of Metropolitan Toronto v. C.P.U.P. E., Local 79, (1994) 35 L.A.C. (4th) 357, 363 (arb. B. Fisher); West Park Hospital Toronto v. Ontario Nurses Association, (1996) 55 L.A.C. (4th) 78, 114-116 (Adj. J. E. Emrich); Queen’s Regional Authority v. I.U.O.E., Loc. 942 (Snow), (1999) 78 L.A.C. (4th) 269, 277 et seqq. (Chrisite), cited in C. Brunelle, Discrimination et obligation d'accommodement raisonnable en milieu de travail syndiqué [Discrimination and the Duty to Provide Reasonable Accommodation in Unionized Workplaces], op. cit., p. 382.

73 C. Brunelle, Discrimination et obligation d'accommodement raisonnable en milieu de travail syndiqué [Discrimination and the Duty to Provide Reasonable Accommodation in Unionized Workplaces], op cit., p. 382.

74 Ibid, p.64.

75 Morton Mitchnick, Brian Etherington, Leading Cases on Arbitration, Discharge and Discipline, op. cit., Volume 2, December 2005, pp. 14-63.

76 C. Le Corré; F. Demers; G. Dulude, La Gestion pratique de l’absentéisme, op cit., pp. 63-64.

77 See, for example, Société canadienne des postes c. Sylvestre, D.T.E. 93T-57 (C.A.).

78 L. Bernier, L. Granosik, J.- F. Pednault, Les droits de la personne et les relations de travail, op. cit., paragraph 17.122.

79 Milazzo and Autocar Connaisseur inc. [2005] C.H.R.D., No.3 (QL); on the legality of last-chance agreements, see Morton Mitchnick, Brian Etherington, Leading Cases on Arbitration, Discharge and Discipline, op. cit., Volume 2, December 2005, section 14.5.

80 See, for example, Syndicat des employées et employés professionnels (les) et de bureau, section locale 434 et Banque Laurentienne du Canada, D.T.E. 98T-523 (T.A.), in which an employee suffering from alcoholism failed to show that she had met her obligations in that she refused to attend the required treatments paid for by her employer; cited in L. Bernier, L. Granosik, J.-F. Pednault, Les droits de la personne et les relations de travail, op. cit., paragraph 6.532.

81 For summaries of a number of judgments concerning the duty to accommodate in relation to various psychological illnesses, see Michael A. Coady, Sheila M. Tucker, Accommodating Mental Disabilities, presented at the Duty to Accommodate in the Unionized Workplace Conference, Borden Ladner Gervais, March 6, 2002.

82 C. Le Corré; F. Demers; G. Dulude La Gestion pratique de l’absentéisme, op cit., p. 71.

83 The employer has a duty to accommodate employees who appear to require it, even if they do not request it, on the basis of the "ordinary person test." If an ordinary person had the same information about an employee as the employer has, would he or she realize that the employee required accommodation? In this connection, see Canadian Human Rights Commission, Preventing Discrimination: The Duty to Accommodate, paragraph 23, (March 29, 2006), citing Conte v. Rogers Cablesystems Ltd. (1999), 36 C.H.R.R. D/403 (C.H.R.T). See also Zaryski v. Loftsgard (1995), 22 CHRR D/256 (Sask Bd. of Inquiry); Willems-Wilson v. Allbright Cleaners Ltd., [1997] BCHRTD No 26 (QL) cited in Michael A. COADY, Sheila M. TUCKER, Accommodating Mental Disabilities, op. cit.

84 See Canadian Human Rights Commission, Preventing Discrimination: The Duty to Accommodate, paragraph 23, (March 29, 2006). In this document, the Commission lists the key points to be communicated to the employee at such meetings.

85 See part 5.3 of this study on the early detection of mental illness and action an employer can take in such cases.

86 [1998] BCHRTD No. 36 (QL) cited in Michael A. Coady, Sheila M. Tucker, Accommodating Mental Disabilities, op. cit., p. 15.

