Worker Who Signed Severance Release Can’t Bring OHS Reprisal Claim

A worker who complained about being harassed by his supervisor was put into the company Performance Improvement Plan and terminated 3 months later. He claimed retaliation but the OHS officer rejected the case because he signed a severance release granting 52 weeks’ pay and 15 weeks of benefits. The worker contended the release was unenforceable but the Alberta Labour Board disagreed, finding that the release was clearly worded and fair and that the company gave him ample opportunity to review it and run it by a lawyer [Winters v. Finning Canada, Alberta Labour Relations Board File No. OHS2019-16, February 5, 2021].