Halifax Half Day Workshop May 1, 2019 Topic: Today's Critical Issues in Employment Law presented by Kyle MacIsaac, LL.B., Partner, Mathews Dinsdale & Clark LLP and Caroline Spindler, J.D., Associate, Mathews Dinsdale & Clark LLP Click here for the printable PDF version-- Today's Critical Issues in Employment Law Managing people today in a truly diverse and changing world has its challenges. The legal landscape for employers continues to evolve. This special half day program will address tips and recent developments in the following areas: Cannabis and the Workplace: Medical & Recreational- Testing, Accommodation, Employee Rights & Policies Recruitment Updates: Background checks, Social media Employment Contracts Constructive Dismissal Click here for information on Kyle MacIsaac Click here for information on Caroline Spindler Halifax Full Day Conference May 2, 2018 Topic: Today’s Critical Issues in Employment Law presented by Michael Murphy, J.D., Associate, McInnes Cooper, Halifax Succession Planning: Make it Work! presented by Tony Case, PhD, Senior Consultant, Knightsbridge Robertson Surrette Mindfulness at Work: Training our Minds to Pay Attention presented by Michelle Lane, Leadership Catalyst & Principal, Vibrant Leaders Power Through that Laundry List: Steer your teams to project delivery! presented by Judith Richardson, CEO & Principal, PONO Consultants International and Cynthia Giles, Founder & CEO, Capstone Project Solutions Inc. Click here for the printable PDF version Today’s Critical Issues in Employment Law This session will provide an overview of recent developments in three major areas that impact your organization. • Workplace harassment and bullying Workplace harassment and bullying can have many targets, take many forms and often be “invisible”. However, the negative workplace effects of harassment and bullying aren’t invisible: employees often suffer a wide array of physical and psychological effects that spread to broader workplace problems. - Review the impact of workplace harassment and bullying and how to avoid the costs such conduct generates - Gain the skills to identify and determine when you should intervene - Learn how to respond effectively and proactively to meet your legal obligations to provide a safe workplace free of harassment and bullying -Discover the five key steps to investigate harassment and bullying when it does occur • Cannabis: A burning topic for every employer The pending legalization of recreational cannabis is driving the stigma down, and the usage of both recreational and medical cannabis up. Obtain updates on the latest legal developments around cannabis @ work. • Atlantic Immigration Pilot Program Canada’s latest census numbers are clear: we need workers. Participants will get a brief update on the Atlantic Immigration Pilot and how it’s helping Atlantic Canadian employers hire the employees they need. Click here for information on Michael Murphy Succession Planning: Make it Work! Why do it? Organizations must ensure that they aren’t losing the expertise and knowledge of top talent when they leave. Succession planning is different than having an immediate replacement plan. Having a good plan in place also decreases risk of the organization by being able to provide the same level of business to your clients and stakeholders. Best practices Succession planning takes time to develop and perfect. Review the list of things to be done to achieve your goals. Discuss how to design your plan so it aligns with your business strategy and it is made to be just as important. You’ll gain better understanding on whom to approach when and how to get buy-in from top tier management. Lessons learned This planning process usually takes longer than you think and should be treated as important as any other organizational goal. Obtain insights on how other organizations have succeeded in developing the right plan and key factors to success. Discover simple tools to get started now. Click here for information on Tony Case Mindfulness at Work: Training our Minds to Pay Attention Our minds naturally wander- we do it about 50 percent of our waking moments. Add the reality of external distraction in our volatile and hyper-connected 24/7 world to the equation, and it’s easy to appreciate why our ability to focus and pay attention is under such tremendous pressure. Notably, the costs are mounting in our personal health and wellbeing, as well as our overall ability to be effective in our personal and professional lives. For leaders and organizations, the impact on executive functioning skills such as problem-solving and decision making, to name but two, are areas worthy of focus and attention. Our minds, just as our muscles, can be trained. The practice of mindfulness and the capacity it offers to cultivate present moment awareness without judgement or emotional reactivity provides an opportunity to train our minds to pay attention. In the process, we strengthen our ability to pay attention in a mindful way and learn to more readily return to focus on the task at hand when our minds wander. In this interactive session, discover the art and science of mindfulness, highlight some of the research findings about its impact in the workplace and experience a few simple ways of exploring and applying mindfulness – for yourselves and your organizations. Click here for information on Michelle Lane Power Through that Laundry List: Steer your teams to project delivery! Picture a cluttered desk, full inbox and harried team member-doing their best to keep up. Does that sound like you or any of your colleagues? Regardless of your situation or workplace, you will learn to guide your teams to actively and clearly deliver their projects. You will get some real-life inspiration and tools to power through your laundry list of to-do's with clarity, focus and purpose. In this dynamic interactive session, discover how to apply some of the principles and processes of Project Management and Change Management to simplify tasks, take control and simply empty your inbox! • Explore the 3 essentials of managing projects and apply to everyday to-do lists • Draw on your power to influence, inspire and develop collaborative skills and strength • Examine the role of leaders as change agents and catalysts for organizational growth • Befriend “resistance” to change • Discuss strategies for developing a results-focused organizational culture Click here for information on Judith Richardson Click here for information on Cynthia Giles Calgary Full Day Conference May 1, 2018 Topic: Today’s Critical Issues in Employment Law presented by Tom Ross, LL.B., Partner, McLennan Ross LLP Embrace Newcomers into Your Workplace presented by Anila Lee Yuen, MBA, Chief Executive Officer, Centre for Newcomers Diversity and Inclusion: Best Practices in Recruitment, Employee Development & More presented by Maria Dray, Employment Equity Advisor, Shell Canada and Stuart Young, Experienced Hire Recruiter, Shell Canada Sign In Your Teams: Connect, Collaborate and Create with Ease presented by Jacqueline Throop-Robinson, CEO, Spark Engagement Click here for the printable PDF version Today’s Critical Issues in Employment Law The legal landscape for employers continues to evolve. Alberta has faced significant changes in its employment legislation, and changes to societal norms are placing new demands and pressures upon employers. It is important to stay up to date with these changes. This presentation will address: 1) Changes to Alberta’s employment legislation, including the Employment Standards Code and Labour Relations Code 2) The legalization of marijuana and how it will affect your workplace Click here for information on Tom Ross Embrace Newcomers into Your Workplace This session will explore newcomers’ contributions as well as challenges in entering the workforce and provide key recommendations that will facilitate integration of newcomers into the labour market. Highlights include: • Newcomers’ profile in general and those served at the Centre for Newcomers • Positive contributions newcomers bring into the labour market • Understanding the barriers and challenges that newcomers face and where they get stuck • What can employers and concerned service providers do to tap their optimum potentials, reduce the barriers and create a more welcoming hiring and retention environment? Click here for information on Anila Lee Yuen Diversity and Inclusion: Best Practices in Recruitment, Employee Development & More Today’s talent is more diverse than ever before- having an inclusive work environment is key to innovating, developing and retaining that talent. Diversity is important, but it has to be partnered with inclusion to be really effective. Session highlights include: - Review of the elements of a corporate Diversity & Inclusion Strategy on the business case or importance of Diversity & Inclusion in an organization - Share how RDS is set up to support the topic of Diversity and Inclusion in the workplace - Explore details of Shell Canada’s strategy and tactics on Attraction and Recruitment including approach and specific initiatives. Learn how Shell Canada’s practices differ depending on the type of candidates they are recruiting and how you can apply these initiatives in your own organization. - Examine challenge areas, findings and results as well as ongoing progress for how Shell is evolving on this topic. Learn how to handle accommodation issues and other challenge areas. Click here for information on Maria Dray Click here for information on Stuart Young Sign In Your Teams: Connect, Collaborate and Create with Ease Take your teams and leaders beyond the basics. Our focus is your success, whether you have a problem to solve or an idea to build. In today's world, teams are much different than years ago. The traditional "team in a box" no longer serves organizations as well. More often individuals are interacting with people from within their own workplace, other organizations and communities. There is value and strength in being able to easily transition and adapt to each new interaction. In this very interactive session, discover the Golden Rule of Collaboration at work, build on ideas with proven techniques, deal with people who create barriers and work with mistakes. Obtain practical tools and techniques for everyday use and work with others constructively. Learn how to take your team to the next level and how to apply these principles in both your professional and personal lives. Click here for information on Jacqueline Throop-Robinson Edmonton Full Day Conference May 3, 2018 Topic: Today’s Critical Issues in Employment Law presented by Kirsten Hayne, LL.B., Associate, Brownlee LLP Sign In Your Teams: Connect, Collaborate and Create with Ease presented by Jacqueline Throop-Robinson, CEO, Spark Engagement Wrapping Up Internal Investigations: Secrets to Success presented by David Ray, J.D., Principal, Core Resolutions Communications & Email Etiquette: Mastering the Skills presented by Julianna Cantwell, President, Juna Consulting Inc. Click here for the printable PDF version Today’s Critical Issues in Employment Law Managing people today in a truly diverse and changing world has its challenges. The legal landscape for employers continues to evolve. This presentation will address tips and recent developments in the following areas: Managing a Toxic Workplace: No one should manage a toxic workplace – you should obliterate it. The reality is that we all have Respectful Workplace Policies and good intentions, but why are we still having so many challenges? • Gain insights on how to get more progress out of the tools you have to create sustainable cultures. • Examine the “bystander effect” and how to empower others to manage issues and conflicts in a way that fosters collaboration over opposition. • Learn to establish healthy expectations of confidentiality and frankly consider whether your words align with your actions. Social Media: What’s New? • Discuss the blurred lines of personal and professional lives, particularly social media. • In an era of “work-life integration”, explore different social media scenarios and how, if at all, you may respond as an employer. Examples reviewed include pre-employment screening, setting reasonable expectations with employees, using social media to develop your corporate and personal brand, evidence in workplace investigations and shutting down the internet trolls. Click here for information on Kirsten Hayne Sign In Your Teams: Connect, Collaborate and Create with Ease Take your teams and leaders beyond the basics. Our focus is your success, whether you have a problem to solve or an idea to build. In today's world, teams are much different than years ago. The traditional "team in a box" no longer serves organizations as well. More often individuals are interacting with people from within their own workplace, other organizations and communities. There is value and strength in being able to easily transition and adapt to each new interaction. In this very interactive session, discover the Golden Rule of Collaboration at work, build on ideas with proven techniques, deal with people who create barriers and work with mistakes. Obtain practical tools and techniques for everyday use and work with others constructively. Learn how to take your team to the next level and how to apply these principles in both your professional and personal lives. Click here for information on Jacqueline Throop-Robinson Wrapping Up Internal Investigations: Secrets to Success You’ve completed the fact gathering on an internal investigation and now it’s time to put the package together to present to the decision makers. Acquire the tools to ensure that your package will provide the answers in a thorough and comprehensive manner and will not just raise more questions. Examine the use of root cause analysis in reviewing internal investigations to get to the source of what happened. Rather than just casting blame on the employee, it will provide a process for looking at the organizational and process issues that should be addressed so that there is less likelihood of the event happening again. Gain insights on the ever-growing issue of handling evidence gathered from social media and computer data so that it can be properly collected and protected in a manner that will withstand scrutiny by a tribunal or the courts. Discover some techniques to ensure that your final report depicts what happened in a simple, straightforward format that decision makers will understand. Review a sample investigation report format which you can use in your own organization. Click here for information on David Ray Communications & Email Etiquette: Mastering the Skills Every day we communicate; we cannot NOT communicate with others. Are we actually communicating with purpose and being understood? Learn how to get your messages across clearly so you get the results you want, no matter what modes you use (email, phone or face-to-face). Session highlights include: • Determine which communication style you have been using • Discuss the three modes of communication and their impact on meaning • Choose the appropriate level of listening to apply to conversations at work • Identify the best method to use for future communications •Structure messages to ensure full communication has occurred • Implement electronic communication best practices Click here for information on Julianna Cantwell Toronto Full Day Conference May 2, 2018 Topic: Today’s Critical Issues in Employment Law presented by Michelle Henry, J.D., Partner, Borden Ladner Gervais LLP The Work of Leaders: Connect to real-world demands presented by Murray Janewski, MBA, President, ACT One International Corp. Ignite Your Culture! 6 Steps to Fuel your Organization’s Profits, People and Potential presented by Carol Ring, CEO & Founder, The Culture Connection, Speaker, Facilitator and Author Peak Performance: Become a GameChanger! presented by Orlando Bowen, M.Sc., Motivational Speaker, Executive Director, One Voice One Team Youth Leadership Organization Click here for the printable PDF version Today’s Critical Issues in Employment Law This presentation will provide recent cases, updates and developments in the following areas: Human Rights, WSIB and Mental Health Issues In this session we will: • Discuss recent cases on assessing the duty to accommodate and undue hardship • Examine WSIB mental health claims and WSIB decisions on traumatic mental stress • Obtain insights on what medical information employers are entitled to request • Consider Health and Safety Issues and Confidentiality • Review the process of discipline of employees with mental health issues • Discuss best practices for approaching stress and mental health claims • Review recent damage awards in human rights cases • Discuss Best Practices to Avoid Large Damage Awards Click here for information on Michelle Henry The Work of Leaders: Connect to real-world demands Based on best practices,” The Work of Leaders” connects to real-world demands, generating powerful conversations that provide a clear path for action. Obtain valuable insights into leadership best practices based on work done by Murray Janewski in partnership with John Wiley and Sons. Leadership will be defined as a one-to-many relationship as opposed to the one-to-one relationship that is unique to the field of management. Leadership focuses on tangible steps directed at leading a team toward desired outcomes. Discuss the findings of six years of research and input from over 300 people at over 150 organizations. Using the framework of Vision, Alignment and Execution, The Work of Leaders encourages leaders to understand their own leadership behaviours and how those behaviours will impact their effectiveness in leading others. While thought provoking, The Work of Leaders stimulates fresh conversations and perspectives regardless of the leader’s knowledge or experience. It’s an opportunity for leaders at all levels of learning to reflect on how they approach each step of their work. In addition, it encourages reflection and discussion about the team and the organization. Participants will come away with both the insight and the actions to be able to grow as a leader and to grow their teams. Click here for information on Murray Janewski Ignite Your Culture! 6 Steps to Fuel your Organization’s Profits, People and Potential According to Gallup, employee engagement isn’t getting any better despite a recent uptick in attention and effort. From Nov 2011 to Nov 2015 the % of engaged employees has risen a mere 1.8%. You see, employee engagement only measures the symptom, it isn’t as helpful when it comes to solutions. Measuring culture and cultural entropy directly is a much better strategy to inspiring human performance. In this session you will hear real life stories about how an organization’s culture can either propel it forward or create barriers that hold it back. Learn how the Values Centre methodology and tools can change the conversation and where your organization fits on the 7 Levels of Organizational Consciousness. Discover a unique 6-step process that demystifies the course of action leaders need to take to shift from a default culture to one designed for success. When it comes to culture, do you need to be a Google or a Zappo’s? No. Could you be substantially and dramatically better than where you are today? Absolutely! Click here for information on Carol Ring Peak Performance: Become a GameChanger! Leadership – “Leading by Example, We ALL Have Stories AND Gifts to Give”. The expression “A good example has twice the value of good advice” still works today. We all have unique skills, talents and gifts that we bring to our organizations and teams. In this dynamic presentation, discover new ways of being a catalyst in creating and fostering powerful environments where your people know that they are respected and that their voices matter. They will also be engaged around how they can celebrate each other’s contributions and powerfully tap into their own gifts for the betterment of all. Click here for information on Orlando Bowen Ottawa Full Day Conference April 12, 2018 Topic: Legal Update: Performance Management & Discipline in the Workplace presented by Dan Palayew, LL.B., Partner/ Regional Leader, Labour & Employment Group and Erin Durant, JD, Associate, Borden Ladner Gervais LLP WSIB, Social Media and Investigations Update: What Employers Need to Know presented by Brian Sartorelli, President, Investigative Risk Management and Sarah Bunder, C.C.I.I., OSINT Specialist, Investigative Risk Management Top 10 Barriers to Effective Writing in the Workplace and How to Overcome Them presented by Kathie Lynas, Principal Consultant, Kathie Lynas Communications Sign In Your Teams: Connect, Collaborate and Create with Ease presented by Jacqueline Throop-Robinson, CEO, Spark Engagement Click here for the printable PDF version Legal Update: Performance Management & Discipline in the Workplace Performance management includes activities which ensure that goals are consistently being met in an effective and efficient manner. Developing the right performance management system is a challenge for most organizations because there are so many elements critical to the process. Progressive discipline, if used properly, can be a vital management tool. Topics covered in this legal update include: - An overview of the fundamental principles of performance management - Developing a performance management model and implementing SMART goals - The basic legal concepts for imposing discipline in unionized and non-unionized workplaces - The importance of progressive discipline and proper documentation - Performance management and probationary employees Click here for information on Dan Palayew Click here for information on Erin Durant WSIB, Social Media and Investigations Update: What Employers Need to Know This session will provide information on recent developments in the areas of WSIB, Social Media and other corporate investigations. Obtain valuable insights on: • Using Social Media in conjunction with WSIB/LTD investigations, attendance management, pre-employment, intelligence and background investigations • A review of WSIB case law and admissibility • At what point in the process do you retain a professional investigator, who should know about the investigation and what do you look for when hiring Click here for information on Brian Sartorelli Click here for information on Sarah Bunder Top 10 Barriers to Effective Writing in the Workplace and How to Overcome Them Strong writing skills are critical in today’s workplace. When your written communications are clear, concise and focused on both your audience and business needs, decision-making and productivity are improved. Given that so much business is conducted electronically and organizations are leaner, communicating through writing is a part of most our jobs. Yet, while we have strong expertise related to our organizational