Customized Training

Lancaster House offers Customized Training to perfectly meet your organization’s learning needs

Lancaster House offers Customized Training to perfectly meet your organization’s learning needs. We can adapt our pre-designed programs for your workplace or create an entirely new curriculum. First, we’ll consult with you to gain an in-depth understanding of your training requirements. Then, we’ll collaborate with you to shape a program that fulfills your objectives, and we’ll deliver it in a way that works for your organization.

Why Choose Customized Training?

Real-world examples and exercises tailor made for your sector or organization
Combine staff training with designing and updating your organization’s policies and collective agreement provisions
Train all levels of staff at the same time, in a confidential setting
On-site option reduces travel costs and time away from the office
Greater control over venue, content, delivery style and expert instructors
Foundational or advanced? Half-day or multi-day sessions? It’s all up to you

See Below for a Sampling of Our Past Custom Offerings

Accommodating Disabilities

Accommodating Mental and Physical Disabilities in the Workplace

How to accommodate employees with complex mental and physical disabilities is a critical issue in the modern workplace. Both unions and employers must be equipped to navigate the issues arising out of the duty to accommodate. In this in-depth training session, experts will take participants through a step-by-step tutorial designed to enable workplace parties to respond to requests for accommodation in a timely, consistent and effective mann

Accommodating Employees with Episodic Disabilities: A guide to dealing with recurring health conditions

Some of the most prevalent disabilities in Canada, including mental illness, arthritis, HIV, and some types of cancer, can be characterized as episodic disabilities, which are defined as disabilities involving periods of good health alternating with periods of illness or disability. The accommodation of employees with episodic disabilities presents special challenges, such as maintaining contact between an employer and employee during prolonged absences and determining when it’s appropriate for an employee to work and when it’s appropriate for an employee to take time off. Attendees at this workshop will learn strategies for accommodating employees with episodic disabilities that comply with the requirements of human rights legislation.

Participants will leave the session with the knowledge and skills necessary to:

Appreciate the difference between the challenges faced by employees with episodic disabilities and those faced by employees who have non-recurring disabilities.
Identify insurance options and arrangements with insurance companies for the support of employees with episodic disabilities.
Approach employees about the possible need for accommodation in a helpful, non-threatening way.
Establish and maintain effective communication regarding changing accommodation needs.
Support and accommodate employees with episodic disabilities.

Balancing Attendance Management, Accommodation and Return to Work

Attendance management programs have become increasingly common in workplaces across Canada. The goal of these programs is to reduce absenteeism, but some absences are unavoidable, especially for employees with disabilities. In this in-depth training session, participants will master how to balance the objectives of attendance management programs with the legal duty to accommodate employees with disabilities.

This session will equip participants with the knowledge and skills necessary to:

Craft effective sick leave and attendance management policies that comply with human rights and privacy law
Identify the point at which the duty to accommodate ends because undue hardship results from disability-related absenteeism
Make appropriate inquiries into an employee’s health when a disability has not been disclosed
Communicate effectively during attendance management meetings while ensuring fairness to employees involved in an attendance management program

During the session participants will practise applying skills and knowledge to matters related to attendance management and receive feedback from experts.

Mental Health Disabilities at Work: Meeting legal obligations, providing effective support

In a 12-month period, one-in-five Canadian adults will develop a serious mental health problem, and mental health problems are rated as one of the top three drivers of both short- and long-term disability claims by more than 80% of Canadian employers. Managers, supervisors, union representatives and other labour relations professionals will leave this session prepared to promote mental well-being in the workplace, support employees who are mentally unwell, and fulfil the legal obligation to accommodate employees experiencing mental health problems.

You should attend this session if you want to:

Understand the medical/psychological concepts of mental health, mental illness, and substance dependence, as well as the legal concept of mental disability.
Better understand stigma and know how to combat it.
Approach employees about their mental health in a helpful, non-threatening way.
Support and accommodate employees with mental health disabilities.
Develop effective, legally-compliant accommodation and return-to-work plans.

Impairment, Drug Testing, Fitness for Work, Safety

Dealing with Workplace Impairment: Balancing safety, accommodation, and employee rights

The impending legalization of recreational cannabis has profound implications for employers and unions seeking to ensure workplace safety while respecting employee privacy. This in-depth training session will teach participants to recognize the signs of impairment and problematic substance use, ensure workplace safety through legally-compliant policies dealing with impairment, and accommodate employees with substance use disorders.

Experts in impairment recognition and addictions will join experienced labour lawyers and arbitrators to teach participants the skills and knowledge necessary to:

Adapt workplace policies to address the legalization of recreational cannabis.
Spot the signs of impairment.
Ensure workplace safety with policies and procedures that prohibit impairment while ensuring employee rights.
Identify aspects of “Standardized Field Sobriety Tests” (SFST) and “Drug Recognition Expert” training that may be applicable to the workplace.
Recognize the signs that someone in the workplace may have a substance use disorder.
Approach employees suspected of having a disorder in a non-threatening way that encourages them to disclose and seek help.
Accommodate employees with a substance use disorder while maintaining workplace safety.

