| Disability
A customer who alleged he was denied service because of his guide dog received $500 in compensation in October when his human rights complaint was settled.
Carl Ham told the Commission that when he and his wife tried to get service at Robin's Donuts at 22nd Street and Avenue P in Saskatoon in February 1996, they were told no pets were allowed.
Mr. Ham said that he sat down at a table with his guide dog and his wife went to the counter to be served. Loretta Ham alleged that even after she explained that her husband was blind and the dog was not a pet, they were not served.
The corporation that owns the restaurant, 609438 Saskatchewan Ltd., agreed to the settlement without admission of liability.
The corporation agreed to the payment of $500 in compensation and to adopt and post a policy dealing with service to customers with disabilities. It also agreed to provide Mr. Ham with a letter of apology.
Chief Commissioner/Director Donna Scott said restaurateurs should be aware of the law in this area, as it is well established and has been in effect for some time. "Restaurateurs and others who own and operate public establishments need to ensure they are providing the kind of service the public is entitled to under the law.
"In most restaurants, animals are not allowed to enter. But The Saskatchewan Human Rights Code says the needs of people who are blind must be accommodated. For restaurateurs, accommodation means the seeing eye dog must be allowed to enter the restaurant with the blind person. Any policy the restaurant has barring animals must take second place to the Code."
Racial Harassment
An Aboriginal man who complained to the Commission about racial harassment agreed in August to settle his complaint against his former employer.
In September 1993 Sterling Brass alleged that comments of a racial nature were made by his co-workers at General Recorders Ltd. in Regina. Brass said the comments, which perpetuated negative stereotypes about Indian people, poisoned the workplace for him. He worked with the office supplies company as a supply representative for a year.
In addition to the payment of compensation, General Recorders Ltd. agreed to have employees attend a workshop on workplace harassment with a focus on harassment directed at Aboriginal people.
Chief Commissioner/Director Donna Scott said: "Employers should be aware that it could be racial harassment when Aboriginal employees hear other staff make negative comments about Aboriginal people as a race.
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If the workplace has been poisoned because of it, we would consider that a violation of human rights law."
In the last fiscal year, people who complained about discrimination on the basis of race constituted 16 percent of complaints brought to the Commission.
Marital Status
Remai Investment Corporation paid $6,500 in compensation in August to former employee Brian Reed, after removing him from his position because his wife worked for a competitor.
Remai Investment Corporation agreed to the settlement without admission of liability.
Remai Investment Corporation, owner of the Radisson Hotel in Saskatoon, agreed to settle the complaint brought against it by Reed, who had worked at the hotel for 10 years, with the last five years as Rooms Division Manager.
Under the terms of the settlement agreement, Remai Investment Corporation also agreed to provide Reed with a letter of apology and to establish a personnel policy with respect to discrimination on the basis of marital status.
Remai Investment Corporation acknowledged it removed Reed from his position when the Delta Bessborough hired his wife, Dawna Bell-Reed, as Convention Sales Manager. The corporation argued that it was a conflict of interest for Reed to be in possession of confidential information which could be relayed to his spouse and could put the Radisson at a financial disadvantage. Chief Commissioner/Director Donna Scott said the Commission was not satisfied there was a conflict of interest.
The corporation offered Reed alternate employment at another hotel owned by the corporation, but Reed rejected the offer, saying the position offered was not comparable to the position he was forced to leave.
Scott commended Remai Investment Corporation for its handling of the complaint. "They co-operated fully with the investigation and readily implemented a policy to prevent future problems."
Sexual harassment
A young woman who worked as a waitress in Tisdale received $5,000 in compensation when her complaint of sexual harassment was settled in September.
Jamie Shiels was 16 when she worked at George's Restaurant in Tisdale from July to September 1993. In December she filed a complaint with the Commission, alleging she had been sexually harassed while at work, both verbally and physically. She told the Commission that her supervisor Nghia Tran grabbed her, poked her, and touched her in a sexual manner on an ongoing basis. She said she left the workplace because she could no longer tolerate the harassment.
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