National Post interview on employee rights and breaking COVID-19 rules

A group home worker in Alberta was terminated for vacationing in the U.S during the pandemic. The worker was later fired upon return to Edmonton as their employer discovered they had tested positive for COVID-19 through public health. Should the worker’s union and labour board have defended their rights?

As the pandemic continues there are more concerns of employer obligations and health and safety concerns. Andrew Goldberg, a former employment lawyer at Samfiru Tumarkin LLP, spoke with the National Post on the ongoing issues employees and employers have to resolve due to COVID-19.

“The issues include workers who complained of unsafe coronavirus conditions, only to then be fired, and laid-off staff who risk pushing their employer into bankruptcy if they sue for the severance they’re owed,” Goldberg states.

“It’s hard to even remember what our job was like before the pandemic because it’s changed so much,” says Goldberg. “What’s most difficult is client management. Clients are just so much more anxious than they used to be. They’re anxious, on edge. They’re not as optimistic.”