Testing, Testing, 1, 2, 3: A comprehensive workshop on drug and alcohol testing

Drug and alcohol testing in the workplace has long been a contentious issue, impacting employee privacy rights and employers’ need to maintain a safe workplace. It also raises a host of practical questions – how reliable are different forms of testing? When does off the job, recreational drug use pose a danger in a safety-sensitive workplace? In this session, Lancaster’s experts will demystify workplace drug and alcohol use, and provide a step-by-step guide to responding when an employee tests positive. Topics to be discussed include:

Understanding diagnoses and treatment: What are the diagnostic criteria for substance use disorder? Is it always experienced as a chronic, progressive and/or relapsing disorder? Is prolonged specialist treatment and medical monitoring appropriate for all employees with substance use disorders? Is non-abstinent recovery possible? How effective are inpatient and outpatient rehabilitation programs in promoting lasting recovery?
Demystifying drugs and alcohol in the workplace: What is the workplace impact of off the job substance abuse? Are there lasting effects from recreational drug use, such as marijuana?
Recognizing and inquiring about substance use disorders: What job performance and workplace behaviours may be warning signs of a potential substance abuse or dependency issue? What are some best practices for approaching an employee who appears to be struggling with a substance use disorder?
Exploring the science and limits of testing: Does alcohol testing stand on a different footing than drug testing? Why? Can drug and alcohol testing technology provide an immediate detection of impairment? What technology is usually used for drug tests? How reliable is urinalysis? Are hair or saliva tests less invasive or more effective alternatives to urinalysis?
Managing safety risks: What is the best way to manage safety risks arising from the use or abuse of drugs and alcohol at work? Is drug testing an effective way to control such risks? What other measures, training, policies or programs might be more effective?
Reviewing the law on drug and alcohol testing: What is the legal status of random drug and alcohol testing in the wake of the Supreme Court’s 2013 ruling in the Irving Pulp & Paper case? What kind of evidence is required to show a workplace problem with alcohol or drugs which could warrant random testing? When can drug testing be done as a condition of employment, promotion, or transfer? Can a third-party site owner require drug or alcohol testing as a precondition for allowing workers employed by contractors or sub-contractors on site? What constitutes reasonable cause for testing? In what circumstances will post-incident testing be justified? Is an accident or “near miss” enough, or must there also be some reason to believe that drugs or alcohol were a factor? When will testing be justified in a return-to-work situation?
Responding to positive test results, accommodating employees with disabilities: What steps should be taken by the employer and union when an employee tests positive for drugs or alcohol following a workplace accident? What about when an employee fails a random drug or alcohol test? Should the employee be suspended automatically? If so, should this be with or without pay? Should an employee who tests positive for drugs or alcohol be required to attend a rehabilitation program? What if the employee denies having a substance use disorder? Can employees rely on claims that testing and related measures amount to disability-based discrimination, in order to challenge drug and alcohol policies? What should be done if an employee refuses to submit to random or post-incident drug/alcohol testing?

Taking Safety Seriously: Managing the risks of marijuana, opioids, and other drugs in the workplace

Recent news headlines highlight the prevalence of medicinal and recreational drug use in Canada. This trend, in conjunction with the federal government’s pledge to legalize the use of marijuana for recreational purposes, has prompted many workplace parties to re-examine their approach to prescription and recreational drug use at work. In this workshop, medical and legal experts will discuss best practices for managing the safety risks of marijuana, opioids and other drugs in the workplace while still respecting employee privacy and human rights. Workshop speakers will lead a practical discussion and interactive exercises on a range of issues relating to this topic, including:

Demystifying prescription drug use in the workplace: What are some of the common misperceptions surrounding the use of prescription drugs in the workplace? Does the medicinal use of marijuana and other drugs necessarily result in impairment at work? What else can cause impairment in the workplace? Fatigue? Chronic pain?
Disclosure: In what circumstances, if any, are employees required to disclose their use of medical marijuana and other prescription drugs to their employer? Can employees be required to disclose recreational use of marijuana or other drugs?
Drug use and the duty to accommodate: How does the duty to accommodate under Canadian human rights legislation apply in the context of an employee with a prescription for marijuana or other drugs? Does a medical prescription entitle an employee to be impaired at work? What type of medical information should be requested to determine whether an employee can safely and effectively perform his or her job? How does the duty to accommodate apply to employees with suspected or confirmed substance use disorders? What are some best practices for managing safety risks when substance abuse is suspected?
Impairment testing: What tests are available for employers to measure actual current impairment in the workplace? What advantages does competency-based testing have over traditional drug testing? What possible privacy and/or human rights concerns are raised by impairment testing in the workplace?
Reviewing the law on traditional drug testing: What is the legal status of random drug testing in the wake of the Supreme Court’s 2013 ruling in the Irving Pulp & Paper case? Has any random drug testing policy been found reasonable in Canada post-Irving? In what circumstances will for-cause or post-incident drug testing be permitted? When will testing be justified in a return-to-work situation?
Responding to test refusals and positive test results: What steps should be taken by the employer and union when an employee fails a for-cause, post-incident or random drug test? What about when an employee fails a competency-based test? What should be done if an employee refuses to submit to random, for-cause or post-incident drug testing, or to competency-based testing?
Drafting workplace policies: What elements should be included in a workplace policy dealing with the use of prescription drugs? What about the use of recreational drugs? How should impairment-based testing or traditional drug testing be treated in workplace policies? In what circumstances, if any, are zero-tolerance policies permissible?

E-mail Customer Service or call (416) 977-6618 for more information. We can help to tailor a Customized Training package for you.

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From conferences to customized training, Lancaster House offers a wide range of learning opportunities in labour, employment, and human rights law. Explore how we can help you meet your individual and organizational learning goals today.

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