responsibilities, many of us have received no formal training in writing. We often unknowingly erect barriers to understanding in our written communications – and the result is confusion and frustration for our readers. In this presentation, you will learn about the 10 most common barriers that writers create for their readers and the easy-to-apply techniques that overcome them. You will gain knowledge about ways to strengthen every aspect of your writing – from word choice and tone, to sentence structure and narrative flow – to help you communicate to your managers, colleagues and clients with more efficiency, clarity and impact. Click here for information on Kathie Lynas Sign In Your Teams: Connect, Collaborate and Create with Ease Take your teams and leaders beyond the basics. Our focus is your success, whether you have a problem to solve or an idea to build. In today's world, teams are much different than years ago. The traditional "team in a box" no longer serves organizations as well. More often individuals are interacting with people from within their own workplace, other organizations and communities. There is value and strength in being able to easily transition and adapt to each new interaction. In this very interactive session, discover the Golden Rule of Collaboration at work, build on ideas with proven techniques, deal with people who create barriers and work with mistakes. Obtain practical tools and techniques for everyday use and work with others constructively. Learn how to take your team to the next level and how to apply these principles in both your professional and personal lives. Click here for information on Jacqueline Throop-Robinson Edmonton Full Day Conference May 4, 2017 Topic: Today’s Critical Issues in Employment Law: Seeing the Forest through the Trees presented by Jenelle Butler, LL.B., Associate, Brownlee LLP Human Cloud, Gig Economy and the Future of Recruiting in Canada presented by Jeff Aplin, President, David Aplin Group Alberta’s Economy: Have we reached the bottom yet? presented by Todd Hirsch, B.A., M.A., Chief Economist, ATB Financial Changing Problem Behaviour without Discipline presented by George Raine, President, Montana Consulting Group Click here for the printable PDF version Today’s Critical Issues in Employment Law: Seeing the Forest through the Trees This session will provide an overview of recent developments in three major areas that impact your business. * Duty to Accommodate: Obtain the critical information required to keep up with employers’ ever-changing obligations and navigate these sometimes choppy waters with confidence. * Medical Marijuana: Marijuana is, at least for the time being, an illegal drug. Issues in the workplace related to employees legally prescribed marijuana are on a sharp increase. What are your obligations, rights and proactive tools to deal with this issue? * Accommodating Mental Stress: We would all agree that everyone suffers “stress” at some point in their working lives. When is stress medically recognized “mental stress” that requires accommodation? What do you need to know to deal effectively with this issue in your workplace? Learn how to minimize the risk of a “stress leave” interfering with legitimate employer actions and how to proactively handle such claims when they arise. Click here for information on Jenelle Butler Human Cloud, Gig Economy and the Future of Recruiting in Canada Explore current trends in recruitment and how they are shaping the future of staffing and recruitment in Canada. Throughout history, the nature of work periodically experiences transformational changes from assembly line workers in the early 20th century to the rise of the knowledge workers around 1990 and now to the gig economy and the human cloud. Understand how the nature of supply and demand of labour is changing in today’s digital economy. The global staffing industry continues to grow however the pace of change to how the staffing industry is structured is accelerating. Examine the thinking behind some of the largest strategic moves in the staffing industry over the past year. The recruiting industry is an agency business model however the digital age is quickly changing how candidates and employers connect. Discuss how industries go from severe labour shortages to high unemployment. Review what you should be telling your children they should learn to be marketable in the economy of the future. Gain valuable insights on how technology is changing models of employment. Look at the big picture of macro-economic trends affecting employment and link them to the question of what this all means and how it affects you. Click here for information on Jeff Aplin Alberta’s Economy: Have we reached the bottom yet? Moving into 2017, the global economy remains tentative. The US continues to pick up steam, but troubles are brewing both in Europe and Asia. Canada’s economy is also struggling to gain traction and oil prices continue to bounce around at levels unsupportive of new investment in Alberta. All of this adds up to a still challenged economy. As the province struggles through another year of recession, the question on many people’s minds is how long will this last? Have we seen the worst of it, and if so when can we expect recovery? Click here for information on Todd Hirsch Changing Problem Behaviour without Discipline In this high energy presentation, human dynamics innovator George Raine will show you the proven Turnaround Interview® technique for coaching employees to break bad workplace habits without using or threatening discipline. This technique corrects minor but persistent problems like lateness, excessive breaks, missing deadlines, negative comments, improper use of work time and similar behaviours. Already proven in manufacturing, high-tech, government, health care and educational settings, this progressive approach to dealing with sticky problems is producing dramatic results in about 90% of cases. Learn how and why people naturally defend bad workplace habits and why they resist change. Discover how to use that knowledge to overcome the resistance and how to make the change stick. It may not be that easy at first. Review the proven techniques for controlling the flow of the conversation and for phrasing your questions to get the best chance of success. Rooted in a sound understanding of human nature, this new, high-impact approach to employee coaching will get you to rethink your instinctive approaches to these tough conversations with employees. Click here for information on George Raine Calgary Full Day Conference May 2, 2017 Topic: Today’s Critical Issues in Employment Law presented by Duncan Marsden, LL.B., Partner/Regional Leader, Borden Ladner Gervais LLP Human Cloud, Gig Economy and the Future of Recruiting in Canada presented by Jeff Aplin, President, David Aplin Group Maximize Your Role in Successful Organizational Change presented by Laurel Benson, Owner/Principal Consultant, Phronesis Consulting Inc. Changing Problem Behaviour without Discipline presented by George Raine, President, Montana Consulting Group Click here for the printable PDF version Today’s Critical Issues in Employment Law Managing people today in a truly diverse and changing world has its challenges. The legal landscape for employers continues to evolve. This presentation will address tips and recent developments in the following areas: *Social Media - an employer's best friend and worst enemy • Real-life examples of social media issues in the workplace • Legal framework – Privacy legislation and the “intrusion upon seclusion” • Employer’s rights to monitoring social media versus an employee’s rights to privacy • Tips for implementing social media policies in the workplace • Discipline for social media misuse *Constructive Dismissal: Recent cases and practical considerations *Drug and Alcohol Testing: Recent cases and tips on handling this complex issue Click here for information on Duncan Marsden Human Cloud, Gig Economy and the Future of Recruiting in Canada Explore current trends in recruitment and how they are shaping the future of staffing and recruitment in Canada. Throughout history, the nature of work periodically experiences transformational changes from assembly line workers in the early 20th century to the rise of the knowledge workers around 1990 and now to the gig economy and the human cloud. Understand how the nature of supply and demand of labour is changing in today’s digital economy. The global staffing industry continues to grow however the pace of change to how the staffing industry is structured is accelerating. Examine the thinking behind some of the largest strategic moves in the staffing industry over the past year. The recruiting industry is an agency business model however the digital age is quickly changing how candidates and employers connect. Discuss how industries go from severe labour shortages to high unemployment. Review what you should be telling your children they should learn to be marketable in the economy of the future. Gain valuable insights on how technology is changing models of employment. Look at the big picture of macro-economic trends affecting employment and link them to the question of what this all means and how it affects you. Click here for information on Jeff Aplin Maximize Your Role in Successful Organizational Change Do you know that the #1 contributing factor to successful change is active and visible sponsorship of that change? This means that how you perform in your role as a leader can mean the difference between success and failure when it comes to the change initiative. Unsuccessful change initiatives not only cost your organization money and waste valuable time and energy, but also mean the loss of opportunities to become more competitive, more efficient and more profitable. When organizations initiate change, they often engage professional Organizational Change Management (OCM) resources to help manage the people side of the change. However, the role of OCM is not to lead others through the change themselves, but instead to help mobilize and support those within the organization responsible to lead others through the change. This includes working with leaders including the executive, middle management and team leads to support them in managing their people from the current state to the future state with minimal negative implications. Explore the roles that you as managers may be asked to play and the activities you may be asked to perform in your role of leading people through change. From sponsoring the change at an executive level to helping to champion, communicate, motivate, interpret and role model the change to teams throughout the organization, your role as a leader is critical. Gain an understanding of what you can and should expect if an OCM resource is assigned to partner with you on your change initiative. Learn how to implement truly successful change. Click here for information on Laurel Benson Changing Problem Behaviour without Discipline In this high energy presentation, human dynamics innovator George Raine will show you the proven Turnaround Interview® technique for coaching employees to break bad workplace habits without using or threatening discipline. This technique corrects minor but persistent problems like lateness, excessive breaks, missing deadlines, negative comments, improper use of work time and similar behaviours. Already proven in manufacturing, high-tech, government, health care and educational settings, this progressive approach to dealing with sticky problems is producing dramatic results in about 90% of cases. Learn how and why people naturally defend bad workplace habits and why they resist change. Discover how to use that knowledge to overcome the resistance and how to make the change stick. It may not be that easy at first. Review the proven techniques for controlling the flow of the conversation and for phrasing your questions to get the best chance of success. Rooted in a sound understanding of human nature, this new, high-impact approach to employee coaching will get you to rethink your instinctive approaches to these tough conversations with employees. Click here for information on George Raine Halifax Full Day Conference May 3, 2017 Topic: Today’s Critical Issues in Employment Law presented by Kyle MacIsaac, LL.B, Associate, McInnes Cooper The Work of Leaders: Connect to real-world demands presented by Murray Janewski, BComm, MBA, President, ACT One International Corp. Effective Telephone Communication: Perfecting the Art presented by Mary Jane Copps, The Phone Lady – Author, Speaker, Facilitator Communicating for Success and Results: Difficult Conversations presented by Charmaine Hammond, President, Hammond International Inc., Speaker, Consultant Click here for the printable PDF version Today’s Critical Issues in Employment Law Managing people today in a truly diverse and changing world has its challenges. The legal landscape for employers continues to evolve. This presentation will address tips and recent developments in the following areas: *Accommodating Invisible Disabilities – How to respond to mental health issues in the workplace • How to identify mental health disabilities • When do mental health issues become a disability • How should employers respond to mental health related disabilities • Undue hardship in the face of mental disability *Medical Marijuana – The dawn of a new workplace problem or business as usual? • What will the legalization of marijuana in Canada look like? • How will this affect Canadian workplaces? • How and what can employers do to prepare for and respond to this development? Click here for information on Kyle MacIsaac The Work of Leaders: Connect to real-world demands Based on best practices,” The Work of Leaders” connects to real-world demands, generating powerful conversations that provide a clear path for action. Obtain valuable insights into leadership best practices based on work done by Murray Janewski in partnership with John Wiley and Sons. Leadership will be defined as a one-to-many relationship as opposed to the one-to-one relationship that is unique to the field of management. Leadership focuses on tangible steps directed at leading a team toward desired outcomes. Discuss the findings of six years of research and input from over 300 people at over 150 organizations. Using the framework of Vision, Alignment and Execution, The Work of Leaders encourages leaders to understand their own leadership behaviours and how those behaviours will impact their effectiveness in leading others. While thought provoking, The Work of Leaders stimulates fresh conversations and perspectives regardless of the leader’s knowledge or experience. It’s an opportunity for leaders at all levels of learning to reflect on how they approach each step of their work. In addition, it encourages reflection and discussion about the team and the organization. Participants will come away with both the insight and the actions to be able to grow as a leader and to grow their teams. Click here for information on Murray Janewski Effective Telephone Communication: Perfecting the Art Everyone in your organization has one thing in common. They need to clearly and succinctly communicate by phone with others. Whether it is a receptionist taking the call, a salesperson placing the call or a CEO accepting the call, everyone can – and should – improve their existing telephone communication skills. Phone conversations continue to play a vital role in business communication, but being effective and efficient requires specific skills. This dynamic session will help you get your team on track to becoming better communicators. Gain valuable insights on how to leave the right messages that get returned, inspire conversation and gather information. Learn how to work more effectively with specific challenges such as the constant talker, background noise, etc. Discover how to combine email and phone conversations for maximum impact ... and more. Click here for information on Mary Jane Copps Communicating for Success and Results: Difficult Conversations Communication is one of the most important elements of individual, team and business success, yet is one of the most common challenges we all face. This presentation provides you with practical and tactical skills and tools that you can implement immediately for positive results, less drama and long term success… the courageous dialogue. In this interactive session, gain insights how to obtain better results in the difficult conversation, how to reduce your own anxiety and help to generate a positive and productive outcome for all parties involved. Whether the situation involves providing feedback about sensitive issues, correcting performance or conveying bad news, this presentation will help you communicate for success and results up, down and across the organization. Click here for information on Charmaine Hammond Toronto Full Day Conference May 3, 2017 Topic: Today’s Critical Issues in Employment Law presented by Ruben Goulart, LL.B., Lawyer & HR Advisor, Bernardi Human Resource Law LLP WSIB, Social Media and Investigations Update: What Employers Need to Know presented by Brian Sartorelli, President, Investigative Risk Management and Sarah Bunder, OSINT Specialist, Investigative Risk Management Harmonious Relationships: Keeping Them All Happy presented by Judy Suke, Motivational Humourist, Professor, Coach and Author Sign In Your Teams: Connect, Collaborate and Create with Ease presented by Jacqueline Throop-Robinson, CEO, Spark Engagement Click here for the printable PDF version Today’s Critical Issues in Employment Law This session will provide an overview of new and emerging legal trends that have quickly become front of mind for HR and other senior administrators. Legal hot spots to be covered include: * Mental Health issues in today's workplace: The ever increasing challenges associated with managing mental health issues in the workplace, including best practises for dealing with accommodation and managing the flow of information to other employees. * Bill 132: An overview of these new amendments to the Occupational Health and Safety Act and what they mean to employers faced with the need to investigate harassment complaints. How is the Ministry of Labour approaching these new changes? * Drug/Alcohol Testing in the Workplace: What, where and how? What can employers do and not do? How does the usage of medical marijuana impact the discussion? Click here for information on Ruben Goulart WSIB, Social Media and Investigations Update: What Employers Need to Know This session will provide information on recent developments in the areas of WSIB, Social Media and other corporate investigation issues. * WSIB Update, New Case law and Admissibility Discuss how to apply the best practices for privacy rights, how to use the hard evidence and red flags. Review current case law, admissibility and PIPEDA compliance. Discover how to utilize OSINT for WSIB cases. * Social Media- A Professional View Gain valuable insights on the use of social media for pre-employment, intelligence and investigation. Learn about the best practices for digital storing and privacy rights. Explore the use of social media for WSIB investigation and learn more about data mining. Click here for information on Brian Sartorelli Click here for information on Sarah Bunder Harmonious Relationships: Keeping Them All Happy Many of us are more capable than some of us, but none of us is as capable as all of us. To be successful, we need to work in harmony. In this interactive and upbeat presentation, learn about the five common human factors that determine how people act, react and make decisions. Explore various ways to create an atmosphere of harmony. Obtain tips to help you get control, keep control and gain cooperation in a positive and gentle way. Your actions will be received with appreciation and respect. Understand how to get along with others and handle any situation and gain insights that will help you in all areas of your life. Click here for information on Judy Suke Sign In Your Teams: Connect, Collaborate and Create with Ease Take your teams and leaders beyond the basics. Our focus is your success, whether you have a problem to solve or an idea to build. In today's world, teams are much different than years ago. The traditional "team in a box" no longer serves organizations as well. More often individuals are interacting with people from within their own workplace, other organizations and communities. There is value and strength in being able to easily transition and adapt to each new interaction. In this very interactive session, discover the Golden Rule of Collaboration at work, build on ideas with proven techniques, deal with people who create barriers and work with mistakes. Obtain practical tools and techniques for everyday use and work with others constructively. Gain insights on how to take your team to the next level and how to apply these principles in both your professional and personal lives. Click here for information on Jacqueline Throop-Robinson Ottawa Full Day Conference April 6, 2017 Topic: Law Update: Mental Health and Medical Issues in the Workplace presented by Dan Palayew, BA, LL.B., Partner/ Regional Leader, Labour & Employment Group and Erin Durant, BA, JD, Associate, Borden Ladner Gervais LLP, Ottawa Wellness in Today’s Workplace presented by Marlene Mackey, RN, BNSc, MHSM Ignite Your Culture! 