10 Day Suspension for Barricading Office from Bully Was Excessive

Workers and a manager complained about the bullying behaviour of another worker. The manager reported these complaints to her supervisor but nothing was done until the worker physically assaulted her. The employer removed the worker from the office but informed the manager that the worker was being allowed to return to get some personal items. The manager was very upset that this worker was being allowed back into the workplace. So she barricaded the office with filing cabinets and boxes. The employer suspended her for 10 days. She filed a grievance. The Labour Relations Board noted that the manager took responsibility for her actions, apologized and expressed remorse. Her actions were impulsive and emotional given the difficult circumstances. And because she was a 35-year employee with no disciplinary record, a 10 day suspension was excessive, concluded the Board, which imposed an oral reprimand instead [Gatien v. Deputy Head (Department of Human Resources and Skills Development), [2013] PSLRB 101 (CanLII), Sept. 5, 2013].