A woman alleges her employer failed to properly deal with a complaint of "sexual battery" while employed at a work camp along the Coastal GasLink pipeline project.
In a lawsuit filed in May in B.C. Supreme Court in Vancouver, the woman says an employee of CGL entered her private office, embraced her and then, without her consent, fondled then forcibly grabbed her buttocks while inappropriately commenting on her body.
A specific date and location for the alleged incident were not provided but she had been working as a chef at two lodges southwest of Houston as an employee of Civeo Premium Services GP Ltd., according to the notice of claim.
In the aftermath, she claims the defendants, Civeo and CGL, failed to conduct a reasonably sufficient investigation and failed to provide safeguards against a similar event in the future.
She also claims her supervisor disclosed information about the incident without her consent and made dismissive comments and that she received "retaliatory poor performance reviews and kitchen audits" after she complained to her employer.
The woman also alleges Civeo failed to ensure proper staffing levels, forcing her and her team to work more than 20 hours a day and in rotations of 30 to 40 days straight in contravention of her contract, which allowed for 10 days off after 20 days onsite.
And she claims the defendants failed to notify her about an imminent blockade by anti-pipeline protesters, denying her a chance to evacuate. On three separate occasions for about 10 days, she claims, she and her team endured restricted access to supplies, water and septic services and were not permitted to wash their clothes or leave their workstation to bathe.
She regards Civeo's alleged misconduct as constructive dismissal and as of early April, no longer works for the company.
In responses filed this month, both Civeo and CGL deny the claims.
Civeo says the woman informed the company of the alleged incident in late-December 2021 or early-January 2022 and at her request, a camera was installed in her office.
She initially refused to provide the name of the person who committed the act and when she did later in January, she maintained she did not want the incident investigated, according to Civeo. Nonetheless, the company says it was obligated to launch an investigation.
Civeo also noted the suspect was a CGL employee and not under the company's control, that no prior complaint about the person had been raised and that the company has investigated all allegations of harassment raised by the plaintiff and had implemented appropriate discipline where warranted, including banning guests from the lodge in some cases.
On the overtime, Civeo says she was told to cease working overtime and that a manager had agreed to schedule additional time off in compensation. On the performance reviews, Civeo says management spoke highly of her work and that the audits did not comment on her performance specifically.
On the blockades, Civeo said the one for which the woman was at the lodge lasted less than five days and that the water was turned off for several hours per day to ensure the reserve remained at a safe level. When the water was turned on, staff was given time to bathe and employees were allowed to change shifts to take advantage of the opportunity.
CGL, in turn, said it was informed of the sexual battery allegation in April. Despite safety being Civeo's responsibility, CGL says it launched an investigation and that it is ongoing.
None of the allegations have been tested in court.