87 For example, in Gordy v. Oak Bay Marine Management Ltd., [2004] BCHRTD No. 180 (QL), it was found that the employer had failed to become fully informed about the risks associated with its employee’s bipolar condition and to consider alternative positions to accommodate it; Morton Mitchnick, Brian Etherington, Leading Cases on Arbitration, Discharge and Discipline, op. cit., Volume 2, August 2003, pp. 14-104. Also see section 5.5 of this paper regarding the importance of training and educating employees and management about the myths surrounding some forms of disability.

88 Cameron v. Fletcher Challenge Canada Ltd., (1995), 24 CHRRD/506 (BCCHR), cited in Michael A. Coady, Sheila M. Tucker, Accommodating Mental Disabilities, op. cit., p 17.

89 See, for example: International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, Local 258 v. Code Electric Products Ltd., [2005] BCCAAA. No. 14 (QL) and Shuswap Lake General Hospital v. BCNU (the "Lockie" grievance), [2002] BCCAAA No. 21 (QL).

90 Brooks v. Canada Safeway Ltd., [1989] 1 S.C.R. 1219.

91 Commission des droits de la personne du Québec c. Lingerie Roxana Ltée, [1995] R.J.Q. 1289 (T.D.P.Q.), p. 1295, cited in L. Bernier, L. Granosik, J.-F. Pednault, Les droits de la personne et les relations de travail, op. cit., paragraph 7.265.

92 Ontario Human Rights Commission, Policy on Pregnancy and Breastfeeding, 2001, www.ohrc.on.ca (March 15, 2006), which cites among other decisions Carewest v. Health Sciences Association of Alberta (January 8, 2001) [2001] A.G.A.A. No. 2 (J.C. Moreau).

93 Similar training was required by the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal to meet the needs of a female employee suffering from dyslexia in auditory processing: Canada (Attorney General) v. Green, D.T.E. 2000T-701 9 F.C.A.), confirmed in part by D.T.E. 98T-880 (C.H.R.T.).

94 L. Bernier, L. Granosik, J.- F. Pednault, Les droits de la personne et les relations de travail, op. cit., paragraph 7.265.

95 Ibid, paragraphs 7.265 to 7.270: Canada (Attorney General) v. Mongrain, [1992] 1 F.C. 472 (F.C.A.) Commission des écoles catholiques de Québec c. Gobeil, D.T.E. 99T-682 (C.A.); Commission scolaire du Lac St-Jean c. Caron, D.T.E. 94T-456 (C.S.), appeal abandoned, C.A. Québec, n° 200-09-000178-944; Commission scolaire de Jean Rivard c. Québec (Commission des droits de la personne). D.T.E. 99T-1012 (C.A.).

96 The numbers of such households grew by 39% between 1986 and 1996, a trend strongly associated with the profile of contemporary immigration. Almost half of such households are headed by recent immigrants: Ontario Human Rights Commission, Human Rights and the Family in Ontario, op. cit., p. 5.

97 Ibid, pp. 28 to 32, citing Brown v. M.N.R. Customs and Excise (1993) 19 C.H.R.R. D/39; Wight v. Ontario (No. 2) (1998), 33 C.H.R.R. D/191; leave to appeal denied (June 26, 2000) [2000] O.J. No. 2924 (Ont. Sup. Ct.); Health Sciences Association of British Columbia v. Campbell River and North Island Transition Society 2004 BCCA 260, May 10, 2004.

98 Ibid, p.32.

99 Ibid, p.32.

100 Ibid, p.5. The Commission’s statements of principles establish standards that determine how individuals, employers, service suppliers and policymakers should act in ensuring that they respect the Ontario Human Rights Code (R.S.O. 1990, Chapter H.19.).

101 C. Le Corré; F. Demers; G. Dulude La Gestion pratique de l’absentéisme, op cit., p. 121.

102 For examples of companies that have substantially reduced their absenteeism costs by means of a disability management strategy based on cooperation and a search for reasonable accommodation, see Kathy Dorrell, "Disability Champions," (Feb 2001) 25 Benefits Canada, Issue 2. The article mentions in particular Canadian Pacific National Railways, with 1,700 employees, and the City of Medicine Hat, with 1,000. For example, through its disability management program, the City of Medicine Hat has been able to reduce the number of workers suffering from long-term disability by 33% and its absenteeism management costs by $1.2 million.

