Being Sent Home with Pay ≠ Discipline for Work Refusal

A transit operator sent home with pay after refusing to drive a bus because he wasn’t sure he could properly secure passengers’ wheelchairs claimed he was illegally disciplined in reprisal for a work refusal. The OHS officer investigated and found that while the work refusal was valid, the operator didn’t suffer any reprisal for bringing it. Being sent home without any docking in pay isn’t discipline, the officer reasoned. The Labour Board found the officer’s conclusion reasonable and threw out the appeal [RE: A disciplinary action complaint appeal brought by Michael Barclay affecting The City of Red Deer Transit, Board File No. OHS2018-3, July 11, 2018].