HR Law Conference - Session #2: Managing Mental Health and Disability Claims

This session will delve into ways to holistically promote wellness in the workplace and to accommodate non-workplace related mental health claims equitably. The duty to report per WSIB and strategies to manage absences and reduce leaves will also be explored.

RESOURCES: https://pruploads.s3.ca-central-1.amazonaws.com/2021/HR+Law+Conference/Session+2-+The+Return+to+the+Workplace+Phase+of+Pandemic+-+LifeWorks.pdf

SPEAKERS:

Vanessa Mian
Chief People Officer, Hazelview

As a leader of strategy and people functions, Vanessa Mian is passionate about tackling complex business, talent and cultural matters to support employees and organizational growth. Vanessa has over 15 years of progressive experience in human resources management. She has held numerous HR roles in both Canadian and global organizations within various industries. Vanessa is currently responsible for overseeing all aspects of People & Culture within Hazelview Investments and its subsidiaries, including strategic planning, organizational development, leadership development, talent acquisition/management and total rewards. As an HR professional, mental health is top of mind for Vanessa and she is a Board Member for the Institute for Advancements in Mental Health.


Paula Allen
Global Leader and Senior Vice-President, Research and Total Wellbeing

Paula Allen is the Global Leader, Research and Total Wellbeing and a Senior Vice- President at LifeWorks. She manages the research agenda for LifeWorks, which includes primary research, exploratory data science, research collaborations and meta-analyses. Given her focus on industry leading research, Paula also leads LifeWorks’ thought leadership and is co-chair of the organization’s product and innovation strategy.

Paula is focused on current and emerging issues impacting health and productivity, and related costs. Her scope includes all areas of wellbeing i.e. social, physical, financial and mental. She is a well-recognized expert in all areas of workplace mental health, learning strategies, disability management and drug plan management. She also designed and led the most comprehensive employer response to the H1N1 pandemic and is currently LifeWorks’s business response and resource lead for the COVID-19 pandemic.


Kellie Gamble
Director, Labour & Employee Relations & HR Services, St. Joseph’s Healthcare Hamilton

Kellie has extensive knowledge in labour relations, having directly negotiated multiple provincial and national collective agreements with some of Canada’s largest building trade unions in the construction industry. In the context of labour and employee relations, she has a well-rounded understanding of business, human resources, economics and legislation. This has contributed positively towards negotiated improvements and positive human resources services.

She completed a bachelor’s degree of Arts in Labour Studies from McMaster University and resides in Burlington, Ontario. She has school aged mini-negotiators aged 9 and 7, who have happily returned to school this fall as she continues to support the hospital in its response to COVID-19.