TEHKUMMAH—Tehkummah Clerk-Treasurer Karen Gerrard has been suspended with pay due to the ongoing Ministry of Labour investigation, The Expositor has learned.
At the December 22 special meeting of council, council passed motion 2017-442, moved by Councillor Paul Bowerman and seconded by Councillor Lorie Leeson, that: “Whereas the Township of Tehkummah has engaged the services of an outside firm, DRC Performance Management Ltd., to investigate a complaint by the clerk-treasurer concerning the Township of Tehkummah; and whereas the Township of Tehkummah wishes to ensure a fair, unbiased investigation to ensure the integrity of the process to comply with the order of the Ministry of Labour and satisfy both policy and law; and whereas the Township of Tehkummah wishes to avoid any conflict of interest, bias and/or any apprehension of bias which may appear to unduly influence the outcome; be it resolved that the clerk-treasurer will be suspended with pay pending the completion and determination of the investigation and be it understood that such suspension with pay is non-disciplinary and serves only to ensure that no party exercises and/or may be perceived as exercising undue influence over the process.”
Councillor Ron Hierons was absent for the meeting.
At the same meeting, Barb Deforge was appointed as acting clerk treasurer.
In an email to The Expositor, Ms. Gerrard wrote, “I can confirm that I was suspended with pay because I filed a complaint against the employer under the Workplace Harassment section of the Occupational Health and Safety Act.”
“I will be in contact with the Ontario Labour Relations Board,” she said, noting Section 50 of the Occupational Health and Safety Act (OHSA), which “prohibits employers from penalizing workers in reprisal for obeying the law or exercising their right,” according to the Ministry of Labour website. Under Section 50, an employer cannot “discipline or suspend a worker” because the worker has “exercised rights under the OHSA, asked the employer to follow the OHSA and regulations” or because the worker provided information to the Ministry of Labour, is following a Ministry of Labour inspector’s order or is testifying at a hearing about OHSA enforcement.