103 C. Le Corré; F. Demers; G. Dulude La Gestion pratique de l’absentéisme, op cit., p. 29.

104 For example, policies on sick leave, drug and alcohol testing and attendance programs may be discriminatory if they are applied without regard for persons absent for reasons of pregnancy, disability or family status. Employers must therefore ensure that their application does not constitute abuse. See sections 2.2, 3.6 and 4.1, which provide relevant examples.

105 The National Institute of Disability Management and Research (NIDMAR) has developed, among other things, a Consensus Based Disability Management Audit (CBDMA) system for organizations that wish to get the most out of their investment in a disability management program. The system is recognized in Canada, Germany, the United Kingdom, Ireland and Australia. See Alison MacAlpine, "Front Lines of Disability," Benefits Canada, (Nov 2005), p. 87; and National Institute of Disability Management and Research (NIDMAR), Code of Practice for Disability Management, 2nd edition, 2004.

106 National Institute of Disability Management and Research (NIDMAR), op. cit., and International Labour Office, Code of Practice on Managing Disability in the Workplace, Geneva, 2002.

107 Ibid, p.30.

108 Suzanne Bruyère, "Disability Employment Policies and Practices in Private and Federal Sector organizations," Ithaca, NY: Cornell University, School of Industrial and Labor Relations Extension Division, Program on Employment and Disability, 2000, cited in National Institute of Disability Management and Research (NIDMAR), Code of Practice for Disability Management, op. cit.

109 Chris Rootham, Sean McGee, Bill Cole, "More Reconcilable Differences: Developing a Consistent Approach to Seniority and Human Rights Interests in Accommodation Cases," op, cit, p. 70.

110 C. Brunelle, Discrimination et obligation d'accommodement raisonnable en milieu de travail syndiqué [Discrimination and the Duty to Provide Reasonable Accommodation in Unionized Workplaces], op. cit., p. 362; Canadian Human Rights Act Review Panel, Promoting Equality: A New Vision, Ottawa, June 2000, Recommandation 11; National Institute of Disability Management and Research (NIDMAR), Code of Practice for Disability Management, op. cit..

111 National Institute of Disability Management and Research (NIDMAR), Code of Practice for Disability Management, op. cit.

112 Julie L. FLATT, Hangin’ In There: Strategies For Job Retention by Persons With a Psychiatric Disability, Canadian Mental Health Association, 2005, 39 p., p. 18. A number of people with a mental illness and their employers, from a number of cities in Canada, were interviewed over a two-month period.

113 Ibid, p. 19.

114 See in particular the Canada Labour Code, R.S.C. (1985), c. L-2, sections 122-165.

115 National Institute of Disability Management and Research (NIDMAR), Challenges in Disability Managment: A Resource Manual for Return to Work Practitioners, 2004, p. 35: For example, a toxic workplace can as much as triple the incidence of cardiovascular disease or back pain. For studies of the connections between poor work performance and the incidence of depression and anxiety, see Dan Bilsker, "Mental Health Care and the Workplace," (Feb. 2006) 51 No. 2 Can. J. Psychiatry, 2, p.1, quoting: F.M. Fisher, T.C. Morata, M.R. Latorre, E.F. Krieg, A.C. Fiorini, S. Colacioppo, and others, "Effects of Environmental and Organizational Factors on the Health of Shiftworkers of a Printing Company," (2001) J Occup Environ Med, 43:882–9 ; J. Wang, S.B. Patten, "Perceived Work Stress and Major Depression in the Canadian Employed Population, 20–49 Years Old" (2001) J Occup Health Psychol, 6:283–9; and Kristy Sanderson, Gavin Andrews, "Common Mental Disorders in the Workforce: Recent Findings from Descriptive and Social Epidemiology, (Feb. 2006) 51 No.2 Can. J. Psychiatry, p. 63.

