Chelsea Giffen v. TM Mobile Inc.
CHELSEA GIFFEN
Law Firm / Organization
Independent
TM MOBILE INC.
Law Firm / Organization
Fasken Martineau DuMoulin LLP
  • Background:

    • Chelsea Giffen (Applicant) worked at TM Mobile Inc. (Respondent) from February 2007.
    • Held Business Systems Analyst I role from April 2017, went on maternity leave in June 2017, and returned in September 2018.
    • Dismissed in December 2018 and filed an unjust dismissal complaint under the Canada Labour Code.
    • Adjudicator ruled they lacked jurisdiction, citing "discontinuance of a function" as the dismissal reason??.
  • Key Points:

  • Employment History:

    • Giffen worked in various roles over 11.8 years, lastly in the Workforce Information Systems Performance team??.
  • Maternity Leave and Replacement:

    • Before leave, trained her replacement, B.D., who was made permanent in September 2018??.
  • Dismissal Decision:

    • Manager David Martin chose to retain B.D. over Giffen, citing seniority and experience??.
    • Martin asserted the decision was not influenced by Giffen's maternity leave.
  • Complaint and Judicial Review:

    • A preliminary hearing and review process ensued, with written submissions and oral cross-examinations??.
    • Giffen sought judicial review, raising several issues, including discrimination and procedural fairness??.
  • Court's Analysis and Findings:

    • The Court found the adjudicator's decision reasonable, with no breach of procedural fairness.
    • Giffen's arguments regarding discrimination, seniority calculations, and procedural fairness were not upheld.
    • The Court concluded that the dismissal was part of a broader restructuring for economic efficiency, not unjust or discriminatory??.
  • Outcome:

  • Successful Party: TM Mobile Inc.
  • Giffen's application for judicial review was dismissed, affirming the adjudicator's decision on the dismissal's validity.
Federal Court
T-133-22
Labour law
Respondent
25 January 2022