The HR legal landscape is rapidly evolving, and keeping track of all the changes can be challenging. Experience an incredible two days of case law, HR legal updates, tools and networking at the 3rd Bi-Annual HRPA Northwestern HR Employment and Labour Law Conference 2020.
You are invited to a session lead by Claude Bhalthazard, CHRL, Registrar and VP Regulation from 6:30 – 7:30 p.m. on May 6th (the night before the conference). Snack on some appetizers and make connections with your HR neighbours in the thriving local community!
This session will focus on the key questions relating to HRPA's designations:
- HRPA's designation framework—why three designations instead of one?
- How to think about the value of designations—what is the reflexive value proposition?
- What are the principles underlying the design of HRPA's designations?
- What are the requirements for each designation? and how are these likely to change in the future?
- What about mutual recognition?
This is a complimentary event. To reserve your spot, select "AND Designations" option when registering.
Conference Sessions
Morning Keynote Screw Resiliency – Don't just survive, ROCK!
With industry downturns, the accelerating pace of change and constantly evolving business practices, resiliency has become the golden child of business. No doubt a valuable quality in people, but should it be our end game? Resiliency isn't a never-ending spring we can drink from to protect ourselves. Even the most positive people will eventually become drained, stressed and discouraged, harming both them and the organization.
In this keynote, participants will learn how the best organizations look past building mere resilient cultures to ones that inspire and energize employees. Yes, we all need to be prepared to be knocked around once in a while, but employees shouldn't be stepping into the ring each day at work. Participants will learn how they can re-focus the thinking, behaviours and actions within their workplaces to transform their cultures into spaces that allow employees to thrive instead of just surviving – producing higher levels of engagement and performance. Learning Objectives:
- How to embrace adversity as a positive and become a shift disturber to improve wellness, performance and effectiveness
- How to build a culture that promotes grit and its benefits to employees and the organization
- Creating a change-friendly environment
Speaker Gary Gzik
Enjoy the morning sessions for both days in the main Plenary room. Remember to select one of the concurrent sessions for each afternoon. |
Morning Plenary DAY 1
How Much Notice? (The Interactive Game Show)
Fresh off the runaway success of "Cause or No Cause" and "Discrimination or No Discrimination", wannabe-game show host turned employment lawyer Jordan Lester brings us his latest HR-themed interactive game show: How Much Notice?
How Much Notice? will canvass recent developments in Ontario courts about how much notice an employer is to provide an outgoing employee.
Speakers Jordan Lester & Nathan Wainwright
Afternoon DAY 1 SESSIONS
Session A1 Social Media in the Workplace l What Employers Need to Know
The impact on social media on the workplace, relationships, and business reputation cannot be overstated. Using a range of case studies, we will consider legal issues involving social media in the workplace, including:
- Privacy and monitoring social media
- Consequences of inappropriate disclosure and online conduct outside of work hours; and Social media policies
Learning Objectives
- Legal knowledge
- Critical thinking and problem solving
- Employee relations
Speaker Carly Stringer
Session B2 Diversity and Inclusion in the Workplace
Diversity and Inclusion in the Workplace: The business and legal benefits of ensuring compliance
- The Legal Framework
- The Human Rights Code
- The Occupational Health and Safety Act
The Journey to a Diverse and Inclusive Workplace Best Practices
Speaker Lorenzo Lisi
Session C2 Attendance Management
Managing attendance in the modern workplace can be a mine field of legal risk. Using case studies, this session will consider legal issues involved in attendance management, including:
- Doctors' notes and visits
- Chronic absenteeism
- Disability and accommodation
- Discipline and dismissal
- Attendance management policies and programs
Learning Objectives
- Legal knowledge
- Critical thinking and problem solving
- Employee relations
Speaker Carly Stringer
Session D1 Dealing With The Difficult Employee: Managing To Succeed
HR Professionals often say that they spend 90% of their time on 10% of employees. This seminar addresses how to deal with the "Difficult" employee, from identifying and addressing underlying issues and their possible connection to inappropriate Conduct, to performance management and absenteeism and attendance problems.