6 Steps to Fuel your Organization’s Profits, People and Potential presented by Carol Ring, CEO & Founder, The Culture Connection, Speaker, Facilitator and Author Click here for the printable PDF version Law Update: Mental Health and Medical Issues in the Workplace This special half day program will provide practical tips and strategies on how to deal with the following issues: *Bill 132 – Sexual Violence and Harassment Action Plan Act: What You Need to Know This segment will outline Bill 132 and how it will impact your existing policies. Review the new definitions of “workplace harassment” and “workplace sexual harassment” as well as the additional obligations placed on employers concerning their workplace harassment policies, programs and investigations. *The Duty to Accommodate – What is a Disability? Employers are prohibited from discriminating against their employees on the basis of a disability. They are also required to accommodate an employee’s disability to the point of undue hardship. These legal principles are basic but how are they applied in practice? Often, so called “hidden disabilities” such as mental illness requires special consideration and a different approach. Discover how to handle employees with mental illnesses and discuss new cases involving medicinal marijuana, breastfeeding, miscarriages and an update on the complex issue of drug and alcohol testing. *Managing Return to Work: Accommodating the Returning Employee Review the obligations on an employer when an employee that was suffering from a known disability is preparing to return for work. Learn about the employer’s obligations and obtain an overview of the medical information an employer can and cannot request as well as strategies for employers to accommodate employees following a return to work. *Legal Update on the Top 5 Cases Examine the top 5 cases from the last year involving mental health and other medical issues in the workplace. Click here for information on Dan Palayew Click here for information on Erin Durant Wellness in Today’s Workplace Literature on ‘wellness in the workplace’ has been around for over three decades. It is known as workplace health promotion, proactive disease management, lifestyle improvement, self-help care and condition management strategies. Encouraging your employees to stay healthy keeps your organization healthy. This can translate to reduced absenteeism due to illness and increased productivity due to better health. In this session, we will review the contributing factors that have an impact on the wellness of your workplace. Discover new strategies in dealing with employees’ wellness. Examine the cost to the average employer to not have wellness strategies in place. Discuss the impact you have as managers and supervisors and look at the necessary skills required to address and intervene with initial wellness strategies. Gain valuable insights on the indicators of wellness related to workplace issues and the responsibility of managers as well as various strategies to be used when dealing with health and wellness issues in your work environment. Identifying and promoting workplace wellness is one of the best investments you can make as a successful organization. Click here for information on Marlene Mackey Ignite Your Culture! 6 Steps to Fuel your Organization’s Profits, People and Potential According to Gallup, employee engagement isn’t getting any better despite a recent uptick in attention and effort. From Nov 2011 to Nov 2015 the % of engaged employees has risen a mere 1.8%. You see, employee engagement only measures the symptom, it isn’t as helpful when it comes to solutions. Measuring culture and cultural entropy directly is a much better strategy to inspiring human performance. In this session you will hear real life stories about how an organization’s culture can either propel it forward or create barriers that hold it back. Learn how the Values Centre methodology and tools can change the conversation and where your organization fits on the 7 Levels of Organizational Consciousness. Discover a unique 6-step process that demystifies the course of action leaders need to take to shift from a default culture to one designed for success. When it comes to culture, do you need to be a Google or a Zappo’s? No. Could you be substantially and dramatically better than where you are today? Absolutely! Click here for information on Carol Ring Toronto Full Day Conference May 4, 2016 Topic: Today’s Critical Issues in Employment Law presented by Malcolm MacKillop, LL. B, Senior Partner and Hendrik Nieuwland, LL.B., Partner, Shields O'Donnell MacKillop LLP Workplace Violence & Sexual Harassment: The Changing Legal Landscape presented by Adam Guy, BA, LL.B., Associate, Borden Ladner Gervais LLP Changing Problem Behaviour Without Discipline presented by George Raine, President, Montana Consulting Group and Maxime Labbé, Senior Partner, Montana Consulting Group Beyond Engagement: A Brain-based Approach presented by Brady Wilson, Co-Founder of Juice Inc., Author, Trainer and Speaker Click here for a printable PDF. Today’s Critical Issues in Employment Law This session will address three important workplace issues that are rife with complex and developing legal risks: hiring, drugs and alcohol, and social media. We will first examine the legal pitfalls in the hiring process. Obtain the latest information on human rights, privacy and tort liability that can arise from improper job ads, background checks, interviews and job offers. Next we will review the use and abuse of alcohol and drugs in the workplace. Discuss workplace drug and alcohol policies, obligations to disclose and/or investigate employee addictions and how to deal with employees with addictions. You will then get updates on social media and electronic misconduct in the workplace. This area of the law has rapidly expanded over the last five years. Learn about the new test for terminating employees who damage an employer’s reputation using social media, online harassment and how social media can be used to uncover employee fraud. Click here for information on Malcolm MacKillop Click here for information on Hendrik Nieuwland Workplace Violence & Sexual Harassment: The Changing Legal Landscape From Ghomeshi to Parliament Hill, workplace violence and sexual harassment have been dominating the headlines in Canada and around the world. Many employers are struggling to keep pace with their ever evolving legal obligations and responsibilities. Even the definition of today’s workplace is now blurred with harassment occurring offsite at social functions and online through social media. In response, the Ontario Government has released an Action Plan that will impact employers and the way in which they deal with these complex issues. Planned amendments to legislation will create new duties and potentially new liabilities for employers that every manager, senior executive and in-house counsel should be aware of. Learn about the rapidly changing legal landscape of workplace violence and harassment. Obtain practical tips and strategies to take back to your workplace to protect both your employees and your organization. Click here for information on Adam Guy Changing Problem Behaviour Without Discipline In this high energy presentation, human dynamics innovators George Raine and Maxime Labbé will show you their proven Turnaround Interview® technique for coaching employees to break bad workplace habits without using or threatening discipline. This technique corrects minor but persistent problems like lateness, excessive breaks, missing deadlines, negative comments, improper use of work time and similar behaviours. Already proven in manufacturing, high-tech, government, health care and educational settings, this progressive approach to dealing with sticky problems is producing dramatic results in about 90% of cases. Learn how and why people naturally defend bad workplace habits and why they resist change. Discover how to use that knowledge to overcome the resistance and how to make the change stick. It may not be that easy at first. Review the proven techniques for controlling the flow of the conversation and for phrasing your questions to get the best chance of success. Rooted in a sound understanding of human nature, this new, high-impact approach to employee coaching will get you to rethink your instinctive approaches to these tough conversations with employees. Click here for information on George Raine Click here for information on Maxime Labbé Beyond Engagement: A Brain-based Approach This keynote asserts something surprising-that although employee engagement is the primary strategy leaders rely on to get employees to produce a great customer experience, it rarely delivers it. In fact, many leaders and employees today are caught in the grip of the paradox that employee engagement policies can actually lead to employee disengagement. Discover a unique brain-based approach that blends the engagement managers want with the energy employees need. Brady Wilson will explain revolutionary brain science principles to help leaders shift their strategies, unlock results and experience the benefits that come with true employee engagement. He will also share a gripping story centered around the Boston Marathon bombing and the powerful life-lesson it offered: it’s energy, not effort that deploys your strength. This presentation is based on Brady’s latest book, Beyond Engagement. Participants will learn: • The reasons why traditional employee engagement efforts aren’t working • 10 brain-based employee engagement principles to help you shift your strategy • Real-life examples of successful engagement initiatives using brain science • Tips to immediately “Make It Work” Click here for information on Brady Wilson Edmonton Full Day Conference April 28, 2016 Topic: Today’s Critical Issues in Employment Law presented by Colin Fetter, B.Comm, LL.B., Partner, Brownlee LLP The Work of Leaders: Connect to real-world demands presented by Murray Janewski, BComm, MBA, President, ACT One International Corp. Communicating for Success and Results: Difficult Conversations presented by Charmaine Hammond, President, Hammond International Inc., Speaker, Consultant Bring About What You Think About: Change Your Future Today! presented by Eddie Lemoine, International Speaker/Author and Employee Engagement Expert Click here for a printable PDF. Today’s Critical Issues in Employment Law Managing people today in a truly diverse and changing world has its challenges. The legal landscape for employers continues to evolve. This presentation will address tips and recent developments in the following areas: Demystifying “Constructive Dismissal” In our current economy change is a constant presence. Changes that affect your employees raise the risk of constructive dismissal. What is constructive dismissal? What are the consequences and how can you avoid hidden traps and risk in this area when implementing changes within your organization? Human Rights and the Duty to Accommodate: Employers have rights too! Most managers and HR professionals understand that the area of Human Rights and the “Duty to Accommodate” is a virtual minefield of restrictions and risk for employers. However, what we often lose sight of are the practical proactive tools and employer rights that we do have in this area. Understand your employer rights and the risk management tools available to you in this ever changing arena. Click here for information on Colin Fetter The Work of Leaders: Connect to real-world demands Based on best practices,” The Work of Leaders” connects to real-world demands, generating powerful conversations that provide a clear path for action. Obtain valuable insights into leadership best practices based on work done by Murray Janewski in partnership with John Wiley and Sons. Leadership will be defined as a one-to-many relationship as opposed to the one-to-one relationship that is unique to the field of management. Leadership focuses on tangible steps directed at leading a team toward desired outcomes. Discuss the findings of six years of research and input from over 300 people at over 150 organizations. Using the framework of Vision, Alignment and Execution, The Work of Leaders encourages leaders to understand their own leadership behaviours and how those behaviours will impact their effectiveness in leading others. While thought provoking, The Work of Leaders stimulates fresh conversations and perspectives regardless of the leader’s knowledge or experience. It’s an opportunity for leaders at all levels of learning to reflect on how they approach each step of their work. In addition, it encourages reflection and discussion about the team and the organization. Participants will come away with both the insight and the actions to be able to grow as a leader and to grow their teams. Click here for information on Murray Janewski Communicating for Success and Results: Difficult Conversations Communication is one of the most important elements of individual, team and business success, yet is one of the most common challenges we all face. This presentation provides you with practical and tactical skills and tools that you can implement immediately for positive results, less drama and long term success… the courageous dialogue. In this interactive session, gain insights how to obtain better results in the difficult conversation, how to reduce your own anxiety and help to generate a positive and productive outcome for all parties involved. Whether the situation involves providing feedback about sensitive issues, correcting performance or conveying bad news, this presentation will help you communicate for success and results up, down and across the organization. Click here for information on Charmaine Hammond Bring About What You Think About: Change Your Future Today! Over the past decade, extensive investigation has been done in the study of changing your thoughts to change your life. Eddie Lemoine has researched this concept extensively and shares his insights with thousands of participants from every industry and walk of life. Eddie’s research-based approach provides participants with immediate techniques they can use in their business and personal lives. This presentation is filled with valuable ideas interwoven with inspiring anecdotes and accented with humour and emotion. In this high energy session, discuss the three key elements to change your future outcomes. Learn techniques to attract success, abundance, good health and successful relationships. The techniques presented will help implement lasting change. Participants will discover how to improve business and personal relationships, create more of what they would like to have and less of what they would not, employ the power of emotions, break through feats to achieve higher levels of success, foresee pitfalls along the way and avoid them, achieving the outcome they desire. Click here for information on Eddie Lemoine Calgary Full Day Conference April 26, 2016 Topic: Today’s Critical Issues in Employment Law presented by Tom Ross, B.A, LL.B., Partner, McLennan Ross LLP Losing Balance, Regaining Control: Alberta’s Economy in 2016 presented by Todd Hirsch, B.A., M.A., Chief Economist, ATB Financial Communicating for Success and Results: Difficult Conversations presented by Charmaine Hammond, President, Hammond International Inc., Speaker, Consultant Bring About What You Think About: Change Your Future Today! presented by Eddie Lemoine, International Speaker/Author and Employee Engagement Expert Click here for a printable PDF. Today’s Critical Issues in Employment Law Managing people today in a truly diverse and changing world has its challenges. The legal landscape for employers continues to evolve. This presentation will address tips and recent developments in the following areas: • Medical Marijuana – Everyone seems to be getting a prescription these days. What are the issues and new developments in respect to medical marijuana in the workplace? What are the accommodation requirements in respect to medical marijuana? • Constructive Dismissal – Given the current economic turbulence, many employers need to find ways to reduce costs and have had to change terms and conditions of employment. What are the options and risks to make such changes without triggering employee termination claims? • Employment and Human Rights Update – What new cases and developments should give you hope or fear in addressing the employment issues in your workplace? Click here for information on Tom Ross Losing Balance, Regaining Control: Alberta’s Economy in 2016 It’s been a challenging year for Alberta’s economy, but is there a light at the end of the tunnel? The Canadian and global economies remain out of balance, which has weighed down confidence and commodity markets. Here in Alberta, economic stability was lost with a severe slump in oil prices. This has had a painful impact on employment for thousands in our province. But when things are out of balance, regaining control is key. How and when might Alberta’s economy get back on track? Click here for information on Todd Hirsch Communicating for Success and Results: Difficult Conversations Communication is one of the most important elements of individual, team and business success, yet is one of the most common challenges teams face. This presentation provides you with practical and tactical skills and tools that you can implement immediately for positive results, less drama and better results… the courageous dialogue. In this interactive session, obtain the practical and tactical skills and tools that you can implement immediately for positive results, less drama and better results in the difficult conversation. Learn how to reduce your own anxiety and help to generate a positive and productive outcome for all parties involved. Whether the situation involves providing feedback about sensitive issues, correcting performance or conveying bad news, this presentation will help you communicate for success and results up, down and across the organization. Click here for information on Charmaine Hammond Bring About What You Think About: Change Your Future Today! Over the past decade, extensive investigation has been done in the study of changing your thoughts to change your life. Eddie Lemoine has researched this concept extensively and shares his insights with thousands of participants from every industry and walk of life. Eddie’s research-based approach provides participants with immediate techniques they can use in their business and personal lives. This presentation is filled with valuable ideas interwoven with inspiring anecdotes and accented with humour and emotion. In this high energy session, discuss the three key elements to change your future outcomes. Learn techniques to attract success, abundance, good health and successful relationships. The techniques presented will help implement lasting change. Participants will discover how to improve business and personal relationships, create more of what they would like to have and less of what they would not, employ the power of emotions, break through feats to achieve higher levels of success, foresee pitfalls along the way and avoid them, achieving the outcome they desire. Click here for information on Eddie Lemoine Halifax Full Day Conference April 13, 2016 Topic: Today’s Critical Issues in Employment Law presented by Kyle MacIsaac, B.A., LL.B, Associate, McInnes Cooper Meaningful Impact on Performance presented by Judith Richardson, MA, BA, BEd, MEC, Founder, PONO Consultants International The Seven Strategies of Master Presenters presented by Dr. Brad McRae, Director, Atlantic Leadership Development Institute Sign In Your Teams: Connect, Collaborate and Create with Ease presented by Jacqueline Throop-Robinson, CEO, Spark Engagement Click here for a printable PDF. Today’s Critical Issues in Employment Law Managing people today in a truly diverse and changing world has its challenges. The legal landscape for employers continues to evolve. This presentation will address tips and recent developments in the following areas: 1. Family Status Accommodations • Recent Case law developments • The do’s and don’ts of responding to a Family Status request • What an employer can and cannot request of an employee • Likely growth of more family status claims moving forward 2. Discipline for Off Duty Conduct • What constitutes off duty conduct in the age of Social Media? • How far is too far? • Proper components of a good workplace policy • How should the employer handle personal electronic devices? 3. Performance Related Terminations • Recent Case law developments • Best practices for managing performance • Are older employees entitled to different standards of performance? Click here for information on Kyle MacIsaac Meaningful Impact on Performance Drawing on her experience working with entrepreneurs, executives, and top athletes, including award winning Corporate Leaders and Football Coaches, Judith Richardson explores with audiences developing a peak performance mindset that creates sustainable results that positively affect performance, accountability, management, and staff engagement. An average day in the workplace is one of competing priorities and new processes that come with their own pressures. By sharing actual practices to help you discover what is keeping your team or you from reaching your potential we will explore the “magic in the middle” between competency and deliverable, developing tools for behavioural change leading to robust workplace cultures and lives that work powerfully and effectively in those cultures. In this workshop, participants will explore the mindset, behaviours and actions necessary to: Break through obstacles to peak performance Discover how to overcome the “noise” that can block productivity Increase staff engagement in setting and achieving performance goals Foster an organizational culture of acknowledgement Click here for information on Judith Richardson The Seven Strategies of Master Presenters The sign of a great speech is one that has the Intellectual Power to deliver the message and the Emotional Force to move the audience to new ways of thinking and behaving. The Seven Strategies of Master Presenters is a highly interactive workshop that is based on the book of the same name. Brad and his co-author interviewed over 30 of the best presenters in North America in order to discover how they became Master Presenters. In this hands-on workshop, you will learn how to use the strategies that differentiate masterful presentations from their less effective counterparts. Whether it is a one-on-one presentation, a sales call, a presentation to a small group, or an audience of a thousand, this will help you become a Master. Click here for information on Brad McRae Sign In Your Teams: Connect, Collaborate and Create with Ease Take your teams and leaders beyond the basics. Our focus is your success, whether you have a problem to solve or an idea to build. In today's world, teams are much different than years ago. The traditional "team in a box" no longer serves organizations as well. More often individuals are interacting with people from within their own workplace, other organizations and communities. There is value and strength in being able to easily transition and adapt to each new interaction. In this very interactive session, discover the Golden Rule of Collaboration at work, build on ideas with proven techniques, deal with people who create barriers and work with mistakes. Obtain practical tools and techniques for everyday use and work with others constructively. Gain insights on how to take your team to the next level and how to apply these principles in both your professional and personal lives. Click here for information on Jacqueline Throop-Robinson Ottawa Full Day Conference April 7, 2016 Topic: Workplace Violence & Sexual Harassment: The Changing Legal Landscape presented by Dan Palayew, B.A., LL.B., Partner, Borden Ladner Gervais LLP Violence Risk Assessment: How Do You Turn Down the Heat? presented by Lauren Evans, President, LEI Consulting Engagement in the Workplace- Reading the Tea Leaves: Art or Science? presented by Patti Kuntz, Consultant, former Executive Director of the Human Resources Council (HRC), Government of Canada Changing Problem Behaviour Without Discipline presented by George Raine, President, Montana Consulting Group and Maxime Labbé, Senior Partner, Montana Consulting Group