This may be the greatest change in labour relations in decades. This session is an opportunity to consider the implications of the new legislation for both unionized and non-unionized employers.

• Will this lead to greater fairness?
• How far does the legislation go?
• What does this change mean for day to day operations?
• What are the broader implications of the legislation?
• What to expect
• How to prepare

Employers who are not in compliance with obligations to prevent harassment and violence in the workplace can face hefty monetary fines, naming and shaming. And there is a lot of confusion out there about what those requirements are and how to implement the vast number of changes to policies and procedures required to get the job done.

This session will provide information on what you must do to comply including

• Reporting requirement to file annual reports with the Minister of Labour on number of occurrences of workplace harassment and violence that occurred in the preceding year, whether they were related to sexual harassment and violence, the locations of where the occurrences took place, the number of occurrences that resulted in the death of an employee, the number of incidents that fell under each prohibited ground of discrimination set out in the Canadian Human Rights Act and the average time it took to complete the resolution process.
• Key definitions
• Clarification of what can be considered an occurrence of harassment and violence in the workplace
• Policy and procedure requirements including:
  • A workplace assessment to be completed by relevant personnel to develop and implement preventative measures within six months
  • Identified risk factors including office culture, external circumstances and the physical design of the workplace
  • Emergency procedures
  • A workplace harassment and violence prevention policy with reports, records and data to assist the investigator
  • A resolution process, including time frames to better support employees or people accused
  • Support measures for employees
  • Documentation on how to protect the privacy of people involved,
  • Mandatory training for employees
  • Need to be aware of each required investigation or resolution step and the timelines associated with those steps
• Typical errors and how to avoid them

The stand-alone Work Place Harassment and Violence Prevention Regulations effective January 2021 bring significant change to federal labour law rules. Employers are expected to have an effective policy and to move from discussion to action.

• 3 and a half years in, how is employer implementation proceeding?
• What stakeholder feedback has been received?
• Is the law being enforced?
• Are complaints being received?
• Management and Union observations and comments

New leave and benefit provisions came into force in 2022. How will you manage practical challenges that arise when you implement these new provisions? How will benefits offered by an employer interact with the medical leave with pay entitlement established in the Code? Serious questions arise, and the session will provide some invaluable answers to guide you through turbulent times. Issues addressed in this session include:

• Changes to paid and unpaid medical leave
• Extension of unpaid leave to 27 weeks
• Does an employee out on LTD now have 10 days paid sick leave?
• Bereavement leave changes in 2021
• New employer record-keeping requirements related to new leave entitlements
• How will Code leave entitlements interact with rights or benefits under a collective agreement?

In 2019, amendments to the Canada Labour Code addressed a myriad of issues, including shift change and work schedule notices, overtime (and when it can be refused), break and rest periods, as well as flexible work arrangements and greater vacation entitlements. More recently, amendments to the Regulations have laid out exemptions to some hours of work rules for employers in the telecommunications, broadcasting, banking, rail and air transportation industries.

This session help clarify these issues and provide:

• An overview of what has changed (and what hasn’t!)
• Specific guidance on overtime refusals, flexible work arrangements, and when notice of shift changes or work schedules must be provided, and what, if any, exceptions to these rules exist.
• Practical advice on how to implement and ensure compliance with these Code provisions
• Details on the new hours of work exemptions and to which industries they apply
• Answers to YOUR questions about these changes

Without an OH & S Management System you are at risk, including  increased safety hazards, government enforcement orders and administrative penalties, increased accidents or incidents and worker injuries, increased number of disability claims, damage to reputation. It’s time to take steps to embed the safety culture in your workplace.

• Why Implement an Occupational Health and Safety Management System?
• Primary components of an OHSMS?
• Where does safety fit in an organization?
• How do business decisions within each department potentially impact worker health, safety and well being?
• Milestones reached and exceeded by Purolator Inc.