Canada Revenue Agency did not violate employee’s right to work in language of choice

Federal court | Official Languages

GENERAL

Canada Revenue Agency did not violate employee’s right to work in language of choice

Bilingual francophone employee of Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) dealt with call from anglophone. He sent note in French to other bilingual francophone employee. Superiors required him to re-write note in English in accordance with CRA policy requiring use of taxpayer’s preferred language. Employee brought complaint before Official Languages Commissioner. Commissioner found CRA policy reasonable. Employee sought order stating that CRA violated his right to work in language of choice and requiring CRA to review policy to respect rights of its employees. Application dismissed. Since impossible to reconcile service language rights under Part IV and workplace language rights under Part V, Part IV of Official Languages Act took precedence. CRA took all reasonable measures to create and maintain work environment conducive to the effective use of both official languages by its call agents. All other parts of CRA computer systems accessible in both official languages for call agents and only “notepad” or logs to be written by call agents in language of taxpayer. Transfer of calls proposed by employee would entail delays for anglophone callers and thus unequal service.
Tailleur c. Canada (Procureur général) (Oct. 30, 2015, F.C., Denis Gascon J., File No. T-1444-13) 260 A.C.W.S. (3d) 613.

Free newsletter

Our newsletter is FREE and keeps you up to date on all the developments in the Ontario legal community. Please enter your email address below to subscribe.

Recent articles & video

From ignored to a nation-to-nation relationship: Jason Madden’s 20 years advocating for Metis rights

Ontario Superior Court of Justice welcomes new judges Colin Stevenson and Gilead Kay

Ontario Superior Court upholds award of costs exceeding the damages in a personal injury case

Ontario Superior Court resolves estate dispute between siblings by passing over a sister as trustee

Erika Chamberlain steps down as dean of Western Law

Ont. CA orders new trial in pedestrian collision case due to unfair bad character evidence

Most Read Articles

Erika Chamberlain steps down as dean of Western Law

Ont. CA orders new trial in pedestrian collision case due to unfair bad character evidence

Ontario Superior Court of Justice welcomes new judges Colin Stevenson and Gilead Kay

From ignored to a nation-to-nation relationship: Jason Madden’s 20 years advocating for Metis rights