Click here for a printable PDF. Workplace Violence & Sexual Harassment: The Changing Legal Landscape From Ghomeshi to Parliament Hill, workplace violence and sexual harassment have been dominating the headlines in Canada and around the world. Many employers are struggling to keep pace with their ever evolving legal obligations and responsibilities. Even the definition of today’s workplace is now blurred with harassment occurring offsite at social functions and online through social media. In response, the Ontario Government has released an Action Plan that will impact employers and the way in which they deal with these complex issues. Planned amendments to legislation will create new duties and potentially new liabilities for employers that every manager, senior executive and in-house counsel should be aware of. Learn about the rapidly changing legal landscape of workplace violence and harassment. Obtain practical tips and strategies to take back to your workplace to protect both your employees and your organization. Click here for information on Dan Palayew Violence Risk Assessment: How Do You Turn Down the Heat? Most recent statistics show that there were over 300,500 reported incidents of violence including assaults with a weapon, sexual assaults and rape in workplaces across Canada in a single year. In 38% of the reported incidents of violence in the workplace, the accused was either someone else known by the victim or had an ‘other’ type of relationship with the victim. The accused may, for example, have been a patient, a client, a customer or a former co-worker. Can your employees recognize the signs of potential violence? Can you? How well do you really know the person working next to you? What does it matter to you if your colleague is having relationships problems at home? This interactive session will answer these questions and describe the process of Violence Risk Assessment, a structured approach to identifying, understanding and managing workplace violence. The session will address organizational planning as well as issues that may arise at the employee/individual level – how to recognize and interpret the signs of potential violence such as personal history, psychological factors, social factors and destabilizers. This session will explain how violence risk assessments and implementing effective scenario management strategies at an organizational level can be a best practice to protect your employees and prevent future violence in your organization. Click here for information on Lauren Evans Engagement in the Workplace- Reading the Tea Leaves: Art or Science? Achieving a healthy, respectful, vibrant workplace where managers attract and retain top talent is a constant challenge. Despite the latest technological advances, organizational behaviour strategies or flavor of the month techniques, many workplaces are still plagued by absenteeism, lack of motivation, below par productivity and hypermobility. Review ‘real’ case study statistics from a large multi-year organizational survey and discover the stories they tell about the engagement of the people within. Examine some examples of data or ‘tea leaves’ in a federal environment and explore how careful blending and brewing can assist you in the art or science of reading these tea leaves! Discover how simple but fundamental questions can better position you to identify, read and react to the story of your tea leaves that will help you address the issues that can detract from your organization’s productivity and success. Click here for information on Patti Kuntz Changing Problem Behaviour Without Discipline In this high energy presentation, human dynamics innovators George Raine and Maxime Labbé will show you their proven Turnaround Interview® technique for coaching employees to break bad workplace habits without using or threatening discipline. This technique corrects minor but persistent problems like lateness, excessive breaks, missing deadlines, negative comments, improper use of work time and similar behaviours. Already proven in manufacturing, high-tech, government, health care and educational settings, this progressive approach to dealing with sticky problems is producing dramatic results in about 90% of cases. Learn how and why people naturally defend bad workplace habits and why they resist change. Discover how to use that knowledge to overcome the resistance and how to make the change stick. It may not be that easy at first. Review the proven techniques for controlling the flow of the conversation and for phrasing your questions to get the best chance of success. Rooted in a sound understanding of human nature, this new, high-impact approach to employee coaching will get you to rethink your instinctive approaches to these tough conversations with employees. Click here for information on George Raine Click here for information on Maxime Labbé Toronto Full Day Conference May 6, 2015 Topic: Today’s Critical Issues in Employment Law presented by Ruben Goulart, B.A., LL.B., Lawyer & HR Advisor, Bernardi Human Resource Law LLP and Zaheer Lakhani, B.A., J.D., Lawyer, Bernardi Human Resource Law LLP Don’t Look at Me- Creating a Culture of Accountability presented by Luc Beaudry, Principal, Cygnus Training & Consulting Transform your Workplace: Harness Passionate Productivity presented by Eddie Lemoine, International Speaker/Author and Employee Engagement Expert Click here for a printable PDF. Today’s Critical Issues in Employment Law This session will provide an overview of developments in four major areas that impact your business. • Recent Amendments to the leave provisions under Ontario Employment Standards Act: what they are, what they mean for your business and common issues associated with managing statutory leaves in the workplace. • Occupational Health and Safety: emerging issues, including mandatory awareness training and dealing with contractors in your workplace. • New and Emerging Human Rights issues: an overview of current challenges and very recent developments in the law of accommodation. How far do you have to go? • The Stronger Workplaces for a Stronger Economy Act, 2014: This proposed legislation will impact various workplace laws in Ontario. How will it affect you? What does it mean for your employees? Click here for information on Ruben Goulart Click here for information on Zaheer Lakhani Don’t Look at Me- Creating a Culture of Accountability Look up an organisation’s website and chances are you’ll find that their values include personal accountability, integrity, openness and honesty. Walk through their workplace and chances are you’ll hear and see countless examples of blame, avoidance, deflection and fear. This culture destroying behaviour has a direct impact on the quality and quantity of whatever service or product is offered. There are seven levels of accountability and to get to the top, we need to understand the beliefs required to be accountable and learn the core skills that help us to put it to action. In this interactive session, explore the levels of personal accountability and the core beliefs of full accountability. Participants will be able to understand and apply the core skills of personal accountability and obtain practical tips on how to do an organizational accountability health check. Discover how systems and processes support or hinder accountability and how we leverage accountability moments. Learn how to cultivate an environment where people say what they think, feel and want as part of collaborative dialogues that value varied perspectives and styles in order to make better decisions, save time, leverage strengths and build trusting collaborative relationships internally and externally. Click here for information on Luc Beaudry Transform your Workplace: Harness Passionate Productivity Are your top employees planning to quit? Can’t get your employees to care as much about their work as you do? Is your organization stagnating? Anybody can lead an organization during the good times. It’s the tough times when the true leaders produce results. What are you doing to stem the tide and change the trend? How do you inspire your team members to new levels of achievement? Experience the proven process for engaging your employees. Employees who are on board will deliver higher levels of customer service, work better with their teams and recommend your organization as a place to work and to do business. Productive, focused employees create a great return on investment. And, they want their leaders and organizations to achieve. In this high energy session, learn how to: • How to stand out as an employer of choice • Attract, engage, and retain your all-star employees • Harness the expertise of long-term employees • Successfully navigate diverse demographics and skillfully integrate five generations in one workplace • Fully recognize your team’s strengths and work collectively to produce a stronger output • Understand age, gender, and cultural diversity and the role this plays in the workplace • Interpret future trends and their impact on your organization • Implement the three steps to effectively lead in today’s job market Now is the time to steer change in your organization. Now you can align your employees’ ambitions with your organization’s long-term vision. Click here for information on Eddie Lemoine Edmonton Full Day Conference April 30, 2015 Topic: Today’s Critical Issues in Employment Law presented by Colin Fetter, B.Comm, LL.B., Partner, Brownlee LLP Your Need to Know: Bulletproof Investigations presented by David Ray, Principal, Corporate Security Consulting Inc. Lessons Learned about Leadership and Management: A Mayor’s Perspective presented by Mayor Nolan Crouse, City of St. Albert Don’t Worry, Be Happy – How to Reach Maximum Engagement presented by Craig Dowden, Ph.D., President, Craig Dowden and Associates Click here for a printable PDF. Today’s Critical Issues in Employment Law This session will provide an overview of developments in three major areas that impact your business. “Family Ties that Bind”: Several years ago Human Rights Commissions across the country commenced permitting human rights complaints based on the needs of an employee’s family members. This new and evolving ground has recently become the subject of much discussion, confusion, panic and case law. Discuss the employer’s duty to accommodate in this area, where the line is drawn and practical lessons for employers arising from recent cases. “Foreign Workers – to be or not to be”: Recent announced changes to the foreign worker rules and programs have caused legitimate concern for many employers given the ever increasing labour shortage. What do the changes mean for your workplace and foreign worker program? “Ounce of Prevention worth a pound of Cure”: Over the years, we have presented on various tremendously effective and important proactive tools that every employer should be aware of. Review the top tools and techniques for minimizing costly legal disputes with employees including Effective Hire letters and Discipline and Performance management. Click here for information on Colin Fetter Your Need to Know: Bulletproof Investigations Recent court, arbitration and tribunal awards are changing the landscape of how we conduct internal investigations. Rules of fair play and natural justice are more stringent, defamation actions are more common and awards related to faulty or non-existent investigations are increasing substantially. Legislation related to workplace violence, bullying and psychological harassment have placed increased responsibility on employers on how they follow up on reports and the extended use of contractors raises questions about what the company does or does not have to investigate. Complex requirements for accommodation related to addiction and family status issues are also increasing the number of complaints within corporations or to human rights tribunals. This session will explore these recent changes and the effect that they are having on how companies resource investigative capabilities. Discuss the options in using in house and external investigators and opportunities to ensure that investigations are properly staffed. Review the 10 qualities of good investigations and the steps to ensure that organizations reach those requirements. We will also address an approach to ensure that a proper plan is in place when the need to investigate arrives. Obtain the tools to ensure that all investigations into discrimination, harassment, theft, fraud, statutory violations or other just cause issues are completed in a manner that will provide an outcome and report that will be accepted by courts, arbitration boards and tribunals. Click here for information on David Ray Lessons Learned about Leadership and Management: A Mayor’s Perspective At times, long term visionary leadership and obtaining short term results are in conflict. After 30 years as a Hockey Coach including the Alberta Junior Hockey League, 7 years as Mayor of the City of St. Albert and 35 years in the Forest Products Industry, Mayor Nolan Crouse realizes that leadership and management have some similarities but vast differences. His management style is a blend of leadership toward the long term and management of the short term. He devoted much attention to detail in day to day operational management and the coaching of hockey. However, in order to adequately move forward on big picture matters as Mayor of the City of St. Albert, Mayor Crouse put into practice the important skill of visionary leadership. This same skill helped him as a corporate executive with Procter and Gamble, West Fraser Timber, Alberta Energy Ltd. and Sunchild Forest Products. Gain valuable insights on what skills are required and obtain tips to help you become better at balancing long term visionary leadership while still obtaining short term results. Click here for information on Mayor Nolan Crouse Don’t Worry, Be Happy – How to Reach Maximum Engagement Stress and burnout in the North American workplace are estimated to cost organizations hundreds of millions of dollars each year. Depression is projected to be the number 2 cause of disability-adjusted life years by the World Health Organization by 2020. With so much focus on the bottom line, the question now becomes, “Does happiness matter?” The scientific research emphatically and unequivocally states “YES!” This interactive and engaging presentation will discuss the latest findings from the leadership and organizational sciences regarding the many advantages of happiness for our careers, our performance, our health and our bottom line. Using ‘hard data,’ it will make a strong business case that happiness is not just “nice to have”- it is a core component of motivating peak performance. It will also provide attendees with evidence-based strategies that they can bring back to their workplaces to leverage the power of feeling good. This session will also highlight tangible and practical steps that individuals, teams and organizations can use to create a productive, healthy and vibrant workplace. Click here for information on Craig Dowden Calgary Full Day Conference April 28, 2015 Topic: Today’s Critical Issues in Employment Law presented by Tom Ross, B.A, LL.B., Partner, McLennan Ross LLP Exit Interviews: Retain the Right People presented by Sylvie Mafrica, Consultant, Mafrica Consulting The Work of Leaders: Connect to real-world demands presented by Murray Janewski, BComm, MBA, President, DiSC Profile Canada Don’t Worry, Be Happy – How to Reach Maximum Engagement presented by Craig Dowden, Ph.D., President, Craig Dowden and Associates Click here for a printable PDF. Today’s Critical Issues in Employment Law This session will provide an overview of developments in two major areas that impact your business. • Top Mistakes Made in Conducting Workplace Investigations Conducting a timely and effective investigation can be a real challenge for HR professionals. Management’s decisions, whether they result in discipline or not, can be successfully challenged and overturned if they are the product of a flawed investigation. Recent case law confirms that poorly conducted investigations can be costly to employers. Look at ways to improve the quality of the investigations which take place in your workplace. Review practical guidelines, best practices and recent case law examples which will help you better understand when and why investigations are necessary and how to avoid common mistakes. • Privacy & Technology in the Workplace Discuss new developments on privacy law as it relates to an employer’s right to view employee personal information and activity on work devices. Is there a Right to Privacy on Workplace Technology? Obtain insights on the pitfalls of “Bring Your Own Device” (BYOD). Also, review the most recent updates on dealing with Social Media. Click here for information on Tom Ross Exit Interviews: Retain the Right People Retention of skilled people is critical for organizations to achieve high performance. When employees leave an organization, they not only take with them their skills and expertise, but also the reasons why they choose to exit. Knowing these reasons can help organizations make changes to enhance an environment that will help retain the right people in the future. In this session, we will discuss the importance of exit interviews to the recruitment process and company culture and how to best conduct the interview. Explore some of the areas and questions to be asked as well as what you should do with the information. Obtain insights on the challenges which may affect the success of the process and learn what existing employees say about your organization’s exit process. Click here for information on Sylvie Mafrica The Work of Leaders: Connect to real-world demands Based on best practices, ”The Work of Leaders” connects to real-world demands, generating powerful conversations that provide a clear path for action. Obtain valuable insights into leadership best practices based on work done by Murray Janewski in partnership with John Wiley and Sons. Leadership will be defined as a one-to-many relationship as opposed to the one-to-one relationship that is unique to the field of management. Leadership focuses on tangible steps directed at leading a team toward desired outcomes. Discuss the findings of six years of research and input from over 300 people at over 150 organizations. Using the framework of Vision, Alignment and Execution, The Work of Leaders encourages leaders to understand their own leadership behaviours and how those behaviours will impact their effectiveness in leading others. While thought provoking, The Work of Leaders stimulates fresh conversations and perspectives regardless of the leader’s knowledge or experience. It’s an opportunity for leaders at all levels of learning to reflect on how they approach each step of their work. In addition, it encourages reflection and discussion about the team and the organization. Participants will come away with both the insight and the actions to be able to grow as a leader and to grow their teams. Click here for information on Murray Janewski Don’t Worry, Be Happy – How to Reach Maximum Engagement Stress and burnout in the North American workplace are estimated to cost organizations hundreds of millions of dollars each year. Depression is projected to be the number 2 cause of disability-adjusted life years by the World Health Organization by 2020. With so much focus on the bottom line, the question now becomes, “Does happiness matter?” The scientific research emphatically and unequivocally states “YES!” This interactive and engaging presentation will discuss the latest findings from the leadership and organizational sciences regarding the many advantages of happiness for our careers, our performance, our health and our bottom line. Using ‘hard data,’ it will make a strong business case that happiness is not just “nice to have”- it is a core component of motivating peak performance. It will also provide attendees with evidence-based strategies that they can bring back to their workplaces to leverage the power of feeling good. This session will also highlight tangible and practical steps that individuals, teams and organizations can use to create a productive, healthy and vibrant workplace. Click here for information on Craig Dowden Halifax Full Day Conference April 15, 2015 Topic: Today's Critical Issues in Employment Law presented by Sarah Manning, LL.B., Senior Associate, Taylor MacLellan Cochrane Changing Problem Behaviour Without Discipline presented by George Raine, President, Montana Consulting Group and Maxime Labbé, Senior Partner, Montana Consulting Group Recruiting- Are You Marketing Jobs or Selling Them? presented by Paul Kidston, MBA, CSP, P. Mgr., President -Lead Consultant, Sales Training Experts® The Art of Flourishing presented by Carla Anglehart, Vice-President Training and Development, Atlantic Leadership Development Institute Click here for a printable PDF. Today's Critical Issues in Employment Law Managing the workplace has become highly regulated by legislation and the Courts. Owners and their delegates may feel like they no longer run the organization when it comes to employee management. In this session, obtain tips on how to get that power back in three major areas. Take back those reigns! The Untouchables Long term employees with poor performance can have a serious impact on the workplace. It can devalue the hard workers who may also have to pick up the slack. There is an element of control to the statement, “I have been here so long you can’t do anything about it.” But you can. Discover how to performance manage “the Untouchables” while minimizing your risk of a “bullying” or “harassment” claim. Neutralizing a Negative Work Environment Negative work environments can result in resignations, sick leave and harassment complaints. Productivity can decrease and an unhealthy work environment is created for all. Get ahead of the curve and neutralize that negative work environment. Learn how to restore a negative workplace through a Workplace Restoration. It is a hands-on, group focused process which is interactive and solution based. It is a step away from theoretical toward the practical. Obtain tips on how to prevent a negative workplace from developing and strategies on how to restore one that has already gone down that path. Take Back Your Rights with a Properly Worded Employment Contract A properly worded employment contract can be your best evidence when defending a legal claim against you or enforcing a term against a former employee. Obtain tips on contract language that will help minimize your risk and protect you. Just drafting a term is not enough- it must be enforceable under law. Learn strategies that will better your chance of success in having a term enforced. Key areas discussed will include terms relating to reasonable notice upon termination, just cause, and non-competition and non-solicitation clauses. Click here for information on Sarah Manning Changing Problem Behaviour Without Discipline In this high energy presentation, human dynamics innovators George Raine and Maxime Labbé will show you their proven Turnaround Interview® technique for coaching employees to break bad workplace habits without using or threatening discipline. This technique corrects minor but persistent problems like lateness, excessive breaks, missing deadlines, negative comments, improper use of work time and similar behaviours. Already proven in manufacturing, high-tech, government, health care and educational settings, this progressive approach to dealing with sticky problems is producing dramatic results in about 90% of cases. Learn how and why people naturally defend bad workplace habits and why they resist change. Discover how to use that knowledge to overcome the resistance and how to make the change stick. It may not be that easy at first. Review the proven techniques for controlling the flow of the conversation and for phrasing your questions to get the best chance of success. Rooted in a sound understanding of human nature, this new, high-impact approach to employee coaching will get you to rethink your instinctive approaches to these tough conversations with employees. Click here for information on George Raine Click here for information on Maxime Labbé Recruiting- Are You Marketing Jobs or Selling Them? There is certainly a difference. The recruiting industry has adopted ‘marketing technology’ at an alarming rate. Applicant Tracking Systems and Job Boards have allowed recruiting professionals to screen more than 70% of all resumes electronically through key words and spider technology. Now with the advent of video interviews, we have gained further ground on the road to efficiency. Or have we? Attracting and retaining good employees is more than a marketing exercise. It is a sales job. In the name of marketing efficiency we may have sacrificed sales effectiveness in the recruiting process. 