Disability and Work: The Transformation of the Legal Status of Employees with Disabilities in Canada

• Author: Michael Lynk
• Pages: 189-257



DisabilityandWork

TheTransformationoftheLegalStatus

ofEmployeeswithDisabilitiesinCanada

Michael Lynk*

A. INTRODUCTION

Formuchofthetwentiethcenturytheconceptsoffrustrationofcon-

tractinnocentabsenteeismanddismissalforincapacitydecisively

shapedthelegalrelationshipbetweenemployeeswithadisabilityand

theiremployersAsaconditionofobtainingormaintainingemployment

anemployeewasexpectedtoproductivelyperformtheentirerangeof

hisassignedjobresponsibilitiesIfthatcouldnotbeaccomplishedbe-

causeofapreexistingconditionorintheaermathofamediumor

longterm disabling condition the employerwas ent itledto t reat the

incapacity as a frustration of the employment contract and lawfully

terminatetheemploymentcontractTheonlyexceptionwasifthecol-

lectiveagreementtheindividualcontractofemploymentortheappli-

cablelabourstandardsstatutecontainedaprotectiveprovisionwhich

 MichaelLynkisanassociateprofessorwiththeUniversityofWesternOntario

FacultyofLawwhereheteachesconstitutionallabourandhumanrightslawHe

wishestothankClaudiaVicencioJeremyShawLindaVandenBrinkandDanna

MorrisonfortheirsplendidresearchforthispaperAlsospecialthanksgotoMa

Wilsonforhisintellectualpartnershipontheaccommodationduty

 ForcommonlawexpressionsofthetraditionalpositionseeDartmouthFerryCom-

missionv.MarksSCRBurgessv.Central Trust Co.CCEL

NBQBParksv.AtlanticProvincesSpecialEducationAuthorityDLR

thNSCAForanarbitralillustrationseeRe United Automobile Worke rs and

MasseyFergusonLtdLACWeiler

ML

wasuncommonOtherwiseanemployeewithadisabilityhadtoadjust

totheworkplaceexactlyasitwasFailingthathehadnolegalclaimto

ajobbecausethelawoftheworkplaceimposednoobligationuponan

employertoaltertheworkplaceinanywayortooeranaccommoda-

tionorreemployment

Howeverover the past twenty years disability r ights atwork in

CanadahaveundergoneanextraordinaryseachangeTheriseofhu-

manrightsobligationsandinparticulartheemergenceofthedutyto

accommodatehasbecomethemostsignicantworkplacelawdevelop-

mentinrecenttimesFlowingfromthishasbeenatsunamiofcasesde-

cidedbythecourtslabourarbitratorsandhumanrightstribunalsthat

have measurablyexpa ndedt he scope and perimeters of employment

rightsforemployeeswithdisabilitiesWhatwasonceaonewaystreet

ofseledprerogativesbelonginglargelytotheemployerhasbecomeaf-

terthetippingpointintheearlysatwowayboulevardofcomplex

anddemandinglegalresponsibilities

Anemployeewithadisabilityisstillrequiredtoproductivelyper-

formthecoreaspectsofherjobinordertomaintaintheemployment

relationship butt hat has nowb ecomes ubsumed by the considerable

obligationsacquiredbytheemployerthroughtheaccommodationduty

Tosatisfythesenewlegalresponsibilitiesanemployerhastobepre-

paredtomakechangestotheorganizationofworktothetoolsrequired

toperformtheparticularjobtotheassignmentofdutiesforthework

positiontothecontentandapplicationofworkpoliciesandeventothe

aitudesoftheworkforceAndthepaceofchangetriggeredbyallthis

hasbeenprofoundHumanresourcepracticeshavebeenrevolutionized

asdisabilitiesandcapacitiesintheworkplacehavebecomeunderstood

inanentirelynewlightThenecessityofaccommodationhasspurred

on technological advances that have made the workplacemore acces-

sibleTheroleoflabourandemploymentlawyershasbecomeevenmore

integraltomakingworkplacesbeerrunandmoreinclusiveAndmost

remarkablythelegalpositionofemployeeswithdisabilitieshasbeen

transformedfromsuerancetostatus

 Ashorttermdisablingconditionwouldusuallyimposeadutyupontheemployer

tomaintaintheemploymentrelationshipZeliskov.TruckPartsEquipmentLtd

CCELBCSCHowevertherewasnolegalobligationontheem-

ployertoprovidemodicationstotheexistingjobortosearchdiligentlyforanother

positionintheworkplacethatcouldaccommodatetheemployeeslimitations

 SeegenerallyKMacNeillTheDutytoAccommodateinEmploymentlooseleafAu-

roraONCanadaLawBook

Disability and Work

Thesechangeshavecomeaboutinnosmallpartastheconsequence

ofamonumentalchangeinoursocialthinkingtowardsdisablement

Throughoutthenineteenthandtwentiethcenturiesourunderstanding

ofdisabilitywasdominatedbytwoconceptualapproachesThebiomedi-

calmodelemphasizedtheindividualpathologyofthedisabilityitself

and focused upon the provision of professional health ser vices This

modelunderstooddisabilityhoweversociallycomplexasrootedinbio-

medicallyexplainablephenomenaandproposedanagendaofpreven-

tioncurecontainmentpainmanagementameliorationandpalliation

Theeconomic modelalsovieweddisabilityasanindividualpathology

butfocusedontheinteractionoftheimpairmentandtheexistingsup-

plysideconditionsofthelabourmarketInthisperspectiveadisability

wasseenasalimitationtoanemployeesrepertoireofproductivecapaci-

tiesabilitiesandskillstoadapttomainstreamsocietalstructuresand

reformwasthoughtofintermsofrehabilitationandmodesteconomic

integration Both models visualized d isability in terms of individual

deformitiesandlimitationsadiminisheddeviationfromtheidealized

bodily norm The social policy approaches in spired by these models

wereinvariablyinformedbypitycharitysocialsegregationandgenteel

repulsion

Howeverbeginninginthesthesocio-political modelemerged

tochallengetheseonceprevailingapproachesThismodelunderstands

disabilityasaformofsocialinjusticeaributabletothestigmatizingat-

titudesanddiscriminatorypracticesinthelargersocietyItcriticizesthe

biomedicalandeconomicmodelsbecausetheylocatedisablementsolely

withintherealmofthepersonwithadisabilityandignorethesigni-

cant role playedby societ y in constructi ng unnecessary a nd mutable

barriersintheworkplaceandotherenvironmentsDisablementitmain-

tainsisnotadeviationfromanindividualbodilynormasmuchasitisa

naturallyoccurringandenduringfeatureineverysocietyhoweverre-

viledithashistoricallybeenThesocio-politicalmodelhassincebecome

partofthenewhumanrightsparadigminCanadianlegalthinkingon

disability with the Supreme Court of Canada recognizi ng in Quebec

 SeegenerallyMRiouxFValentineDoesTheoryMaerExploringtheNexus

betweenDisabilityHumanRightsandPublicPolicyinDPothierRDevlineds

CriticalDisabilityTheoryEssaysinPhilosophyPoliticsPolicyandLawVancouverUBC

PressJBickenbachPhysical Disab ility and Social PolicyTorontoUniversity

ofTorontoPressMSullivanFromPersonalTragedytoSocialOppression

TheMedicalModelandSocialTheoriesofDisabilityNewZealandJournal

ofIndustrialRelationsandHHahnTowardsaPoliticsofDisabilityDeni-

tionsDisciplinesandPoliciesTheSocialScienceJournal