In a significant labour arbitration decision, a Canada Post mail carrier in Ontario who was terminated for accumulating a massive backlog of undelivered mail has been ordered reinstated to his position. The ruling hinged on the employer's lack of awareness regarding the worker's post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), which an arbitrator found contributed to his conduct.
The Undelivered Mail Discovery
The case centres on Hyun Min Jang, a rural and suburban mail carrier based in King City, Ontario, approximately 40 kilometres north of Toronto. According to arbitrator Kathleen G. O'Neil's decision, dated December 16, 2025, the situation came to light in the summer of 2022.
Canada Post terminated Jang in September 2022 after discovering at least 6,000 pieces of undelivered mail in his personal vehicle. The mail had been accumulating over the summer, with delays ranging from several days to over two months. The undelivered items were not just advertisements; they included critical correspondence such as wedding invitations, cheques, health cards, tickets, jury summons, and immigration documents. Keys to community mailboxes and other Canada Post property were also found in his vehicle.
The Union's Grievance and Medical Evidence
The Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW) grieved the termination. While acknowledging that hoarding mail constituted major misconduct for a postal worker, the union argued for reinstatement with appropriate accommodation for a health condition that affected Jang's behaviour.
The union's case rested on medical evidence presented during the arbitration hearing. Counsel argued that Jang's underlying PTSD made him more vulnerable to "avoidant behaviour," which partially explained his inability to deliver the mail and his failure to alert management to the growing problem. The union emphasized that Jang derived no personal benefit from the situation and was, in fact, working unpaid hours early and late trying to manage the backlog.
Jang, who required a Korean interpreter during the proceedings, had worked successfully for Canada Post for about eight years, starting in 2014. His difficulties began after transferring from a route in Brampton to the more challenging King City route in late June 2022.
The Arbitrator's Decision and Conditions for Return
Arbitrator O'Neil ultimately sided with the union's position. In her decision, she noted that at the time of the discharge, Canada Post was unaware of Jang's PTSD diagnosis or how it impacted his ability to perform his job.
"I have decided to reinstate (Jang) without compensation, given that at the time of the discharge, the employer was unaware of (his) medical condition, or its effect on his ability to do his job," O'Neil stated in her ruling.
The reinstatement comes with strict conditions. Jang must provide adequate medical evidence to establish his fitness to return to duty and indicate whether any current medical conditions would require accommodation. Until he can provide that evidence, he will be on an authorized leave without pay, with access to benefits as per the collective agreement. He is to be returned to his position in King City, or another mutually agreed-upon position.
This case highlights the complex intersection of workplace discipline, mental health accommodation, and labour rights in Canada. It underscores an employer's duty to consider mitigating health circumstances, even in cases of serious misconduct, when those circumstances were not previously known. The decision also reinforces the role of arbitration in balancing an employer's operational needs with a worker's right to accommodation for a disability.