70% of applicants never speak with a warm body from a company. Are the 30% really your best candidates? In 2014, the sales profession has been relabelled and redefined to reflect the ever changing demands of clients from all industries. The word ‘Sales’ has been replaced with words like ‘Candidate Experience’ and ‘Candidate Satisfaction’. Effective recruiters use persuasion and influence strategies to describe the very foundation of the good work they do. This session will deliver interesting insights into the ‘sales job’ of recruitment. Whether you are responsible for a large staffing department or a front line manager hiring staff directly, this is a must see session. Through audience participation, research and actual examples, discover the influence and persuasion strategies most often used along the recruitment path. Click here for information on Paul Kidston The Art of Flourishing Dealing with poor attendance, poor performance, individual and team conflicts? You are not alone. The good news is there are some fabulous tools, processes and systems that managers can utilize to support them in addressing these and other workplace issues. The bad news is that at times, even when managers implement the best tools and strategies, the undesirable behaviours persist. In this inspirational session, participants will go “upstream” and consider the root cause of the behaviours rather than the symptoms. Obtain insights on the visionary work of Martin Seligman and others in the field of positive psychology and organizational health. Explore the three elements of authentic happiness and move beyond the goal of employee satisfaction and engagement to the gold standard of “flourishing”. In positive psychology, flourishing is thriving, vigorous growth and resilience. At the root of a flourishing career or business are individuals who possess high levels of emotional, psychological and social well-being. This thought-provoking session will offer insights about enhancing well-being and leveraging employee’s virtues and signature strengths to optimize your workforce. Click here for information on Carla Anglehart Ottawa Full Day Conference April 16, 2015 Topic: Top 10 Mistakes in Conducting Workplace Investigations presented by Steven Williams, LL.B., Partner, Emond Harnden LLP Why Gender Diversity Programs Don’t Reach Their Targets presented by Carleen Hicks, Principal, Carleen Hicks HR What’s New in Compensation? presented by Helen Robert, Managing Partner, BenchMarket Don’t Look at Me- Creating a Culture of Accountability presented by Luc Beaudry, Principal, Cygnus Training & Consulting Click here for a printable PDF. Top 10 Mistakes in Conducting Workplace Investigations There are many different reasons for an organization to conduct an investigation in the workplace such as health and safety matters, disciplinary issues, harassment and other complaints. Unionized and non-unionized employers alike are conducting more investigations each year. Workplace investigations of all kinds are also being more closely scrutinized than ever before by courts and arbitrators. Conducting a timely and effective investigation can be a real challenge. Management’s decisions, whether they result in discipline or not, can be successfully challenged and overturned if they are the product of a flawed investigation. Recent case law confirms that poorly conducted investigations can be costly to employers. Anyone who conducts a workplace investigation must have the tools to ensure the investigation is conducted properly and efficiently. Look at ways to improve the quality of the investigations which take place in your workplace. Review practical guidelines, best practices and recent case law examples which will help you better understand when and why investigations are necessary and how to avoid common mistakes. Click here for information on Steven Williams Why Gender Diversity Programs Don’t Reach Their Targets Organizations today recognize the importance of women’s contributions in cultivating diverse leadership teams. Many are taking steps to encourage greater participation from women, acknowledging they are underrepresented within top jobs and the C-suite. But are these efforts effective? Statistically, they are not having the impact anticipated by current leaders in organizations championing these initiatives. This session will explore the most prevalent types of programs corporations put in place to encourage women to pursue executive roles and why they are failing to meet their targets. Examine the differences in leadership styles between men and women as well as systemic concerns around perceptions and bias. We'll look at what women can do to overcome these factors and what our organizations should do differently or better to support women on their way to top leadership positions. Click here for information on Carleen Hicks What’s New in Compensation? The days of giving everyone the same annual cost of living raise within a relatively static salary range are over! Skills are becoming more and more transferrable all the time. Employees want to build their portfolio of skills and make themselves more marketable. People expect to be recognized for what they contribute. This puts pressure on organizations that traditionally have been focused internally and/or on long service and loyalty. To survive and flourish, organizations today need to embrace a more flexible approach to compensation. This session will discuss some of the challenges faced in the changing skills markets. Review some simple but important issues which will help organizations to grab hold of their compensation program and get more value out of it. Obtain insights on creating a strategy, choosing and using salary surveys, today’s market realities, creating salary ranges and making pay decisions. Discuss how/when bonuses may be appropriate and how competencies can be effectively introduced into an organization to support both individual and organizational success. Take away a roadmap to help you establish and maintain a performance based, competitive compensation program. Click here for information on Helen Robert Don’t Look at Me- Creating a Culture of Accountability Look up an organisation’s website and chances are you’ll find that their values include personal accountability, integrity, openness and honesty. Walk through their workplace and chances are you’ll hear and see countless examples of blame, avoidance, deflection and fear. This culture destroying behaviour has a direct impact on the quality and quantity of whatever service or product is offered. There are seven levels of accountability and to get to the top, we need to understand the beliefs required to be accountable and learn the core skills that help us to put it to action. In this interactive session, explore the levels of personal accountability and the core beliefs of full accountability. Participants will be able to understand and apply the core skills of personal accountability and obtain practical tips on how to do an organizational accountability health check. Discover how systems and processes support or hinder accountability and how we leverage accountability moments. Learn how to cultivate an environment where people say what they think, feel and want as part of collaborative dialogues that value varied perspectives and styles in order to make better decisions, save time, leverage strengths and build trusting collaborative relationships internally and externally. Click here for information on Luc Beaudry Toronto Full Day Conference May 7, 2014 Topic: The Current State of Human Rights in the Workplace presented by Malcolm MacKillop, LL.B, Senior Partner and Hendrik Nieuwland, LL.B, Partner, Shields O'Donnell MacKillop LLP Time Management: The New Focus presented by Marcel Bellefeuille, RPR, Professional Coaching Consultant Create a Performance Management System that Works presented by Craig Dowden, Ph.D., Managing Director, SPB Organizational Psychology Inc. The Annoying Coworker- Civility in the Workplace presented by Suzanne Nourse, Founder & Director, The Protocol School of Ottawa Click here for a printable PDF. The Current State of Human Rights in the Workplace 2013 was a big year for human rights. In this session, we will explore the implications of these recent human rights milestones. Discuss the findings of the Pinto Report and its proposed changes to the human rights tribunal process. Participants will get an overview of the types of workplace cases that are coming before the human rights tribunal. Gain valuable insight into what types of cases employers can expect to see in the future in light of the following developments: (a) the Federal Court’s inclusion of accommodation for child-care under “family status”; (b) the recent publication of the DSM-5, which now includes 15 more mental disorders that would likely be considered “disabilities” (such as caffeine and cannabis withdrawal) that employers would be required to accommodate; (c) the human rights commission’s recently released report that concludes “Canadian work experience” is prima facie discriminatory; (d) the awarding of what appears to be the largest “back-pay” damages in Ontario (8 years back pay) by the human rights tribunal in the Fair v. Hamilton Wentworth case; (e) the first-ever award of human rights damages under the new Code provisions by an Ontario Superior Court judge in the recent Wilson v. Solis case. Most importantly, employers will learn what kind of damages they can be faced with when they are on the losing side of a human rights claim. Click here for information on Malcolm MacKillop Click here for information on Hendrik Nieuwland Time Management: The New Focus Most people actually use 60% or less of available work time. When over 38,000 people in 200 countries were queried about individual productivity, a Microsoft survey showed that even though they were physically at work five days a week, they were only productively using three days. Attlasian also reports that 60% or less of work time is actual productive time. In this session, we will address the link between time management and productivity through the following discussion points: • How are you allocating your time? How and why should you improve it? • Attitudes are the key to time management and being productive. Discuss the main attributes of a “Championship Attitude”. Breaking away from the traditional thought processes creates unique ideas. This activity is fostered through a simple discipline tool. • Process is important when applying different time management techniques. Discover unique ways to utilize your time that are targeted and efficient. By using new techniques, you will manage and produce at a different level. Participants will acquire specific tools to assist them in managing their time in a new and meaningful way. A different look at motivation will improve personal and professional growth through basic measuring criteria. The implementation of a weekly scheduling tool will boost productivity levels not only in the workplace, but in all aspects of your life. Click here for information on Marcel Bellefeuille Create a Performance Management System that Works The issue of performance management has intensified in recent years as organizations invest in systems to maximize their human capital. Despite this attention, many people have been critical of these processes, as they are seen as possibly causing more harm (or certainly more work) than what they are worth. Nonetheless, research has suggested that when done well, effective performance management reaps tremendous benefits for an organization at an individual, team and organizational level. Rather than adding another anecdotal model or series of recommendations to the mix, we will look at what the research has taught us so far about ‘what works’ in performance management. Participants will gain a deeper understanding of how to create a win-win environment such that the goals of employees and their organizations are aligned. Learn how to structure feedback and coaching to support effective performance management and how to structure appropriate goals that maximize organizational performance and support employee development. Discover new ways to develop the capabilities of management to engage in this process most effectively. We will also examine recent trends and learn how to deal with the necessary struggles and subsequent rewards that are part of this journey. Click here for information on Craig Dowden The Annoying Coworker- Civility in the Workplace Frequently it's the small things like not respecting the time of others that can cultivate discontent in an organization. One act can affect staff morale which can affect work relationships, productivity and then on to client relationships which affects your bottom line. And it all started with one act of workplace incivility. Studies (Pearson and Porath) have shown after one inconsiderate act, 28% of affected employees lost productivity avoiding the culprit, 37% of affected employees reported a weakened sense of commitment to their organizations and 53% of affected employees lost productive time dwelling on the incident. Rudeness costs! Every workplace has at least one annoying employee. This could be the inappropriate talker, the late arrival at meetings and or one who’s late with every assignment. The employees could be great at their job, but they are simply annoying! In this upbeat interactive session, you will acquire the skills to identify these irritating individuals, areas to avoid, how these situations can escalate and how to deal with them effectively. Don’t wait until you’ve lost your key employees or top customers to recognize this problem in your workplace! Every organization regardless of size will benefit from this presentation. Click here for information on Suzanne Nourse Calgary Full Day Conference April 29, 2014 Topic: Today’s Critical Issues in Employment Law presented by Tom Ross, B.A, LL.B., Partner, McLennan Ross LLP Journey to Engagement: Attract, Retain and Motivate a Winning Team presented by Eddie Lemoine, International Speaker/Author and Employee Engagement Expert Time Management: The New Focus presented by Marcel Bellefeuille, RPR, Professional Coaching Consultant Innovation: Applied Innovation for Real People presented by Rick Boersma, Co-Founder Floworks Training, Design & Innovation Expert, Juice Inc. Click here for a printable PDF. Today’s Critical Issues in Employment Law This session will provide an overview of critical HR developments that impact your business. Back by popular demand, Tom Ross will work through recent developments in these key areas: Accommodating Mental Disabilities • Overarching Legal Principles • How do you deal with accommodating mental illness? • When is enough really enough? Temporary Foreign Workers • The Labour Market Opinion (“LMO”) Process and Exemptions to it • Regulatory Changes • Transitioning to Provincial Nominee and other Permanent Residence Programs Privacy & Technology in the Workplace • Is there a Right to Privacy on Workplace Technology? • Pitfalls of “Bring Your Own Device” (BYOD) • Dealing with Social Media Managers from all industry sectors will gain valuable insights on these legal updates and more. You’ll obtain numerous strategies that you can take back and implement in your organization. Click here for information on Tom Ross Journey to Engagement: Attract, Retain and Motivate a Winning Team Engaged employees are more productive yet statistics show they only make up 25-30% of the workforce. The remaining disengaged employees are costing you money by being half as productive as engaged employees. They also abuse time-off, sick leave, benefits and produce a negative work environment for others. Engaged employees will recommend your organization as a place to work and a place to do business, give higher levels of customer service and work better with their fellow employees. In this upbeat session, you’ll obtain a proven process to attract, retain and engage your workforce. Discover new ways to attract and retain a winning team, understand the impact of aging demographics and five generations in the workforce and manage and communicate with multiple generations. You’ll learn to recognize your employees’ strengths as a team and work collectively to produce stronger output, understand age, gender and cultural diversity and their influence in the workplace and interpret future trends and their impact on the organization. Gain valuable insights on how to implement the three steps in closing the engagement gap and truly become an employer of choice. Click here for information on Eddie Lemoine Time Management: The New Focus Most people actually use 60% or less of available work time. When over 38,000 people in 200 countries were queried about individual productivity, a Microsoft survey showed that even though they were physically at work five days a week, they were only productively using three days. Attlasian also reports that 60% or less of work time is actual productive time. In this session, we will address the link between time management and productivity through the following discussion points: • How are you allocating your time? How and why should you improve it? • Attitudes are the key to time management and being productive. Discuss the main attributes of a “Championship Attitude”. Breaking away from the traditional thought processes creates unique ideas. This activity is fostered through a simple discipline tool. • Process is important when applying different time management techniques. Discover unique ways to utilize your time that are targeted and efficient. By using new techniques, you will manage and produce at a different level. Participants will acquire specific tools to assist them in managing their time in a new and meaningful way. A different look at motivation will improve personal and professional growth through basic measuring criteria. The implementation of a weekly scheduling tool will boost productivity levels not only in the workplace, but in all aspects of your life. Click here for information on Marcel Bellefeuille Innovation: Applied Innovation for Real People More and more, the discipline of innovation is emerging as a new strategic priority across the public and private sectors. Why? Because innovation can create efficiencies, lower costs and increase profitability. Often enough, the challenge is not in coming up with ideas- it is about the ability of leaders to engage their workforce in a process that transforms how everyone approaches innovation. An unstructured process such as asking people to sit in a boardroom, “think outside the box,” and wait for inspiration to happen is simply not conducive to innovative thinking. Research shows an “average” group using a structured process will produce 500% more ideas than a so-called “creative” group that uses traditional brainstorming methods. In this interactive high-energy session, participants will be inspired to foster an innovative work environment of highly engaged employees. Learn about the principles that make innovation work for leaders, how using a structured approach can transform how you solve problems at work and obtain practical thinking tools to stimulate innovative thinking in your organization. It is possible to create a culture brimming with breakthrough ideas and innovations! This session will certainly transform the “box” from which you currently view innovation. Click here for information on Rick Boersma Edmonton Full Day Conference May 1, 2014 Topic: Today’s Critical Issues in Employment Law presented by Colin Fetter, B.Comm, LL.B., Partner, Brownlee LLP Time Management: The New Focus presented by Marcel Bellefeuille, RPR, Professional Coaching Consultant Innovation: Applied Innovation for Real People presented by Rick Boersma, Co-Founder Floworks Training, Design & Innovation Expert, Juice Inc. Journey to Engagement: Attract, Retain and Motivate a Winning Team presented by Eddie Lemoine, International Speaker/Author and Employee Engagement Expert Click here for a printable PDF. Today’s Critical Issues in Employment Law This session will provide an overview of critical HR developments that impact your business. Back by popular demand, Colin Fetter will work through recent developments in these key areas: • Over the Legal Limit- Alcohol and Drug Abuse in the Workplace This is a rapidly evolving area with many recent important cases. What is your duty to accommodate? What are the key strategies to dealing effectively with this issue and protecting your employees and business while ensuring compliance with Human Rights? What are the key proactive steps to minimize this issue from arising and maximize your options as an employer in dealing with employee addicts effectively? Should you have a testing program? What tests are allowed and in what circumstances? • Pigs Get Fat, Hogs Get Slaughtered- Post-Employment Restrictions and Obligations A departing