Boss delayed star employee’s mental-health leave. Now they owe him $1 million

Corporate managers often assume that once an exit paper is signed, the problem disappears. But that's not the case, and Lifemark Health learned that lesson the hard way at its Calgary clinic. For 16 years, the clinic treated an acclaimed physiotherapist, David Volpi, as its reliable "superstar." Yet when he pleaded for a mental health break to manage his Bipolar II disorder, management stalled his leave for months to fit routine vacation schedules. When the overwhelmed employee abruptly resigned during his crisis, the company didn't even check on him. They just accepted his resignation and let him go. A decade later, their negligence finally caught up with them. An Alberta human rights tribunal ordered them to pay over $1 million in damages and lost wages, as the Financial Post reported on October 9, 2026.

Compassion took a backseat

For over a decade and a half, Volpi worked as a physiotherapist at Lifemark's clinic. There he built a reputation as a high-performing practitioner. His supervisor was so impressed that they called him a "superstar." Throughout his tenure, the clinic was aware that he had chronic mental health issues, specifically bipolar II disorder. So, the prior director set up an informal arrangement and allowed him to take time off work whenever required. This accommodation helped Volpi stay functional and supported.

That balance, however, unraveled when a new clinic director took charge. By 2016, Volpi experienced severe psychological distress and repeatedly asked for time off, explicitly stating that something was wrong. Instead of facilitating his medical leave, the management delayed his request for several months to prioritize the clinic's general summer vacation rota.

A forced resignation

On September 30, 2016, Volpi abruptly submitted his resignation while in a hypomanic state triggered by his disorder. His treating psychiatrist later observed that "it seems clear that his psychological symptoms at the time did play a role in the timing of events." Although the management was also shocked by his decision, the clinic accepted the paper at face value and took absolutely no steps whatsoever to verify if the move was connected to his ongoing mental health struggles.

Volpi's experience highlights the mental struggle faced by workers across Canada and beyond. According to a Mind Share 2025 Mental Health at Work report, 50% of employees across the United States feel moderately or severely burnt out or depressed. Similarly, a staggering 90% of employees reported at least minor levels of one mental health challenge. Yet just 59% of workers say their company supported their mental health.

Justice served

Meanwhile, Volpi dragged the clinic to court to establish that his exit was anything but ordinary. He claimed that the clinic failed to follow even the basic due diligence. After over a decade, the tribunal finally ruled in Volpi's favor. They claimed that Lifemark engaged in unlawful discrimination by stalling his medical leave and accepting an impulsive resignation without inquiry. The tribunal ordered them to pay $40,000 for injury to dignity and $965,338.14 in past and differential lost wages.

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