Conference / Seminar

2016 Toronto Client Conference

Event Details

April 5, 2016 - April 28, 2016
8:30 a.m. - 11:00 a.m.

Hicks Morley Toronto Office
77 King Street West, 39th Floor
Toronto, ON

April 5, 7, 12, 14, 19, 21, 26 and 28, 2016

Stay on the leading edge of human resources change

Change is a constant in the human resources world: ongoing developments in the law, whether through new legislation or the courts, and the rapid evolution of best practices create a fast-paced learning environment for human resources professionals.

Recent examples of such changes are in the areas of gender identity and expression, social media harassment, mental stress claims, personal emergency leave and the ORPP implementation and CPP expansion. All of these issues can directly impact the management of your workplace.

Employers must take the lead in responding to these emerging challenges and Hicks Morley is pleased to be your partner in navigating this change.

Please register for one of the available dates. Registrations will be processed in the order in which they are received. Due to the high volume of registrations received, we regret that we will be unable to accommodate switching between session dates.

 

Agenda

 

8:30

Registration and Continental Breakfast

9:00

Opening Remarks and Welcome

9:05

A Whirlwind Tour of Critical New Developments in Human Resources Law and Advocacy

A fast-paced, tightly focused review of the legal developments that you need to know about.

Big Data: Are there Privacy Limits to Employee Monitoring?

Employer IT departments have the technology to know who’s doing what, when. While organizations have a vested and legitimate interest in ensuring its employees aren’t wasting company time and in minimizing risks, these interests must be carefully balanced against employee rights to privacy. This session provides you with the information and know-how you need to do that.

The Changing World of ORPP and CPP Expansion

The Ontario Retirement Pension Plan is scheduled to become effective for the first group of employers on January 1, 2017. The federal government is also considering the expansion of Canada Pension Plan. This session examines the steps Ontario employers can take to prepare for the implementation of the ORPP or an expanded CPP.

Social Media Harassment: How Should Employers Respond?

Social media is now pervasive in society and in the workplace. This session will explore the extent to which employers should police social media activities and provides best practices for dealing with the effect negative social media conduct has on your workplace.

The Moral of Damages: An Employment and Arbitral Case Law Update

There is a growing trend amongst Courts and Adjudicators to award “moral damages” sanctioning employer misconduct. This session examines evolution of the moral damages, the types and quantum of damages awarded. and provides employers with practical insights to mitigate litigation risk.

Personal Emergency Leave: Emerging Trends

The personal emergency leave provisions of the Employment Standards Act, 2000 can create challenges for employers’ attendance management initiatives and raise difficult questions about how the leave integrates with existing entitlements (e.g. sick leave and bereavement leave). In this session, we review recent developments in the case law that may give employers more options for managing this employee entitlement.

9:55

Break

10:10

Managing Risk When Disaster Strikes

It is all too common for employers to be at risk when sensitive internal issues – ranging from employment disputes and harassment allegations, to governance disputes, data breaches and everything in between – become public. These kinds of public “disasters” pose unique legal and reputational challenges, especially for General Counsel. In this presentation, we will give you a roadmap for navigating these choppy waters.

Does the Canada Labour Code Permit Dismissals Without Cause?

There have been significant case law developments regarding the ability of a federally regulated employer to terminate a non-union employee without cause under the Canada Labour Code. However, these types of terminations are not immune from review. This session will review recent developments in the case law and provide some tips on how to reduce exposure when it comes to unjust dismissal complaints.

Strategic Bargaining: Do You Have a Plan?

Successful collective bargaining requires serious strategic consideration and planning if an employer wishes to place its organization in an optimal position. This session will point you to key considerations in developing a collective bargaining strategy, provide a guide to implementing your strategy and highlight common pitfalls and obstacles.

Responding to WSIB Mental Stress Claims

Mental stress in the workplace is a topic of growing concern for employers in Ontario and the Workplace Safety and Insurance Appeals Tribunal has expanded entitlement to include claims of chronic mental stress. In this fast-paced session we provide you with updates on recent Tribunal jurisprudence and set out practical tips for employers who are faced with mental stress claims at the WSIB.

Gender Identity and Expression in the Workplace

Understanding and Accommodating Gender Identity and Expression: Gender identity and expression are the newest grounds to be included in the Human Rights Code and a growing area of interest for employers and service providers in Ontario. This session will review key principles and best practices for effectively assessing and responding to gender identity and expression in employment and provision of services.

11:00

Closing Remarks and Networking Opportunity

HRPA Approved CPD Graphic