employee who takes your training, corporate knowledge, customers and even your staff with them can be an employer’s worst nightmare. Review several recent noteworthy cases in the area of non-compete clauses, post-employment obligations and restrictions. What are the employee’s automatic post-employment obligations? What contractual non-compete or non-solicit restrictions can be contractually imposed? Learn the key options and tools for employers to protect their business and their workforce from unfair solicitation or competition from departing employees. Most importantly, learn which approach is best for your business and how much is too much. The Courts have been very clear in recent years that if your non-compete or non-solicitation language is too restrictive, the Court will throw out all contractual restrictions. The result is that these contractual restrictions may be worthless and unenforceable if not very carefully tailored to your business and industry. Click here for information on Colin Fetter Time Management: The New Focus Most people actually use 60% or less of available work time. When over 38,000 people in 200 countries were queried about individual productivity, a Microsoft survey showed that even though they were physically at work five days a week, they were only productively using three days. Attlasian also reports that 60% or less of work time is actual productive time. In this session, we will address the link between time management and productivity through the following discussion points: • How are you allocating your time? How and why should you improve it? • Attitudes are the key to time management and being productive. Discuss the main attributes of a “Championship Attitude”. Breaking away from the traditional thought processes creates unique ideas. This activity is fostered through a simple discipline tool. • Process is important when applying different time management techniques. Discover unique ways to utilize your time that are targeted and efficient. By using new techniques, you will manage and produce at a different level. Participants will acquire specific tools to assist them in managing their time in a new and meaningful way. A different look at motivation will improve personal and professional growth through basic measuring criteria. The implementation of a weekly scheduling tool will boost productivity levels not only in the workplace, but in all aspects of your life. Click here for information on Marcel Bellefeuille Innovation: Applied Innovation for Real People More and more, the discipline of innovation is emerging as a new strategic priority across the public and private sectors. Why? Because innovation can create efficiencies, lower costs and increase profitability. Often enough, the challenge is not in coming up with ideas- it is about the ability of leaders to engage their workforce in a process that transforms how everyone approaches innovation. An unstructured process such as asking people to sit in a boardroom, “think outside the box,” and wait for inspiration to happen is simply not conducive to innovative thinking. Research shows an “average” group using a structured process will produce 500% more ideas than a so-called “creative” group that uses traditional brainstorming methods. In this interactive high-energy session, participants will be inspired to foster an innovative work environment of highly engaged employees. Learn about the principles that make innovation work for leaders, how using a structured approach can transform how you solve problems at work and obtain practical thinking tools to stimulate innovative thinking in your organization. It is possible to create a culture brimming with breakthrough ideas and innovations! This session will certainly transform the “box” from which you currently view innovation. Click here for information on Rick Boersma Journey to Engagement: Attract, Retain and Motivate a Winning Team Engaged employees are more productive yet statistics show they only make up 25-30% of the workforce. The remaining disengaged employees are costing you money by being half as productive as engaged employees. They also abuse time-off, sick leave, benefits and produce a negative work environment for others. Engaged employees will recommend your organization as a place to work and a place to do business, give higher levels of customer service and work better with their fellow employees. In this upbeat session, you’ll obtain a proven process to attract, retain and engage your workforce. Discover new ways to attract and retain a winning team, understand the impact of aging demographics and five generations in the workforce and manage and communicate with multiple generations. You’ll learn to recognize your employees’ strengths as a team and work collectively to produce stronger output, understand age, gender and cultural diversity and their influence in the workplace and interpret future trends and their impact on the organization. Gain valuable insights on how to implement the three steps in closing the engagement gap and truly become an employer of choice. Click here for information on Eddie Lemoine Ottawa Full Day Conference April 10, 2014 Topic: Manage Your Duty to Accommodate: Overcome the Challenges presented by Steven Williams, LL.B., Partner, Emond Harnden LLP Time Management: The New Focus presented by Marcel Bellefeuille, RPR, Professional Coaching Consultant Beyond Engagement: Energized Employees= Better Results presented by Brady Wilson, Co-Founder of Juice Inc., Author, Trainer and Speaker Create a Performance Management System that Works presented by Craig Dowden, Ph.D., Managing Director, SPB Organizational Psychology Inc. Click here for a printable PDF. Manage Your Duty to Accommodate: Overcome the Challenges Workplace accommodation demands are on the rise. Having an effective systematic approach to managing these files is key to managing the risk associated with the duty to accommodate. In this legal update, we will review the various types of accommodation, take an inside look at its purpose and examine the scope of the duty to accommodate and undue hardship. Discover the key steps of a systematic approach to accommodation and obtain a process for decision making and file management of situations to accommodate vs. when not to accommodate. Discuss risks to avoid and recent examples of complex accommodation cases dealing specifically with family status, mental health and religion. This session will provide employers with the critical information required to keep up with their ever-changing obligations and navigate these sometimes choppy waters with confidence. Click here for information on Steven Williams Time Management: The New Focus Most people actually use 60% or less of available work time. When over 38,000 people in 200 countries were queried about individual productivity, a Microsoft survey showed that even though they were physically at work five days a week, they were only productively using three days. Attlasian also reports that 60% or less of work time is actual productive time. In this session, we will address the link between time management and productivity through the following discussion points: • How are you allocating your time? How and why should you improve it? • Attitudes are the key to time management and being productive. Discuss the main attributes of a “Championship Attitude”. Breaking away from the traditional thought processes creates unique ideas. This activity is fostered through a simple discipline tool. • Process is important when applying different time management techniques. Discover unique ways to utilize your time that are targeted and efficient. By using new techniques, you will manage and produce at a different level. Participants will acquire specific tools to assist them in managing their time in a new and meaningful way. A different look at motivation will improve personal and professional growth through basic measuring criteria. The implementation of a weekly scheduling tool will boost productivity levels not only in the workplace, but in all aspects of your life. Click here for information on Marcel Bellefeuille Beyond Engagement: Energized Employees= Better Results Are your well-intended engagement strategies putting your best employees at risk? Your most engaged employees may be loyal, but are they energized? Today’s organizational leaders face a new challenge-how to move employees beyond engagement to a culture where their workforce can manage the needs of employees and the needs of the organization, release bottled-up innovative thinking and consistently create breakthrough business results. The key lies in energy. Leaders who can successfully shift from managing engagement to managing energy will make a monumental difference to their people and consequently, business results. In this thought-provoking session, participants will gain valuable insights on the myths of employee engagement, obtain key strategies to take employees beyond engagement and discover new tools for turning your workforce into a higher performing organization. Consider the possibility of something beyond employee engagement! Creating a culture that harnesses and fosters sustainable organizational energy is not easy-but it is possible. This will surely transform the way you look at engagement. Click here for information on Brady Wilson Create a Performance Management System that Works The issue of performance management has intensified in recent years as organizations invest in systems to maximize their human capital. Despite this attention, many people have been critical of these processes, as they are seen as possibly causing more harm (or certainly more work) than what they are worth. Nonetheless, research has suggested that when done well, effective performance management reaps tremendous benefits for an organization at an individual, team and organizational level. Rather than adding another anecdotal model or series of recommendations to the mix, we will look at what the research has taught us so far about ‘what works’ in performance management. Participants will gain a deeper understanding of how to create a win-win environment such that the goals of employees and their organizations are aligned. Learn how to structure feedback and coaching to support effective performance management and how to structure appropriate goals that maximize organizational performance and support employee development. Discover new ways to develop the capabilities of management to engage in this process most effectively. We will also examine recent trends and learn how to deal with the necessary struggles and subsequent rewards that are part of this journey. Click here for information on Craig Dowden Vancouver Full Day Conference April 9, 2014 Topic: Legal Update: Manage Your Greatest Assets- Your Employees presented by Michael Weiler, B.A., LL.B., Principal/Law Corp, Michael Weiler Employment + Labour Law Retain Your Best Employees- What Makes Them Stay? presented by Denise Lloyd, Founder, Engaged HR Presentations that Influence- The Road to Success presented by Wayne Rawcliffe, MBA, Founder & President, Senga Consulting Inc. Click here for a printable PDF. Legal Update: Manage Your Greatest Assets- Your Employees This legal update will provide some legal and practical tips to assist you in all aspects of managing the employment relationship from beginning to end. We will discuss 4 areas with tips and references to some leading court and human rights decisions: * Hiring--This is a most important area because a mistake here can be very costly. * Managing the Absent Employee--How do you keep productivity up and still comply with Human Rights laws and the duty to accommodate? * Creating and Maintaining a Respectful Workplace through effective bullying and harassment policies tempered by a good dose of common sense. * The Termination Interview--preparation and execution. Obtain insights that will assist you in not only avoiding costly legal battles but also assist in getting the most out of your employees. Click here for information on Michael Weiler Retain Your Best Employees- What Makes Them Stay? What is the key to today’s business success? The answer: having engaged and productive employees. Why do employees leave? More importantly, what makes them stay? In this highly interactive session, you’ll learn how to measure engagement, create rewards that fit small business budgets and become an employer of choice! This workshop will provide you with an action plan and practical tools that you can implement immediately. Participants will gain a better understanding about not just why employees leave, but more importantly- why they stay. Determine the best practices that will fit with the unique culture of your business. You’ll then create an action plan to increase employee retention that can be used in organizations of all sizes and types. You’ll see a growth in business results and a whole new group of “best” employees! Click here for information on Denise Lloyd Presentations that Influence- The Road to Success Every day we either give presentations or attend them. At their best, they are entertaining; at worst, unorganized with unclear objectives. Much of our reputation in an organization is determined by our communication skills, especially in the presentations we make. In this session, you will learn how to create presentations that are more influential. Review the reasons why you need to design your presentation around your audience’s needs- not yours. Learn how to enhance the impact and make better use of images and pictures. Gain valuable insights on how to engage your audience in a conversation. Obtain tips on how to create an environment where the audience immediately wants to support your ideas and recommendations. This session will help managers, executives, team leads and team members to better prepare, develop and deliver presentations that achieve their objectives. Click here for information on Wayne Rawcliffe Halifax Full Day Conference April 9, 2014 Topic: Today's Critical Issues in Employment Law presented by Bradley Proctor, MBA, LL.B., Deputy Managing Partner, McInnes Cooper Time Management: The New Focus presented by Marcel Bellefeuille, RPR, Professional Coaching Consultant Beyond Engagement: Energized Employees= Better Results presented by Brady Wilson, Co-Founder of Juice Inc., Author, Trainer and Speaker Moral Leadership: Doing What's Right for You and Your Organization presented by Craig Dowden, Ph.D., Managing Director, SPB Organizational Psychology Inc. Click here for a printable PDF. Today's Critical Issues in Employment Law This session will provide an overview of critical HR developments that impact your business. We will work through recent developments in these key areas: Bullying and Cyber Bullying in the Workplace • Legislative changes with the new anti-cyber bullying law • Change of focus with respect to bullying • Discuss recent cases and legislative changes involving bullying and social media. Social Media Update • How can the employer make use of social media in the pre-employment process? • How can use of social media lead to disciplinary action? • What happens to bad-mouthing on social media? Accommodating Family Status • Employees need time for familial obligations which could involve child care or elder care. • Review recent case law developments to determine the employer’s obligations with respect to this accommodation. Managers from all industry sectors will gain valuable insights on these legal updates and more. You’ll obtain numerous strategies that you can take back and implement in your organization. Click here for information on Brad Proctor Time Management: The New Focus Most people actually use 60% or less of available work time. When over 38,000 people in 200 countries were queried about individual productivity, a Microsoft survey showed that even though they were physically at work five days a week, they were only productively using three days. Attlasian also reports that 60% or less of work time is actual productive time. In this session, we will address the link between time management and productivity through the following discussion points: • How are you allocating your time? How and why should you improve it? • Attitudes are the key to time management and being productive. Discuss the main attributes of a “Championship Attitude”. Breaking away from the traditional thought processes creates unique ideas. This activity is fostered through a simple discipline tool. • Process is important when applying different time management techniques. Discover unique ways to utilize your time that are targeted and efficient. By using new techniques, you will manage and produce at a different level. Participants will acquire specific tools to assist them in managing their time in a new and meaningful way. A different look at motivation will improve personal and professional growth through basic measuring criteria. The implementation of a weekly scheduling tool will boost productivity levels not only in the workplace, but in all aspects of your life. Click here for information on Marcel Bellefeuille Beyond Engagement: Energized Employees= Better Results Are your well-intended engagement strategies putting your best employees at risk? Your most engaged employees may be loyal, but are they energized? Today’s organizational leaders face a new challenge-how to move employees beyond engagement to a culture where their workforce can manage the needs of employees and the needs of the organization, release bottled-up innovative thinking and consistently create breakthrough business results. The key lies in energy. Leaders who can successfully shift from managing engagement to managing energy will make a monumental difference to their people and consequently, business results. In this thought-provoking session, participants will gain valuable insights on the myths of employee engagement, obtain key strategies to take employees beyond engagement and discover new tools for turning your workforce into a higher performing organization. Consider the possibility of something beyond employee engagement! Creating a culture that harnesses and fosters sustainable organizational energy is not easy-but it is possible. This will surely transform the way you look at engagement. Click here for information on Brady Wilson Moral Leadership: Doing What's Right for You and Your Organization Leadership is one of the most frequently discussed topics in the world of business and receives considerable coverage in the popular and academic press. What are the most effective leadership attributes for both individuals and organizations? The importance of this question is further accented by the groundbreaking work of the Gallup organization. Their surveys and studies have consistently shown that the number one reason people leave organizations is “poor leadership.” This trend, combined with the recent failures of our institutions and even countries, has created a fervent call for stronger leadership. Review an evidence-based argument highlighting the critical importance of the “softer” side of leadership. Discover how humility, empathy, happiness and self-awareness/authenticity are key differentiators of peak performance organizations. Although this list may seem counterintuitive to widespread beliefs regarding desirable leadership attributes, a sizeable evidence base has grown showcasing its effectiveness. By drawing on classic and cutting edge research, this session will highlight how moral leadership is not only doing the right thing, but it is the right thing to do for the health of our organizations. Click here for information on Craig Dowden Ottawa Full Day Conference November 7, 2013 Topic: The HR World Keeps Changing: Today’s Critical Issues in Employment Law presented by Charles Hofley, B.A., LL.B., Partner, Hicks Morley Employee Recognition- So What’s New? presented by Mike D’Amico, HR Practice Leader, Stratford Managers Corporation Bounce Forward: Charting Your Course to Resilience presented by Charmaine Hammond, BA, MBA, President, Hammond International Inc. Leveraging Immigrant Talent: Challenges, Opportunities & Strategies for Success presented by Kelly McGahey, Senior Manager, Stakeholder Relations, Hire Immigrants Ottawa Click here for a printable PDF. The HR World Keeps Changing: Today’s Critical Issues in Employment Law This session will provide an overview of critical HR developments that impact your business. Participants will work through developments in these key areas among others: *Contract Update A fast-paced, tightly focused review of developments that you need to know about in employment contracts. Obtain insights on critical new developments in case law and their impact on employment contracts. *To report or not to report – Non-worker injuries under the Occupational Health and Safety Act A recent Ontario Court of Appeal decision clarifies the circumstances in which employers are required to report a critical injury or fatality suffered by a non-worker under the Occupational Health and Safety Act. Learn how this important decision affects your obligation to report critical injuries. *My system, my data! Employer access and the problem of personal use Computer use continues to change dramatically as more of us do more browsing, transactions and messaging/posting online. Here we will address the legal consequences of increased "personal use" and explain what employers should be doing to ensure that privacy claims don’t get in the way of investigations and other important work. Managers from all industry sectors will gain valuable insights on these legal updates and more. Bring your questions and concerns. You’ll obtain numerous strategies that you can take back and implement in your organization. Click here for information on Charles Hofley Employee Recognition- So What’s New? Employee recognition is much more than just a nice thing to do for people. Done properly, it can be an effective business process and communication tool that reinforces the most important outcomes people create for the organization. When you recognize people effectively, you reinforce the actions and behaviours you most want to see them repeat. A well thought out and effective employee recognition system is simple, immediate and can be powerfully reinforcing. A well designed recognition program can be equally powerful for both the organization and the employee. By properly addressing key design issues, the recognition you offer will be viewed as motivating and rewarding by your employees and important for the success of your organization. We will examine several of these key design considerations that will help ensure your recognition program is an effective business tool and not seen as another ‘fluffy’ program from HR. Session takeaways will include five important tips for implementing an effective recognition program, the ‘why’, ‘what’, and ‘how’ of recognition and developing a