Employer claimed elective cosmetic surgery was ‘self-inflicted injury’ and ineligible for benefit, but arbitrator disagreed
Is going under the knife for a little nip and tuck a self-inflicted injury? An Ontario employer said yes when it denied short-term sick pay benefits to an employee who had voluntary cosmetic surgery and needed two weeks to recover. However, the Ontario Arbitration Board ruled the surgery was for legitimate reasons and shouldn’t be considered a self-inflicted injury.