23rd Annual Employers' Conference

Registrations have closed.

23rd Annual Employers’ Conference

by Landon P. Young, Allison L. Taylor, Jeffrey D. A. Murray, Jeremy D. Schwartz, Ryan J. Conlin

IMPORTANT NOTICE: Breakfast and registration from 8 a.m. Program commences promptly at 9 a.m. Free parking.

Description:

Labour & Employment Law Update 2008

This past year has been marked with significant changes to labour and employment legislation, and watershed decisions that will affect employers for years to come. We’ve designed this year’s conference to deliver a practical and digestible review of what you need to know to manage your employees effectively.

8:00 a.m. Registration & Breakfast

9:00-9:15 Introductory Remarks

9:15-10:00 The Latest on Just Cause for Dismissal (Allison Taylor)

Just cause for dismissal has always been difficult for employers to establish. Find out about the latest cases on what constitutes just cause and if it is becoming any easier for employers to establish just cause. Learn about:

When serious misconduct will constitute just cause,
The risks of asserting just cause for dismissal, and
How to handle a dismissal for just cause.

10:00-10:30 Pandemic Planning for H.R.: Is Your Organization Ready for the “Big One?” (Ryan Conacher)

The threat of H1N1 (swine flu) has reminded employers of how vulnerable they can be to a pandemic. Advance planning can help reduce the impact on your organization. This session will discuss:

The essential elements of a sound and workable pandemic plan,
How to manage attendance issues, WSIB claims, leaves of absence, etc.,
How to minimize potential liabilities to employees in the wake of the pandemic.

10:30-10:45 Break/Networking

10:45-11:30 Positioning Your Organization to Meet New Obligations for Violence and Harassment

Prevention (Barbara Humphrey)

Bill 168 will introduce detailed obligations with respect to violence and harassment prevention as well as risks of employee domestic violence spilling over into the workplace. This session will provide a road map for your compliance agenda and will address the following:

·Key elements of developing an effective workplace violence prevention program,
Best practices for effective prevention programs in your workplace environment,
Positioning your organization to survive an assessment.

11:30-12:00 Q&A

12:00-1:15 Lunch

1:15-2:00 Best Practices for Controlling Absenteeism (Jeffrey Murray)

One of the biggest challenges for Canadian employers seeking to improve productivity is excessive absenteeism. The law imposes a myriad of restrictions on what employers can do to tackle this problem. You will learn:

When discipline or termination of employment may be justified,
The pro’s and cons of absenteeism policies,
How to avoid running afoul of human rights and employment standards obligations,
How to manage absenteeism in the unionized workplace.

2:00-2:45 WSIB Claims Management: How to Manage Claims and Cut Costs in an Era of Unprecedented Surcharges (Ryan Conlin)

WSIB costs have skyrocketed as experience rating changes have made it more difficult to obtain refunds. More than ever employers need to understand how to manage claims to avoid costly surcharges and to realize potential savings. This session will review:

Strategies for challenging questionable claims at the outset,
How to respond to vague and self serving medical notes,
Managing the challenge of workers who are not co-operating with their return to work program,
A discussion of how whether it is ever possible to terminate a worker with a WSIB claim during the re-employment window.

2:45-3:00 Break/Networking

3:00-3:30 Protecting Your Organization From Departing Employees (Jeremy Schwartz)

You are about to terminate a manager who has never signed a written contract or any confidentiality or non-competition agreements. She has had intimate access to confidential proprietary information, and close contact with your key customers and personnel. The competition would love to find out your secrets. This session will cover:

Strategies for obtaining enforceable confidentiality, non-competition and non-solicitation agreements at termination,
What the courts have recently said on the duties of departing employees and the enforceability of these agreements.

3:30-4:15 Employees’ Rights in Insolvencies and Court Supervised Restructurings (Landon Young)

What happens to the employees’ legal rights when an employer goes bankrupt or is restructured under a court supervised process? Find out in the day’s final session, which will cover:

The status of employee claims in a bankruptcy,
Exposure of company directors and officers to personal liability for unpaid employee wages,
Potential continuation of union bargaining rights and collective agreements,
Government programs for employees of insolvent employers.

4:15-4:45 Q&A

WE HOPE YOU’LL JOIN US!