program ‘with’ or ‘without’ a recognition budget. Click here for information on Mike D’Amico Bounce Forward: Charting Your Course to Resilience Resilience is more than simply bouncing back after change, challenge crisis and adversity. It’s a process of choosing a new course, setting the sails and being the captain in your life (and business). Now more than ever, the skill and character of resilience is an essential quality for workplaces, teams and business success. Many professionals are experiencing more to do, in less time and with fewer resources and with more changes…. And the expectation of better results! The current economic situation has created challenges and change, and in some cases, uncertainty and even immobility. Resilience is a critical skill for individuals and businesses to “Bounce Forward” during change. This interactive workshop provides tips, strategies and tools to: • Explore the seven essentials to the resilient business and team • Engage in several resilience building, stress management and lifestyle management activities • Complete a Resilience Action Plan • Learn how to handle procrastination, workplace fatigue, juggling priorities, managing time and energy • Explore strategies to ignite resilience both at work and in your personal lives. This session will challenge participants to reach beyond their current grasp and to excel beyond their expectations. Click here for information on Charmaine Hammond Leveraging Immigrant Talent: Challenges, Opportunities & Strategies for Success The capacity of employers to hire, integrate and effectively leverage the talents of the skilled immigrants already living in our communities is a key element for business success, particularly in the context of current demographic trends, the need for skills and the growing importance of emerging local and global markets. The continuing underutilization of immigrants’ skills, knowledge and networks is therefore a problem not only for newcomers, but for Canadian business as well. *Ottawa has welcomed more than 60,000 new immigrants in the past 10 years. *Immigrants make up 23% of Ottawa’s total labour force and 28% of the labour force with a university degree. *95% of employers who have hired a skilled immigrant in the past say that hiring skilled immigrants has been beneficial to the company. *Two-thirds of employers with more than 100 employees believe cross-cultural competencies are important to the future of their business. In this session, participants will explore a conceptual model of employer engagement in cultural diversity and inclusion efforts, presented as a continuum spanning employer awareness, participation, collaboration, system change and championing. For each point along the continuum, we will present strategic approaches and concrete tools to enhance employers’ capacities to initiate actions within their organizations and more effectively hire and integrate newcomers. Click here for information on Kelly McGahey Toronto Full Day Conference November 5, 2013 Topic: The HR World Keeps Changing: Today’s Critical Issues in Employment Law presented by Ruben Goulart, B.A., LL.B., Partner, Bernardi Human Resource Law Professional Corporation Bounce Forward: Charting Your Course to Resilience presented by Charmaine Hammond, BA, MBA, President, Hammond International Inc. Innovation: Applied Innovation for Real People presented by Rick Boersma, Co-Founder Floworks Training, Design & Innovation Expert, Juice Inc. Click here for a printable PDF. The HR World Keeps Changing: Today’s Critical Issues in Employment Law This full morning session will provide an overview of critical HR developments that impact your business. Back by popular demand, Ruben Goulart will work through developments in these key areas: *Updates on the relationship between Social Media, Privacy and Employment Law This is an area that continues to grow as more of these issues are dealt with by our courts. What privacy rights do your employees have? How does this ever changing technology impact your legal obligations? *Bill 168 and Domestic Violence There is nothing more challenging than managing your legal requirements in the context of potential violent threats to your employees. What are your obligations under the Ontario Occupational Health and Safety Act? How do you manage legal requirements under the Act and the Privacy entitlements of your employees? Review some actual fact situations to help you to identify the issues and understand the optimal response. *Access for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA) What does this legislation require? What are the time frames for compliance with your employees? How should you manage the compliance process? How does this legislation relate to existing legal obligations under the Ontario Human Rights Code? Managers from all industry sectors will gain valuable insights on these legal updates and more. Bring your questions and concerns. You’ll obtain numerous strategies that you can take back and implement in your organization. Click here for information on Ruben Goulart Bounce Forward: Charting Your Course to Resilience Resilience is more than simply bouncing back after change, challenge crisis and adversity. It’s a process of choosing a new course, setting the sails and being the captain in your life (and business). Now more than ever, the skill and character of resilience is an essential quality for workplaces, teams and business success. Many professionals are experiencing more to do, in less time and with fewer resources and with more changes…. And the expectation of better results! The current economic situation has created challenges and change, and in some cases, uncertainty and even immobility. Resilience is a critical skill for individuals and businesses to “Bounce Forward” during change. This interactive workshop provides tips, strategies and tools to: • Explore the seven essentials to the resilient business and team • Engage in several resilience building, stress management and lifestyle management activities • Complete a Resilience Action Plan • Learn how to handle procrastination, workplace fatigue, juggling priorities, managing time and energy • Explore strategies to ignite resilience both at work and in your personal lives. This session will challenge participants to reach beyond their current grasp and to excel beyond their expectations. Click here for information on Charmaine Hammond Innovation: Applied Innovation for Real People More and more, the discipline of innovation is emerging as a new strategic priority across the public and private sectors. Why? Because innovation can create efficiencies, lower costs and increase profitability. Often enough, the challenge is not in coming up with ideas- it is about the ability of leaders to engage their workforce in a process that transforms how everyone approaches innovation. An unstructured process such as asking people to sit in a boardroom, “think outside the box,” and wait for inspiration to happen is simply not conducive to innovative thinking. Research shows an “average” group using a structured process will produce 500% more ideas than a so-called “creative” group that uses traditional brainstorming methods. In this interactive high-energy session, participants will be inspired to foster an innovative work environment of highly engaged employees. Learn about the principles that make innovation work for leaders, how using a structured approach can transform how you solve problems at work and obtain practical thinking tools to stimulate innovative thinking in your organization. It is possible to create a culture brimming with breakthrough ideas and innovations! This session will certainly transform the “box” from which you currently view innovation. Click here for information on Rick Boersma Halifax Half Day Workshop October 29, 2013 Topic: From ‘Good’ to ‘Better than Good’: Why Organizational Excellence Is So Hard to Achieve presented by Ray Ivany, President and Vice Chancellor, Acadia University Today’s Critical Issues in Employment Law presented by Stephen Carpenter, B.A., LL.B., Partner and Murray Murphy, B.A. LL.B., Partner, Stewart McKelvey Click here for a printable PDF. From ‘Good’ to ‘Better than Good’: Why Organizational Excellence Is So Hard to Achieve This session will examine the factors that influence high performance within organizations as well as the reasons why many efforts to improve organizational results often fail to achieve their objectives. We will do a practical and candid exploration of ‘what works’ and ‘what doesn’t’ with a goal of identifying best practices that lead to success. Review actual case studies and discuss the key factors involved. Ray Ivany will share his own personal experiences in attempting to lead planning and reform agendas. Managers from all organizations will take back valuable insights and strategies to implement and reach their goals. Click here for information on Ray Ivany Today’s Critical Issues in Employment Law This presentation will focus on four major areas of concern in employment and labour law: social media, jokes and pranks in the workplace-when they become violence or harassment, workplace investigations and pre-hiring considerations. Social Media & Its Impact at the Workplace • Off duty, online activities: Can employers discipline employees for online activities at home? • Monitoring employees’ online activities in the workplace: Is it really a good idea? • Cyber bullying in the workplace • Acceptable use policies: Why should every employer have one and what must be included? • Where is the line between the employer’s right to monitor employees’ online activity and the employees’ right to privacy? Jokes and Pranks in the Workplace Fun in the workplace is healthy. It gets unhealthy when it goes too far and crosses the line into harassment and violence. The majority of complaints of harassment in the workplace were intended to be “innocent.” Nevertheless, the exposure for the employer is the same. Review key legal developments and learn what you need to know when reacting to “harassment.” Workplace Investigations Workplaces are becoming increasingly complex and more and more regulated. This naturally leads to more and more employer “investigations.” Employers are constantly “investigating,” whether or not they realize it. Proper investigations are critical to minimizing your exposure. Participants will learn when an investigation is required, should it be internal or external, the process and evidence issues, how to deal with “he said, she said” and the final report. Discover the biggest problems with investigations and how to deal with them. Pre-Hiring Considerations Who did you just hire? Here we examine what you can and can’t ask at the pre-hiring and interview stages. What about background checks? Assuming you can do them, what types of verification are acceptable? Can’t employers just “google” applicants and see what comes up? Review the advantages and pitfalls of background checks and more importantly, on what findings you can base your final hiring decisions. Click here for information on Stephen Carpenter Click here for information on Murray Murphy Toronto Full Day Conference May 8, 2013 Topic: Managing Employee Absences Due to Illness- The Legal Perspective presented by Malcolm MacKillop, LL. B, Senior Partner and Hendrik Nieuwland, LL.B., Associate, Shields O'Donnell MacKillop LLP Work Reintegration Program: Critical Issues for Managers presented by Michael Zacks, LL.B., Acting Director & General Counsel, Office of the Employer Adviser (OEA) Build Confidence – Inside & Out presented by Luc Beaudry, Principal, Cygnus Training & Consulting Develop Productive Teams presented by Wendy Godmere, Certified Communications Specialist Click here for a printable PDF. Managing Employee Absences Due to Illness- The Legal Perspective In this session, we’ll address common issues that arise while the employee is absent from work due to illness. Highlights include: What are employees’ rights to medical leave? (a) Is there a right to medical leave under the common law or as part of the duty to accommodate under the Human Rights Code? (b) Personal emergency and family medical leave under the Employment Standards Act and sick leave provisions under the Canada Labour Code. (c) Interaction of statutory entitlements with employment contracts that provide STD and LTD benefits. Can an employer ask for medical documents to support the employee’s medical leave? (a) Requesting medical documents to support the absence – What can an employer ask for? Can an employer speak directly to the employee’s doctor? If the employee has a lawyer, must the employer only deal with the lawyer? What constitutes sufficient medical documentation? What happens if an employee refuses to provide medical documents? (b) Requiring an Independent Medical Examination (“IME”) – When can an employer require an employee to participate in an IME? Can an employer choose the IME doctor? What happens if an employee refuses to attend the IME? (c) Privacy issues – Can an employer provide an employee’s medical documents to a third party insurer or to a statutory body like the WSIB? What steps need to be taken to ensure the privacy of an employee’s medical documents? What are the benefits an employee can receive while on medical leave? (a) STD, LTD, WSIB and CPP disability benefits. (b) What are an employer’s options in providing STD and LTD (e.g. ASO vs. fully funded vs. self-funded), and what are the associated risks and liabilities associated with each choice, including double recovery and arbitrability of claim? (c) Can an employer fire an employee on medical leave? What are the potential risks and damages? Can an employer reduce severance payments because the employee is receiving STD, LTD, WSIB or CPP disability benefits? Click here for information on Malcolm MacKillop Click here for information on Hendrik Nieuwland Work Reintegration Program: Critical Issues for Managers The Ontario Workers’ Compensation system is constantly changing and becoming more complex every year. The Office of the Employer Adviser (OEA) has helped employers understand their obligations, roles and responsibilities under the Workplace Safety and Insurance Act since 1985. The WSIB established a new integrated LMR and Return to Work program called the Work Reintegration Program. This OEA presentation will walk you through the process of returning injured workers to work in the new world of ‘Work Reintegration’. We will review the principles of the process, the employer’s duty to accommodate and the steps to take for a successful outcome. You’ll have your questions answered regarding problem areas and learn about the penalties the WSIB can charge the employer or worker for failure to cooperate. You will also obtain updates on the Jim Thomas Benefit Policies Review and the impact of new legislation, such as Bill 119 on the construction industry and Bill 160 on the Occupational Health and Safety Act. You will get information about process changes at the WSIB such as the modernization of their Appeals system. You’ll gain a better understanding of the changes, their impact and what Ontario employers need to know and do. Click here for information on Michael Zacks Build Confidence – Inside & Out We all have relationships that cause us anxiety. We all face some situations that put our confidence to the test. We feel stress, pressure and doubt. Our ability to influence and stay poised is reduced. Why does this happen? What’s really going on is that a story is being played out in our minds. There’s usually a large amount of fiction involved and we often feel like an outside observer without much say. During this interactive session, you’ll learn to become a more effective writer, editor and fact-checker of your own story. Discover how to become better equipped to create the part that you want to play in order to get the results which you desire. You’ll obtain valuable insights on: • How you stand in your own way… and what to do about it • The thoughts, values and beliefs that drive your feelings and behaviours • Skills for communicating with clarity • How to react confidently in situations where you don’t know what to do or say • Keys to effective influencing Click here for information on Luc Beaudry Develop Productive Teams In today’s workplace, working together as a team has many positive outcomes but is often difficult to achieve. As organizations expand and strive for growth, we can no longer rely on an individual effort to succeed, but collectively individuals talents brought together builds strength. With organizations going global, a team of people working together may not all be physically in the same location. Learning to lead a team effectively and working together become a crucial piece of the puzzle to achieving growth. There are principles to working as a team and then there are practices to working as a team. Principles never change and practices do. In this interactive session, participants will explore the foundational principles that create a solid team. Discover new ways of making teams more productive and growth focused. Obtain insights on making the teams more cohesive and solid in nature. Discuss the building blocks needed to develop successful teams which will reduce stress and increase productivity. Click here for information on Wendy Godmere Calgary Full Day Conference April 30, 2013 Topic: Today’s Critical Issues in Employment Law presented by Tom Ross, B.A, LL.B., Partner, McLennan Ross LLP Moral Leadership: Doing What's Right for You and Your Organization presented by Craig Dowden, Ph.D., Managing Director, SPB Organizational Psychology Inc. Bounce Forward: Charting Your Course to Resilience presented by Charmaine Hammond, BA, MBA, President, Hammond International Inc. Crucial Accountability- What Managers Need to Know presented by Murray Low, Principal and Founder, LeadershipSmarts Click here for a printable PDF. Today’s Critical Issues in Employment Law Managing people today in a truly diverse and changing world has its challenges. The legal landscape for employers continues to evolve. This presentation will address tips and recent developments in the following areas: • Drug and alcohol testing: What you can and can’t do • Restrictive covenants: How to tie up valuable employees to protect your interests without getting tied up in knots • Employment contracts: What works and what doesn’t work? • What’s new in the world of human rights and privacy law? Click here for information on Tom Ross Moral Leadership: Doing What's Right for You and Your Organization Leadership is one of the most frequently discussed topics in the world of business and receives considerable coverage in the popular and academic press. What are the most effective leadership attributes for both individuals and organizations? The importance of this question is further accented by the groundbreaking work of the Gallup organization. Their surveys and studies have consistently shown that the number one reason people leave organizations is “poor leadership.” This trend, combined with the recent failures of our institutions and even countries, has created a fervent call for stronger leadership. Review an evidence-based argument highlighting the critical importance of the “softer” side of leadership. Discover how humility, empathy, happiness and self-awareness/authenticity are key differentiators of peak performance organizations. Although this list may seem counterintuitive to widespread beliefs regarding desirable leadership attributes, a sizeable evidence base has grown showcasing its effectiveness. By drawing on classic and cutting edge research, this session will highlight how moral leadership is not only doing the right thing, but it is the right thing to do for the health of our organizations. Click here for information on Craig Dowden Bounce Forward: Charting Your Course to Resilience Resilience is more than simply bouncing back after change, challenge crisis and adversity. It’s a process of choosing a new course, setting the sails and being the captain in your life (and business). Now more than ever, the skill and character of resilience is an essential quality for workplaces, teams and business success. Many professionals are experiencing more to do, in less time and with fewer resources and with more changes…. And the expectation of better results! The current economic situation has created challenges and change, and in some cases, uncertainty and even immobility. Resilience is a critical skill for individuals and businesses to “Bounce Forward” during change. This interactive workshop provides tips, strategies and tools to: • Explore the seven essentials to the resilient business and team • Engage in several resilience building, stress management and lifestyle management activities • Complete a Resilience Action Plan • Learn how to handle procrastination, workplace fatigue, juggling priorities, managing time and energy • Explore strategies to ignite resilience both at work and in your personal lives. This session will challenge participants to reach beyond their current grasp and to excel beyond their expectations. Click here for information on Charmaine Hammond Crucial Accountability- What Managers Need to Know Organizations, teams and people regularly encounter performance gaps, missed expectations and bad or unsafe behaviour. Many organizations suffer from a cultural of collusion. Accountability conversations are avoided because they are thought to be uncomfortable or confrontational. Sometimes people don’t hold others accountable because they don’t want to be held accountable themselves. Fail to have that accountability conversation and the negative impact is predictable. Likewise, an accountability conversation held poorly also will have a predictably negative result. In the excellent organization, everyone holds each other accountable and all team members apply gentle and consistent pressure for all to execute superbly. This dynamic presentation will provide you with the skills and strategies to: • Step up to poor performance, pick the right problem to work on and address underlying motivation/ability issues. • Hold anyone accountable—no matter the other person’s power, position or temperament—and get positive results. • Motivate without using power by clearly and concisely explaining natural consequences. • Enable without taking over by creatively helping others avoid excuses and work-arounds, stay on track and resolve performance barriers. Many organizations thrust people into leadership roles needing more effective tools and skills to address performance issues. When leaders too frequently use power to ‘motivate’, it is like the old adage that to a hammer, every problem appears to be a nail. This session will provide managers the skills to enhance accountability, improve performance, and ensure safety and superb execution. Click here for information on Murray Low Edmonton Full Day