REGINA — The University of Regina Students’ Union (URSU) has been ordered to pay a former employee for wrongful termination.
Regina’s Court of King’s Bench has ordered that former URSU president Haris Khan be awarded $77,380 — equivalent to a year’s salary — minus two weeks of pay already received from the students’ union, along with $10,000 in moral damages.
Khan was terminated by URSU in February 2024, a decision he challenged later that year.
In a termination letter, URSU stated Khan's firing was based upon absenteeism and breaches of the students’ union standard operating procedures and expectations.”
URSU claimed Khan had been absent from his office on Feb. 13, 15, and 16 without notice.
"[The] unexcused absenteeism constitutes time theft as you were remunerated for your salary whilst you were absent,” read the termination letter.
However, Khan showed evidence of working from home on all three suspect days after texting URSU’s then vice-president that he hadn’t been feeling well. This evidence had not been challenged in a cross-examination in court.
URSU’s president at the time, Aoun Muhammad, had been out of the country from Feb. 16 to 19, which led the court to question the reliability of any evidence he could provide.
URSU also argued Khan had been vacant during an important time for restructuring. However, he disputed that as a means to cover the reasoning behind his termination.
Overall, the court was not persuaded by the arguments presented by URSU.
Khan is subject to being paid 12 months of severance per his employment agreement with URSU.
The moral damages are intended to address the impact Khan’s termination had on his mental well-being, as noted by his physician.
Both Khan and URSU have to make written submissions for the case by May 22.
