City given more time to investigate complaints of workplace harassment

The Ontario Ministry of Labour is giving the City of Greater Sudbury more time to follow the province's workplace harassment laws.

Four orders were issued in October relating to the treatment of former fire chief Trevor Bain, who was fired shortly before the ministry got involved.

• Ministry of Labour orders city to investigate alleged harassment of former fire chief

• Sudbury fire chief fired: Trevor Bain dismissed amid harassment allegations

The ministry says the city has fulfilled one of its orders relating to employee training on workplace harassment, but the city still has to give all managers and workers proper training on the subject.

The city now has until Feb. 15 to make sure that training is complete, an extension of three months.

It also has more time to do an "appropriate" investigation into the allegations that fire chief Trevor Bain was harassed by certain city councillors and other city employees.

The Sudbury Professional Firefighters Association first made that complaint last spring and the new deadline from the Ministry of Labour is March 1st.

That investigation is being done by a company hired by the city.

Some media reports have suggested it will cost Sudbury taxpayers $50,000, but the city says while the exact price tag isn't known, it doesn't expect it to be that much.