A negligence lawsuit brought by an employee of the Financial Services Regulatory Commission (FSRC) has ended in a split decision, with the High Court holding the regulator partly responsible for one of two workplace accidents.
Sherry Ann Thomas, a staff member of more than a decade, argued that her job duties caused back injuries after two separate incidents at the FSRC.
Justice Nicola Byer agreed in part, finding the employer negligent over a 2020 filing room accident but rejecting her later claim of slipping near her desk.
The case centered on Thomas’s long-standing duties handling paper files, even after the regulator shifted most of its operations to electronic record-keeping in 2016. When she moved to the Insurance Department in 2019, heavy reliance on physical filing cabinets remained.
On February 13, 2020, Thomas injured her back while bending to open one of the cabinets. The court found the FSRC, whose Chief Regulatory Officer is Paule Ashe, had not taken reasonable measures to ensure staff safety.
In her written judgment, Justice Byer highlighted the employer’s failure to address the risks of continued cabinet use, remarking that no effort had been made “to alleviate or lessen” reliance on them.
More than a year later, Thomas claimed she aggravated her injury when she slipped on water close to her workstation.
The commission’s HR manager, Janice Thomas, disputed that the fall ever happened. A witness testified that while there were water spots on the floor that day, they were minimal and no warning signs were placed.
In dismissing the second claim, Justice Byer said the spots were “inconsequential” and that occasional slips were “a normal incident of life,” not something the employer was obligated to prevent.
Thomas now has 45 days to request an assessment of damages related to the successful portion of her lawsuit. The judge also ordered a cost-sharing arrangement: Thomas will recover some of her expenses but must pay half of the FSRC’s legal costs tied to the dismissed claim.
FSRC shame bad fu dis one. How you ah big government regulator but can’t even regulate ya own workplace? From since 2016 dem know everything gone digital, yet dem still have people bend down inna old filing cabinet like is the 1980s. Now staff get injure and court haffi tell dem dem wrong
Check the prison who much prison officers got damaged and don’t got nothing put have to pay there Injuries bills up to now
The FSRC really doesn’t come out looking good here. This case exposes a culture of neglect within the institution….an organization that is supposed to regulate others but apparently struggles to regulate itself.
So if i understand this .. the employee injured themselves pulling files from the filing cabinet? So next we will be ruling that employee’s who build houses have occupational hazards because they have to lift blocks and bags of cement/
Hmmmmmm she hurt her back bending? Ohhh kayyyy. No other thoughts
I get why the second claim was dismissed. Spilled water happens everywhere, but the cabinet issue seems like negligence.
This case shows how important it is for offices to update their safety measures when processes change. Old habits can be dangerous.
For years they’ve known that most of their operations had gone digital, yet they still kept employees tied to outdated, heavy filing cabinets without putting proper safety measures in place. That’s not just careless; it shows a complete disregard for the well-being of staff who keep the place running
This case makes one thing clear: the FSRC cannot demand accountability from financial institutions if it refuses to practice accountability within its own walls. Regulators are meant to set the standard, not drag behind in outdated systems that put employees at risk.
At least some sensible brainy comments and not the trash people post here
How can such a major regulatory body not have proper safeguards in place for staff? This sets a bad example.
The situation just smells Ashyy