Join Lorenzo Lisi in discussing the challenges and possible approaches when dealing with the Difficult Employee, Absenteeism and Attendance Issues
Morning Plenary DAY 2
Workplace Investigations
Organizations should be equipped to conduct at least some investigations internally. Many organizations aren't aware of the basics surrounding workplace investigations. Often the problem isn't that the employer hasn't conducted an investigation, but rather that the investigation was flawed, inadequate or biased. The consequences of a poorly conduced investigation may inflict more harm than good.
By understanding when and where investigations often go wrong, employers can make an informed decision regarding whether to handle the investigation in-house, or to call an expert
Learning Objectives
Through an interactive, facilitator approach, attendees will:
- Clarify what, why and when and employer should investigate
- Identify the key elements of effective, compliant investigations
- Explore common pitfalls, in conducting the investigation process
- Review recent case law to identify the consequences of getting it wrong
Restoring the Workplace After the Investigation
Dealing with workplace harassment and sexual harassment has become increasingly challenging and risky for employers to navigate. The awareness of high-profile cases, #Metoo and #Timesup movement activity, enhanced legislative protections and expanded employee entitlements have emboldened those experiencing and observing this misconduct to bring their issues forward. This has resulted in an increasing number of investigations being conducted, and what most organizations don't prepare for is the destabilizing impact an investigation can have on engagement, morale and workplace culture.
Learning Objectives
Using interactive case studies to set the context, attendees will:
- Consider the impact of investigations on the workplace
- Examine the complexities of workplace harassment and sexual harassment complaints and incidents, which can create challenges for workplace investigators and derail morale and culture
- Discuss practical strategies and methods to effectively set conduct expectations within the workplace to proactively mitigate harassment-related risks
- Explore methods to contain the negative impact of an investigation on workplace culture and the steps that can be taken post-investigation to restore adverse effects on morale and culture
Speaker Laura Williams
Afternoon DAY 2 SESSIONS
Session A2 l Chronic Mental Stress Claims under WSIB
This presentation will acquaint HR practitioners with issues relating to the concept of Chronic Mental Stress claims and their adjudication. We will discuss key strategic considerations involving the proper forum for such claims and, in particular, situations where an employee pursues their claim in multiple forums (WSIB, HRTO, arbitration and the courts).
Learning Objectives
The aim of this presentation is to:
- Help explain the various jurisdictional issues that may arise from chronic mental stress and harassment;
- Provide key strategic considerations around such claims; and
- Help develop an "outside the box" perspective that can assist
Speaker Jason Mercier
Session B2 l Termination and Severance of Employment – Methods of Limiting Financial Liability
Where it is necessary to end an employment relationship, employers can limit financial liability through well-structured termination and severance packages and properly drafted termination clauses in employment contracts.
Learning Objectives
- Understanding the difference between statutory, contractual and common law termination and severance pay obligations
- Understanding the law of mitigation, and how it may impact an organization's obligation to provide termination and severance pay
· Understanding the different obligations between provincially and federally
Speaker Warren Maouk
Session C2 l Marijuana the Workplace and Employer Responsibilities
With the legalization of recreational marijuana, there has been a lot of focus on regarding its impact on the workplace.
But has anything really changed for employers?
This presentation will provide an overview of the statutory framework around the legalization of cannabis in Ontario, review guidelines for workplace policies, examine the employer's duty to accommodate and provide best practices for employers.
Learning Objectives
- help explain where cannabis and the workplace meet;
- how medical versus recreational cannabis features in the workplace; and
- how best to meet your obligations as an employer under various federal and provincial statutes.
Speaker Jason Mercier
Session D2 l Avoiding the Trap of the "Twin Myths" in Sexual Harassment Complaints
Where a complaint of sexual harassment is made, the Occupational Health and Safety Act requires provincially regulated employers to conduct an investigation that is "appropriate" in the circumstances. The "twin myths" are a criminal law concept relating to the behavior of complainants leading up to and following an allegation of sexual assault or harassment. This presentation will focus on coming to an impartial, reliable and defensible conclusion to investigations of alleged sexual harassment.
Learning Objectives
- Maintaining procedural fairness and impartiality in the investigation process
- Understanding the "twin myths" and how they may influence an investigator's view of alleged sexual harassment
- Satisfying an organization's obligations under the OHSA to conduct an investigation and report on the findings to interested parties