116 Kristy Sanderson, Gavin Andrews, "Common Mental Disorders in the Workforce: Recent Findings from Descriptive and Social Epidemiology," op. cit., p. 72.

117 Ibid, p. 71-72.

118 Groupe Conseil AON, "Santé mentale au travail : Quand la tête et le cœur n’y sont plus...," op. cit., p. 491.

119 Julie L. FLATT, Hangin’ In There: Strategies for Job Retention by Persons With a Psychiatric Disability, op. cit., p.  6.

120 Ibid, p. 488.

121 Canadian Mental Health Association, "Enhancing Productivity in Canada: Benefiting from the Contribution of All Canadians," September 2005, 13 p., p.7.

122 Kristy Sanderson, Gavin Andrews, "Common Mental Disorders in the Workforce: Recent Findings from Descriptive and Social Epidemiology," op. cit., p. 63.

123 Ibid, p. 72.

124 Dan Bilsker, "Mental Health Care and the Workplace," op. cit., pp. 1-2.

125 C. Le Corré; F. Demers; G. Dulude, La Gestion pratique de l’absentéisme, op cit., p. 155.

126 Julie L. Flatt, Hangin’ In There: Strategies for Job Retention by Persons With a Psychiatric Disability, op. cit., p.  34.

127 For more information on problems facing small businesses and opportunities available to them in managing workplace disabilities, see: National Institute of Disability Management and Research (NIDMAR), Challenges in Disability Managment: A Resource Manual for Return to Work Practitioners, op. cit..

128 National Institute of Disability Management and Research (NIDMAR), Code of Practice for Disability Management, op. cit.

129 Canadian Psychiatric Association, Mental Illness and Work,  http://www.cpa-apc.org/MIAW/pamphlets/work.asp (March 23, 2006).

130 Judith Mosoff, "Is the Human Rights Paradigm ‘Able’ to Include Disability: Who’s in? Who Wins? What? Why?", (Fall 2000) 26 Queen’s Law Journal 225, p. 272. The author collected data on human rights and disability decisions in British Columbia, Ontario, Nova Scotia and the federal jurisdiction between 1985 and 1998.

131 National Institute of Disability Management and Research (NIDMAR), Code of Practice for Disability Management, op. cit.; International Labour Office, Code of Practice on Managing Disability in the Workplace, op. cit., article 3.2.3.

132 See in particular Jill Schachner Chanen, "In Sickness Or in Health" (Feb. 2004), 90 ABA Journal, p. 2.

133 Ontario Human Rights Commission, Human Rights and the Family in Ontario, op. cit., p.27 cites Derrick Comfort et al., Part-time work and family-friendly practices in Canadian workplaces, Ottawa, Statistics Canada and Human Resources Development Canada, 2003; Kelly Ward, Lisa Wolf-Wendel, "Fear Factor: How Safe is it to Make Time for Family?" (Nov-Dec 2004) Academe; Debra B. Schwartz, An Examination of the Impact of Family-Friendly Policies on the Glass Ceiling, report prepared for the US Department of Labour, Glass Ceiling Commission (New York: Families and Work Institute), 1994.

134 National Institute of Disability Management and Research (NIDMAR), Code of Practice for Disability Management, op. cit..

135 Groupe Conseil AON, "Santé mentale au travail : Quand la tête et le cœur n’y sont plus...," op. cit., p. 494; National Institute of Disability Management and Research (NIDMAR), Code of Practice for Disability Management, op. cit..

136 Ibid.

137 NIDMAR, Code, p.23.

138 National Institute of Disability Management and Research (NIDMAR), Code of Practice for Disability Management, op. cit.

139 Groupe Conseil AON, "Santé mentale au travail : Quand la tête et le cœur n’y sont plus...," op. cit., p. 494.

140 C. Brunelle, Discrimination et obligation d'accommodement raisonnable en milieu de travail syndiqué [Discrimination and the Duty to Provide Reasonable Accommodation in Unionized Workplaces], op. cit., p. 335.

141 National Institute of Disability Management and Research (NIDMAR), Code of Practice for Disability Management, op. cit.