'If employees are regularly needing a private space to cope, that's not normal work pressure,' says HR leader
A former CBC North human resources specialist is taking the public broadcaster to court over what he describes as a toxic, discriminatory workplace in Yellowknife — a case that puts a spotlight on how employers manage culture, hiring, and psychological health in remote operations.
Karl Johnston, who worked in HR with CBC North from 2018 to 2023 as a senior specialist in talent acquisition, has filed a lawsuit in the Supreme Court of the Northwest Territories alleging he was “subjected to a toxic working environment” and effectively forced to resign from his role in Yellowknife, according to the The National Post and CBC News. In the lawsuit, Johnston says the environment was so unhealthy there was an unofficial “crying room” where staff went to cope with stress. None of the allegations have been proven in court, and CBC told media that it disputes the claims and will defend itself.
For senior HR leaders, the case is a reminder that decisions made in small regional units can quickly become matters of national scrutiny and legal risk.
Claims of systemic problems in HR, toxic work environment
According to the statement of claim, Johnston says a colleague in HR referred to an empty office as a crying room early in his tenure, explaining that employees used it to deal with workplace stress. That interaction “set the tone for a workplace culture that tolerated and perpetuated toxicity, discrimination and harassment,” says Johnston.
Johnston’s role as a senior specialist in talent acquisition for CBC North placed him at the centre of HR activity in the region, including designing HR strategies, advising on operations, and mentoring staff. In that context, he alleges he observed systemic problems rather than isolated missteps, reported CBC News.
Among the most serious claims in the lawsuit is that CBC North management kept a secret “do not hire” list that disproportionately excluded marginalized, disabled, and Indigenous candidates. The lawsuit also alleges discrimination against disabled and Indigenous people in hiring and says Johnston felt pressured to return to work early while on short-term disability leave following multiple surgeries.
“I think this case exposes the very concerning toxic work culture within our national broadcaster. The fact that there was a ‘crying room’ I think is shocking. I’ve never seen anything like that before in any workplace,” Johnston’s lawyer, Kathryn Marshall, told The National Post. “It really demonstrates that there’s something very wrong and broken at CBC within their work environment that they need to fix.”
If an unofficial "crying room" exists in a workplace, it's a major signal that employee stress and distress has become normalized, and psychological safety in the workplace has broken down, according to Brianna Madron, Director of People and Culture at Dive Thru in Edmonton. "HR can't frame this as employees not being 'tough enough,' as that mindset can quickly become a way to dismiss real harm and avoid accountability," says Madron. "If employees are regularly needing a private space to cope, that's not normal work pressure - it’s a serious workplace mental health risk that needs action."
Constructive dismissal allegation
Johnston claims he was “constructively dismissed” in 2023 when he was told to “stay in his lane” after expressing concern about the toxic work environment, reported The National Post.
CBC North operates across the northern territories, with the Yellowknife bureau serving as a regional hub. Johnston’s lawsuit underlines the complexity of managing culture, equity and workload in isolated operations where recruitment is difficult and teams are small.
Regardless of whether the workplace is isolated or in the middle of a city, when circumstances like this are happening in the workplace, HR needs to treat it seriously and urgently - not just becuase of legal risk, but also the impact on productivity, says Madron.
"It impacts performance and creates real financial risk - we know there’s a clear link between psychological safety and business results - and it impacts people, and people deserve better," she says. "HR should elevate it as both a human and organizational risk issue by bringing forward clear data and themes - trends in burnout, leaves, attrition, complaints, and engagement feedback - and then tying it directly to the employer’s duty to protect psychological health, as well as the downstream costs of turnover, absenteeism, and legal exposure."
The goal isn’t to blame managers, adds Madron, but to make sure "they have the expectations, tools, coaching, and accountability needed to lead psychologically safe teams."
CBC has declined to comment in detail on the lawsuit while it is before the courts, beyond saying it will contest the allegations. For now, the case stands as a reminder that HR decisions made in a small northern office can quickly become the subject of public debate and legal review — and that choices about oversight, inclusion and psychological safety may be examined in a courtroom as closely as in a boardroom.
