Dozens of former Bell employees are challenging their dismissals in court, alleging the telecom improperly fired them for cause over “swipe-and-go” office attendance violations as part of a broader workforce reduction effort. (Toronto Star)

Talking point: In a lawsuit filed in Ontario Superior Court, 46 former employees argue Bell’s terminations were “economically motivated.” Bell told the Star it would “vigorously defend” itself in court, and said it had terminated a small number of employees for deliberately falsifying attendance records, a breach of its code of conduct. One source told the Star Bell had fired some employees for coffee badging. But the plaintiffs argue the company had long tolerated flexible work arrangements, provided no warnings and abruptly elevated the conduct to a firing offence. The employees are each seeking damages ranging from roughly $18,000 to $350,000, depending on their salaries and seniority. If they succeed, the case could raise questions about whether some companies are using return-to-office enforcement as a tool for workforce reductions while minimizing termination costs.