The following text may have been generated by Optical Character Recognition, with varying degrees of accuracy. Reader beware!

2 NEWS IMPLEMENTING STAFF DRESS CODE kyanchus@metroland.com Many challenges face 2 employers wanting to im- F plement staff dress codes 8 and chances are, shoul & they try, the policy would g & ha 3 § KATHY YANCHUS 2 = 3 g hat was the bottom alls, line as Sari Taha, th: - ton District School Board's superintendent of human resources, described for trustees the legal complex- ities in instituting a staff dress code. Motivating trustees to seek clarification on sucha policy was the global up- roar and parental outrage that snes an Oakville school teacher's “overtly sexual classroom attire. One of the strongest complaints from the community was the board's lack of a dress code for staff. Th lenges the board would face: the dress codes must be compliant with the Hu- man Rights Code; and dress codes adversely im- pact women and other groups disproportionately, often leading to discrimi- nation claims and render- ing policies unenforceable. Questions must be asked by the employer, such as: why do they see a dress code as a reasonable instrument to impose on employees? “What would it achieve? dress code the appropriate response to that problem- 2" Taha said. Any rule implemented by the board, including a dress code, would mean the “burden of proof" is on the employer to discern if it is permissible from a labour and employment law per- spective, and if it would meet the board's obliga- tions under the Human Twitter/RamboJohnJ. 2 The classroom attire of an Oakville high school transgender teacher, shown Halton District School Board. Rights Code. The board would also have to address whether the rule was con- sistent with the collective agreement, is reasonable and is being imposed in good faith, said Taha. But even if grounds for the workplace rule are rea- sonable, forexample, in the above, prompted a review of dress codes by the interests of health and safety, Taha saic can- not establish that rule at the expense of rules that exist at the core of the Hu- “It's clear from the anal- ysis (of dress codes), the consideration of a dress code places a great deal of liability and exposure to the board if not done care- fully," he said. imple if a dress code is is ented in goor it itwould likely be: founda aie a board desire ress code is that policy instrument that pl .. lassure you itis less likely to to achieve its in- fended Purposes: in other ‘Wo! other ways to fee a culture of inclusion, respect, human rights and safety for every- one than I would say, an an- tiquated instrument," said Taha. day organiza- tions are not implementing dress codes; they are being descaled, he said. "They are dispropor- NOT WITHOUT CHALLENGES tionally burdensome on women and members of other identity communi- ties." if Its @ an issue of work- place safety, the Occupa- tional ‘Health and Safety Act governs that, said There are " "all sorts of in health and safety commit- tees in every school man- dated to identify occupa- tional hazards or health is- sues, “and this is no differ- It is false to think the ab- sence of a staff dress code suggests that board em- ployees are not held to the same norms, he said. “The absence of a dress code does not in any way prevent me from saying that, ‘you know, that shirt you have on is offensive be- cause it has racial slurs on it.’ Nothing would stop me from doing that even the absence ofa dress code." insidehalton.com 39th Annual Oakville Prayer Breakfast We invite you to join us on Wednesday, December 7, 2022 LIVE at the Oakville Conference Centre, 2515 Wyecroft Road, Oakville Join us and be inspired by The Honourable Lisa Raitt former Member of Parliament for Halton and Alzheimer Awareness Advocate. Doors open at 6:45am, program is from 7:15 - 8:45am Tickets are $30 at oakvilleprayerbreakfast.com Lisa served as Ministers of Natural Resources, Labour and Transport. She rose to be the Deputy Leader of the Official Opposition. She is currently Vice-Chair of Global Investment Banking for CIBC Capital Markets. Register at www.OakvillePrayerBreakfast.co Lisa is a graduate of St. Francis Xavier University, holds a Master's Degree in Chemistry from University of Guelph and is a graduate of Osgoode Law School, being called to the bar in 1998. Lisa is smart and she is strong. She credits her strong Christian values to her grandparent's strict home environment and convent schooling. As a politician, Lisa championed the National Standard of Canada for Psychological Health and Safety in the Workplace — the first of its kind in the world. As a wife, she and her husband Bruce Wood are strong advocates for Alzheimer's awareness and research. In 2016, at age 56, Bruce was diagnosed with OAKYVI PRAYER WELLE earl onset Alzheimer's disease. Lisa will share with us the bedrock of her faith journey, and how her faith supports her in her roles of influence and service.