Sarah Molyneaux

Law Times, October 15, 2018Print

URL: https://www.lawtimesnews.com/article/gendered-dress-codes-are-antiquated-16340/

There’s just one question I wish would stop coming up in conversation: Should female students wear a skirt suit?

You’d think the question might be moot by now. However, some women students have told me that’s the advice some lawyers, law professors, career development offices and older students keep giving them. As a lawyer, I’ve heard a similar message about how to dress for court: “It’s just that judges consider a skirt more conservative.”

Canadian HR Reporter, June 4, 2019Online

URL: https://www.hrreporter.com/recruitment-and-retention/40238-facebook-ads-face-legal-scrutiny/

The reaction to Facebook’s job targeting tools is “a big deal” because employers’ usage of this platform is relatively new, according to Sarah Molyneaux, employment and human rights lawyer at Molyneaux Law in Hamilton, Ont.

“I’m not surprised that it’s happening,” she said. “But I am surprised to see certain government employers among the list of people that are targeting their ads in this way.”

...

And while a total ban on targeted job ads is not expected, human rights tribunals will likely continue to investigate on a case-by-case basis, said Molyneaux.

“Employers who think that this is a black box they can put whatever they want into are wrong — employees can very easily find out why they’re being targeted,” she said.

“If you have anything to be embarrassed about, it’s time to rethink your strategy, because as the public becomes more aware of the practice and of the tools they can use to find out why they’re being targeted, employers are going to be facing some difficult questions.”

Canadian HR Reporter, June 1, 2015Online

URL: https://www.hrreporter.com/article/24488-family-status-and-teacher-strikes/

Sarah was interviewed by Canadian HR Reporter on parents' workplace rights during a teacher strike.

“An employer isn’t required to give the perfect accommodation, so maybe for a lot of parents, working from home is the perfect accommodation but if you deal with a lot of sensitive information that can’t be taken home or your job is just not one that transfers well at home, then that might not be reasonable accommodation for your employer to provide,” she said.

“If it’s possible but just a little difficult, I think employers still have (a) duty to look into how they can make that accommodation happen.”

Lawyers Daily, March 8, 2019Online

URL: https://www.thelawyersdaily.ca/articles/10728/why-employment-standards-legislation-is-a-feminist-issue-?category=analysis

This International Women’s Day, I can’t help but feel a little disheartened as legislative changes threaten hard-won improvements for Ontario’s working women.

Amendments to the Employment Standards Act and the Labour Relations Act by Bill 47 and its companions have rolled back recent strides for workers. Unfortunately, these recent amendments will have a disproportionate and negative impact on women. Women of colour, Indigenous, and newcomer women stand to lose the most.

Lawyers Daily, January 29, 2019Online

URL: https://www.thelawyersdaily.ca/articles/9997

Talking about mental health issues in the legal profession is important. Lawyers still feel ashamed about admitting to any weakness. We still hesitate to ask for help or take time for self-care. But, talking isn't enough. Our profession needs to take concrete steps to ensure our members are supported financial and practically during mental health crisis.

Law TimesOnline

URL: https://www.lawtimesnews.com/article/speakers-corner-mining-company-lawsuit-shows-need-for-international-law-reform-11529/

In a case that once again demonstrates the lack of international legal protections, a civil suit filed against Tahoe Resources Inc. alleges the Vancouver-headquartered mining company is liable for injuries sustained by seven Guatemalan men at a protest in April 2013.

The suit, filed in Vancouver this June on behalf of the men, alleges that a private security firm engaged by Tahoe shot protesters at close range and caused serious injuries. Six of the plaintiffs are farmers while the seventh is a local student who was a minor at the time of the incident. Tahoe had received an exploration licence for its Escobal mine near the Guatemalan municipality of San Rafael Las Flores last year

Women's March Canada, June 12, 2018Online

URL: https://www.womensmarchcanada.com/women_only_spaces

Women have been carving out spaces for themselves for centuries. Sometimes, this means taking a spot where our participation has previously been denied, from parliament and the judiciary to social clubs and sports. Other times, it means making a space just for us.

Women's March Canada, May 10, 2018Online

URL: https://www.womensmarchcanada.com/sarahmolyneaux/happy_mother_s_day_you_re_fired

In 1979 the Supreme Court of Canada ruled that pregnancy discrimination was not gender discrimination. It took a decade for the Court to correct this position. However, maternity leave firings and pregnancy discrimination persist in Canadian workplaces.