Harassment and the Toxic Work Environment: Examining rights and remedies
December 17, 2014 Under human rights law and occupational health and safety legislation, the atmosphere of a workplace is a "term or condition of employment" just as much as explicit terms such as [...]
Attendance Management & Accommodation: Controlling absenteeism, respecting rights
December 4, 2014 Attendance management programs are frequently used by employers to address excessive absenteeism, yet such programs must be properly designed and administered to ensure compliance with human rights, employment standards, and [...]
Dealing with a Workplace Epidemic: Accommodating stress, anxiety and depression
November 26, 2014 Stress, anxiety and depression have a profound impact on Canadian workplaces, contributing to lost productivity, absenteeism and workplace conflict. Despite the prevalence of these mental health issues, they remain misunderstood and highly [...]
Ethical Dilemmas: Professional guidance for labour and employment practitioners
November 12, 2014 Labour and employment practitioners face an ethical minefield in negotiations and litigation. When is it permissible to bluff in mediation? Is posturing the same as lying? What are the obligations [...]
Responding to Disability-Related Misconduct: Discipline or accommodation?
October 28, 2014 What happens when an employee with a mental health issue or addiction engages in workplace misconduct that may be attributable to the disability? Can an employer dismiss an employee for [...]
Cyberloafing, Cyberspying: Computer theft, privacy rights
October 8, 2014 Advances in technology have created a brave new workplace, blurring the boundary between work and home life and heightening the tension between an employee's privacy rights and an employer's legitimate [...]
Fair Criticism or Trash Talk: Where to draw the line in workplace expression
September 25, 2014 To what extent are critical comments protected by free speech? Can employers monitor the off-duty activities of employees to ensure they don't cross the line? How should employers and unions [...]
Mind the (Generation) Gap: Tackling age discrimination in hiring, performance, benefits and termination
September 11, 2014 With the demise of mandatory retirement, how should an employer deal with accommodation and other issues that may arise with age? With concerns regarding recruitment, revitalization and succession planning? Following [...]
What You Don’t Know Can Hurt You: Accommodating mental illness, addiction and other hidden disabilities
July 10, 2014 "Invisible" or "hidden" disabilities may be described as those disabilities that are not easily discovered by others. Examples include chronic fatigue syndrome, chronic pain, environmental sensitivity, mental illness, cognitive limitations, [...]
Workin’ Nine to Nine: Overtime issues in the modern workplace
June 18, 2014 Overtime can be a desirable way for employees to earn extra income and an efficient way for employers to fill in gaps in work coverage. However, conflicts can arise when employers need [...]
Dignity and Dollars: Damages and other remedies for harassment and discrimination
June 3, 2014 Are remedies for human rights violations and harassment on the rise? Can employees expect greater or different remedies from arbitrators, courts or human rights tribunals? In this session, experts will [...]
Accommodation Overload: Refereeing competing accommodation requests in the workplace
May 22, 2014 The most difficult accommodation situations involve the challenge of accommodating multiple employees at the same time. What criteria should employers use to referee competing accommodation requests, or competing rights? What [...]
So Long, but Not Goodbye: The ins and outs of job protected leaves
May 8, 2014 A host of legal issues can arise when an employee wishes to take a job-protected leave, including questions regarding entitlement, notice requirements, benefit and seniority accrual during a leave, whether [...]
Employees in Crisis: Modern approaches to alcoholism at the workplace
April 17, 2014 Alcohol addiction in the workplace can cause significant problems regarding employee health, workplace safety and overall productivity. In response, many employers have implemented policies and programs to prevent drinking at work, respond [...]
Crunching the Numbers: An expert guide to costing collective agreements
April 3, 2014 The collective bargaining process requires careful preparation and strategy, especially when dealing with issues such as wage and benefit calculations. Accurate costing can convert complex bargaining proposals into negotiable financial items. In [...]
Discharge and Discipline: The top ten recent cases
March 20, 2014 In this session, experts will review the most important recent decisions relating to discharge and discipline, and how the legal principles enunciated in those decisions may guide the actions and policies of [...]
Drawing the Line: When is it bullying, when is it management?
March 6, 2014 Employers rely on front-line management and supervisors to deal on a one-to-one basis with employees. Occasionally, however, these interactions can go "off the rails" – in some cases, because of [...]
One Strike and You’re Out? When is misconduct a firing offence, when is progressive discipline appropriate?
February 27, 2014 Although arbitrators will generally require a progressive disciplinary approach in response to workplace-related misconduct, such an approach may not be appropriate when it comes to some of the most serious [...]
Quitting but not Splitting: When do resignations not count due to stress, illness or anger?
February 13, 2014 Employers need to carefully scrutinize resignations and ensure there is an effective "quit" before refusing to take back an employee who has a change of heart. The words "I quit" [...]
Important Developments in Labour & Employment Law in 2013: (and what they mean for you in 2014)
January 30, 2014 In this session experts will review the most important 2013 Supreme Court and court of appeal decisions in workplace law and explain how the key legal principles enunciated in those decisions should [...]