Lethbridge man claims wrongful dismissal, but company says its workplace is safe

A Lethbridge man alleges he was fired after raising concerns about workplace safety with his former employer but the company says a recent inspection has determined there are no concerns at all.
Ryan Persaud worked as a maintenance associate at Avenue Living Communities for four and a half years, doing eveything from carpentry to basic plumbing for the property manager.
Persaud said he soon noticed what he considered to be unsafe work environments, including smoky units and a lack of safety gear.
He says he made his first safety complaint to the company in 2017.
The most recent complaint, made last month, was filed due to an injury Persaud says he received while cleaning out a unit.
“I was cleaning out the bathtub when I got poked with a used needle," Persaud said.
"We went through all the protocols – all the Avenue Living protocols and procedures – filed out all the necessary paperwork, and they were supposed to investigate it."
"Two weeks after, my manager still sent me inside there on Dec. 17, 2021 to clean out the unit. They just don't take it (seriously.)"
On Dec. 11, 2021, Persaud filed a complaint with Alberta Occupational Health and Safety.
In its initial response to the allegations, Avenue Living Communities told CTV News that strict safety protocols and procedures are in place for all employees to follow.
Persaud alleges he was been terminated for raising his concerns.
"The workers need more room to express their concerns and express their feelings, and they're not getting that opportunity," Persaud said. "A lot of them are afraid. They are afraid to speak out because when you do speak out, this is the exact thing happen to me, I got fired for speaking out."
Avenue Living Communities confirms Persaud no longer works for the company, but would not say why.
The company defended its safety practices in a statement to CTV News, saying:
"We conduct regular third party OHS audits to ensure that our organization meets the standards and policies to keep our employees safe. Modeling industry best practice, we actively communicate with our employees to ensure proper training and response is standardized and actioned across our organization in a timely manner."
“Avenue Living puts the safety of employees and residents at the forefront of our decision making,” the statement says.
'NO CONTRAVENTIONS'
Furthermore, OHS said it conducted an inspection of the facility on Jan. 13 after it received a complaint. The agency said it found nothing unsafe.
"No contraventions of occupational health and safety laws were noted and no orders were written. Findings of the inspection were shared with the employer and the health and safety committee representative," OHS spokesperson Natasha McKenzuie said in a statement to CTV News.
OHS adds the officer in charge of the inspection also attempted to contact the complainant to inform them of the findings, but "no calls were returned."
Details about the complainant are being withheld out of privacy.
Avenue Living says with the OHS inspection finding nothing of note, it considers the matter to be "closed and complete."
"The report concluded that we are in full compliance on all accounts with zero further actions required," the company wrote in a statement.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Canada sending more artillery to Ukraine, 'crucial' to fight against Russia: Anand
Canada is sending an additional 20,000 rounds of ammunition to Ukraine for the Ukrainian military to use in its ongoing defence against the Russians. This ammunition—155mm calibre, as well as fuses and charge bags—is being donated, but comes at a cost of $98 million, according to the federal government.

Power outages persist across Ontario and Quebec as death toll rises
Power outages caused by the powerful and deadly storm that swept across Ontario and Quebec on Saturday are stretching into another day, as hydro providers warned customers they could be waiting even longer for service to be fully restored.
Experts hope 'ring vaccination' will contain monkeypox outbreaks
An infectious disease expert believes monkeypox outbreaks can be contained by using a strategy called 'ring vaccination' – which means vaccinating all the close contacts of an infected person.
Baby formula: Health Canada monitoring 'potential' sunflower oil shortage
Health Canada says it is preparing for the possibility that a shortage of sunflower oil could further strain baby formula supplies in Canada.
11 killed in shooting attacks on 2 bars in Mexico
Eleven people, eight of them women, were killed in simultaneous shooting attacks on two bars in north-central Mexico, authorities said Tuesday.
Satellite images appear to show Russian ships loading up with Ukrainian grain in Crimea
Russia's theft of Ukrainian grain appears to be ramping up as it continues its war on the country, according to new satellite photos of the Crimean port of Sevastopol.
Mapping program Mounties struggled to open could have helped contain N.S. mass killer
A report looking into a mapping program the RCMP had access to -- but couldn't open -- during the 2020 mass shooting in Nova Scotia concludes it could have helped contain the killer's rampage.
Amber Heard rests case in civil suit without calling Depp
Actor Amber Heard rested her case Tuesday in the civil suit between her and ex-husband Johnny Depp without calling Depp to the stand.
200 bodies found in Mariupol as war rages in Ukraine's east
Workers digging through the rubble of an apartment building in Mariupol found 200 bodies in the basement, Ukrainian authorities said Tuesday, as more horrors come to light in the ruined city that has seen some of the worst suffering of the 3-month-old war.