Conference May 2, 2013 Topic: Today’s Critical Issues in Employment Law presented by Colin Fetter, B.Comm, LL.B., Partner, Brownlee LLP Moral Leadership: Doing What's Right for You and Your Organization presented by Craig Dowden, Ph.D., Managing Director, SPB Organizational Psychology Inc. Bounce Forward: Charting Your Course to Resilience presented by Charmaine Hammond, BA, MBA, President, Hammond International Inc. Crucial Accountability- What Managers Need to Know presented by Murray Low, Principal and Founder, LeadershipSmarts Click here for a printable PDF. Today’s Critical Issues in Employment Law Managing people today in a truly diverse and changing world has its challenges. The legal landscape for employers continues to evolve. This presentation will address tips and recent developments in the following areas: • What is “Just Cause” Anyways? Why can you never terminate for just cause? We will provide clear practical guidelines for establishing the seemingly impossible standard for a just cause termination and assist you in identifying and implementing alternate strategies and practical solutions for dismissal. • Harassment & Workplace Violence: Don’t Get Caught with your Pants Down! Harassment and workplace violence complaints can be an employer’s worst nightmare. Is your organization prepared? Do you have a harassment and workplace violence policy? Review some key proactive practical strategies that should be implemented by every employer to prevent and responsibly respond to complaints of harassment or violence in the workplace. • Privacy Update New developments on privacy law as it relates to an employer’s right to view employee personal information and activity on work devices. Click here for information on Colin Fetter Moral Leadership: Doing What's Right for You and Your Organization Leadership is one of the most frequently discussed topics in the world of business and receives considerable coverage in the popular and academic press. What are the most effective leadership attributes for both individuals and organizations? The importance of this question is further accented by the groundbreaking work of the Gallup organization. Their surveys and studies have consistently shown that the number one reason people leave organizations is “poor leadership.” This trend, combined with the recent failures of our institutions and even countries, has created a fervent call for stronger leadership. Review an evidence-based argument highlighting the critical importance of the “softer” side of leadership. Discover how humility, empathy, happiness and self-awareness/authenticity are key differentiators of peak performance organizations. Although this list may seem counterintuitive to widespread beliefs regarding desirable leadership attributes, a sizeable evidence base has grown showcasing its effectiveness. By drawing on classic and cutting edge research, this session will highlight how moral leadership is not only doing the right thing, but it is the right thing to do for the health of our organizations. Click here for information on Craig Dowden Bounce Forward: Charting Your Course to Resilience Resilience is more than simply bouncing back after change, challenge crisis and adversity. It’s a process of choosing a new course, setting the sails and being the captain in your life (and business). Now more than ever, the skill and character of resilience is an essential quality for workplaces, teams and business success. Many professionals are experiencing more to do, in less time and with fewer resources and with more changes…. And the expectation of better results! The current economic situation has created challenges and change, and in some cases, uncertainty and even immobility. Resilience is a critical skill for individuals and businesses to “Bounce Forward” during change. This interactive workshop provides tips, strategies and tools to: • Explore the seven essentials to the resilient business and team • Engage in several resilience building, stress management and lifestyle management activities • Complete a Resilience Action Plan • Learn how to handle procrastination, workplace fatigue, juggling priorities, managing time and energy • Explore strategies to ignite resilience both at work and in your personal lives. This session will challenge participants to reach beyond their current grasp and to excel beyond their expectations. Click here for information on Charmaine Hammond Crucial Accountability- What Managers Need to Know Organizations, teams and people regularly encounter performance gaps, missed expectations and bad or unsafe behaviour. Many organizations suffer from a cultural of collusion. Accountability conversations are avoided because they are thought to be uncomfortable or confrontational. Sometimes people don’t hold others accountable because they don’t want to be held accountable themselves. Fail to have that accountability conversation and the negative impact is predictable. Likewise, an accountability conversation held poorly also will have a predictably negative result. In the excellent organization, everyone holds each other accountable and all team members apply gentle and consistent pressure for all to execute superbly. This dynamic presentation will provide you with the skills and strategies to: • Step up to poor performance, pick the right problem to work on and address underlying motivation/ability issues. • Hold anyone accountable—no matter the other person’s power, position or temperament—and get positive results. • Motivate without using power by clearly and concisely explaining natural consequences. • Enable without taking over by creatively helping others avoid excuses and work-arounds, stay on track and resolve performance barriers. Many organizations thrust people into leadership roles needing more effective tools and skills to address performance issues. When leaders too frequently use power to ‘motivate’, it is like the old adage that to a hammer, every problem appears to be a nail. This session will provide managers the skills to enhance accountability, improve performance, and ensure safety and superb execution. Click here for information on Murray Low Ottawa Full Day Conference April 18, 2013 Topic: Mental Health in the Workplace- The Legal Perspective presented by Dan Palayew, B.A., LL.B., Partner, Heenan Blaikie LLP Mental Health in the Workplace- Increase Awareness & Maintain Productivity presented by Renée Ouimet, Director of Capacity Building & Education Division, Canadian Mental Health Association Become a Trusted Advisor- What You Need to Know presented by David Newby, COO, Promomedia Turbo Charged Persuasion Skills presented by Michael Shaughnessy, Professional Speaker, Trainer and Executive Coach Click here for a printable PDF. Mental Health in the Workplace- The Legal Perspective One in five individuals will experience a mental illness directly. The workplace is particularly affected, as a recent Conference Board of Canada report found that 44% of the employees surveyed had personally experienced a mental health issue. Most organizations have seen a significant rise in stress claims and in fact mental health issues are the most common reason for disability claims across Canada. At the same time, the law has rapidly evolved to attempt catch up to this reality so that the legal landscape for employers is ever changing. Gain valuable insights on how workplace stress can be mitigated and how employers can accommodate people living with the most common mental illnesses. Review the provisions that should be made in attendance management policies for employees with mental illnesses and at what point accommodating someone with a mental illness creates undue hardship for an employer or a union. In this session, you will learn the important legal obligations that arise under human rights, health and safety and workers compensation legislation. You’ll obtain practical tips on how to manage these challenging issues within your organization. Dan Palayew has a particular understanding and appreciation for the complexities of mental health issues, having had the privilege of acting as labour counsel for two branches of the Canadian Mental Health Association for over a decade. Click here for information on Dan Palayew Mental Health in the Workplace- Increase Awareness & Maintain Productivity Mental illnesses affect a significant number of working Canadians. Yet mental illness remains more stigmatized and less understood than physical illnesses and disabilities. Those of us who do not have a mental health problem ourselves will have a friend, colleague or family member who is dealing with a mental health issue. Workplaces are heavily impacted by mental health issues according to the 2011 report, “Building Mentally Healthy Workplaces: Perspectives of Canadian Workers and Front-Line Managers”. 44% of the employees surveyed reported they were either currently (12%) or had previously (32%) personally experienced a mental health issue. This session will increase awareness of the issues and help everyone in the organization, regardless of position, see the value of their contribution to building a supportive environment. Information is presented from a co-worker perspective, shedding light on often hidden issues that contribute to conflict and lack of understanding when an employee is struggling. Participants will have contact with employees who live with a mental illness through video of real people sharing their experiences. As managers, how you set the stage in the workplace matters to employees’ physical and mental health. Poor mental health costs employers. You will see what a psychologically healthy and safe workplace looks like and obtain information on how to develop or expand on your own action plans in dealing with mental health issues. Click here for information on Renée Ouimet Become a Trusted Advisor- What You Need to Know How do organizations today establish a “Trusted Advisor” culture? What does it take to become a “trusted advisor”? Even for those who seek a potential promotion or a future position in the executive suite, you must first achieve the status of “Trusted Advisor”. This session will review why it’s so important and how to get there. The global recession, which took hold in 2008, led many organizations to realize the importance of relationships in sustainable business success. In one example in 2008, a global financial institution recorded a loss in “goodwill and intangible assets” which reduced the value of the company by a staggering US$2.4 billion in just 12 months. As a result, many organizations realized that they need employees who are prepared and able to become “Trusted Advisors” to colleagues, clients and other stakeholders. Session highlights include: • The challenge for employers in establishing a “Trusted Advisor” culture • The particular challenge for employees who are used to being valued primarily for their subject-matter expertise • The elusive “mindset” that is needed to succeed in this new business landscape • The new skills employees will need to quickly learn Click here for information on David Newby Turbo Charged Persuasion Skills In today’s fast paced world, public perception can take place in mere seconds. Successful communication is no longer just a matter of using carefully rehearsed words or body language techniques, but rather by the charismatic presence we possess. People with influence often possess the ability to project themselves onto the correct “frequencies” of others. Studies have shown that whether by coincidence or through conscious effort, we are all influenced by the “Law of Attraction”. During this dynamic and interactive session, you will discover ground-breaking techniques designed to “Attract, Inspire and Persuade”. You’ll learn how to instantly detect and project honesty, how to create trust and admiration and how to levy criticism without damaging your ability to persuade. You will be introduced to 10 skills, attitudes and techniques specifically designed to “turbo charge” your own persuasion skills while inspiring others to accomplish what needs to be done. Click here for information on Michael Shaughnessy Halifax Full Day Conference April 10, 2013 Topic: Today’s Top 3 Issues in Managing People- The Legal Perspective presented by Grant Machum, B.Comm, LL.B., Partner & Practice Group Leader, Labour and Employment, Stewart McKelvey The Next Frontier - Recruiting in the 21st Century Workplace presented by Gail Boone, MPA, CEC,CHRP, Facilitator, Consultant & Certified Executive Coach, Gail Boone Consulting and Carla Hurley, M.Ed, CEC, Director, HR, Workers’ Compensation Board of Nova Scotia & Certified Executive Coach Implementing Change- What You Need to Succeed presented by Carla Anglehart, Director, Organizational Development, Health Association Nova Scotia The Growing Earnings Gap & Productivity: What We Can Do? presented by Larry Haiven, PhD, Professor, Sobey School of Business, Director, Master of Management-Co-operatives & Credit Unions, Saint Mary's University Click here for a printable PDF. Today’s Top 3 Issues in Managing People- The Legal Perspective Managing people today in a truly diverse and changing world has its challenges. The legal landscape for employment continues to evolve at a rapid pace. This informative session will provide you with the latest trends and practical tips in three major areas: • Age in the workplace From millennial to septuagenarian, the present workplace crosses more generations than ever before. Managers have never been as challenged by “age” as they are today, but all agree that performance is the ultimate goal. Learn what you need to do to move forward. • Social networking The biggest social networking myths are that it’s only a young person’s game and what is said is private. This area of the law has demanded renewed review and audit of existing policies and keeping on top of privacy developments from our highest court. Discover how to create a policy best suited to preventing harm within your organization. • Constructive dismissal Reorganization is the new norm in today’s business world. Flexibility to change with the times has become more important today than ever. Obtain the latest tips on how to make these changes without being charged with constructive dismissal. Click here for information on Grant Machum The Next Frontier - Recruiting in the 21st Century Workplace Is your workplace ready to go boldly go where it has not gone before? As the boomers leave the workforce to be replaced by Gen X and Y (the Millenniums), organizations, HR professionals and recruiting managers will have to think differently about recruitment. What's so different about recruiting today? Gain valuable new insights on what your organization should consider in this phase of recruitment. Discuss the changes in balance between technical expertise and fit and how to determine the right mix in today’s shifting world of work. Recruitment strategies that you have used for years may not work with the changing demographics. This interactive session provide you with tips and strategies to enable you to take your recruitment efforts to the next frontier. Click here for information on Gail Boone Click here for information on Carla Hurley Implementing Change- What You Need to Succeed Progress is all about change. Simply put, without change there is no progress. And yet, one of the greatest challenges for leaders today is to move individuals and teams away from resistance and fear of change to a place where they embrace change with greater focus, productivity and engagement. In this session, participants will learn how to effectively manage themselves and support others through change, when all they can see is the whites of their eyes! Based on scientific research of the brain during times of change, this session will introduce a “map” for change and address some of the predictable characteristics of change as well as the unpredictable characteristics. It will introduce a model that supports individuals in identifying where they are at with regard to a particular change (emotional, mental and behavioural responses) and what skills they need to move forward in each stage of change. Formal leaders also have much to learn from this material. If you are frustrated with resistance, sabotage, conflict, absenteeism and presenteeism that seem to increase during times of change, this session will support you in knowing in advance what responses to anticipate. More importantly, you will be armed with specific strategies to employ for every stage of change, so that you and your team can successfully implement changes and progress! Click here for information on Carla Anglehart The Growing Earnings Gap & Productivity: What We Can Do? Most of us spend a greater amount of time at work than we did years ago. Is this large amount of time reflected in our earnings? The rich seem to be getting richer, the poor aren’t going anywhere and there are fewer people in the middle. In this session, we’ll explore the issues of productivity and inequality of earnings in today’s workplace. Why should we be concerned about growing inequality? The common belief in Atlantic Canada is that wages are too high and productivity is too low. Is this reality a true reality or just a myth? Gain insights on what we as citizens, employers and managers can do to tackle these issues. Review how to engage your people, how to invest in them and how to tackle productivity problems. Click here for information on Larry Haiven Ottawa Full Day Conference November 6, 2012 Topic: Going, Going, Gone: The Latest on Constructive Dismissal, Termination for Cause and Post-employment Restrictions presented by Melanie Polowin, LL.B., Partner, Gowlings Social Recruitment: Use LinkedIn to Support Your Big Picture Talent Attraction Strategy presented by John Fleischauer, Talent Attraction Manager, Halogen Software Inc. WSIB Fraud Update- Employers Beware presented by Brian Sartorelli, President, CEO/Director/Owner, Investigative Research Group Outclass the Competition – Business Etiquette Update presented by Suzanne Nourse, Founder & Director, The Protocol School of Ottawa Click here for a printable PDF. Going, Going, Gone: The Latest on Constructive Dismissal, Termination for Cause and Post-employment Restrictions Canadian courts have placed increasing emphasis on the fundamental importance of work to an individual's financial and personal worth. This informative session will explore three critical issues in Employment Law that have been heavily affected by this trend toward a “right to work” mindset. • Constructive Dismissal: More and more, an employer’s workplace (mis)conduct is the driving factor in creating (or reducing) constructive dismissal risks. Review the latest trends and tests and discuss practical strategies for minimizing risks. • Termination for Cause: The old rules are out the window. The new rules and tests are baffling for many employers. We will examine several painful lessons learned by employers who tried to do it “old-school”. Then, explore the steps and processes employers must follow to have any hope of successfully asserting cause. • Controlling Solicitation and Competition by Ex-employees: The law is rapidly evolving in this area, mainly (though not exclusively) in favour of employees. We have to wonder…are courts effectively trying to abolish these kinds of restrictions by making it impossible for an employer to draft enforceable clauses? Discover the many ways in which typical restrictive covenant wording is being rejected by courts today. Examine the strategies that might give these clauses a chance of being enforced. We will then review a truly pro-employer trend: the expansion of obligations owed by quasi-fiduciary employees. Click here for information on Melanie Polowin Social Recruitment: Use LinkedIn to Support Your Big Picture Talent Attraction Strategy With the evolution of the internet, candidate pools and sourcing strategies are shifting in a very significant way. While traditional sourcing strategies are still relevant, organizations are increasingly using social media sites like LinkedIn to source candidates for employment and to investigate applicants they are considering for hire. Discover key steps on how you can use LinkedIn as a recruiting tool in support of an overall recruiting strategy. Highlights of this session include: • How to effectively use LinkedIn as a recruiting channel while concurrently building your organization’s employment brand to attract and repel the right talent • Why and how to build your professional LinkedIn network as a means of sourcing hidden talent and passive job-seekers • Key steps to incorporating LinkedIn into your recruitment strategy while aligning with your overall talent management strategy. Click here for information on John Fleischauer WSIB Fraud Update- Employers Beware At present, fraudulent (WSIB) compensation and disability insurance claims are occurring at an alarming rate causing considerable costs to the employers. Employers often feel they are being “taken”, that an employee is simply enjoying a lengthy paid vacation, ultimately at the employer’s expense. Participants will obtain updates on issues including: • Red flags • PIPEDA compliance • Obtaining the hard evidence • Pixilization • Knowing the barriers and staying within the guidelines • Letter of authentication • Admissibility • Investigative body status • Claims management and complaints Knowing the barriers and guidelines in a typical WSIB claim, how to properly investigate and conduct surveillance on the subject are key to a fair and proper investigation. This session will provide the information you require to identify, investigate and settle WSIB claims while exposing the potential fraud. Click here for information on Brian Sartorelli Outclass the Competition – Business Etiquette Update Companies are looking for individuals who can handle themselves in all situations from business meetings to client lunches. Are your employees truly experts at projecting a positive impression? Eighty-six per cent of people experience anxiety when in a social or business setting meeting new people. We can all stand to learn how to manage those awkward situations. In this upbeat interactive session, learn how to make a positive first impression (you only get one chance), make an entrance and look like you belong - even if you'd rather be somewhere else! Obtain practical tips and strategies which can be applied to a corporate networking event or your neighbour’s cocktail party. Discover new ways to work a room, handle introductions, remember names, shake hands or even manage the cocktail plate and glass. By the end of the workshop, you’ll be a pro! Knowledge gives confidence. Confidence gives strength. Click here for information on Suzanne Nourse Toronto Full Day Conference November 1, 2012 Topic: Social Networks & Your Workplace: The Ever Changing Legal Landscape presented by Ruben Goulart, B.A., LL.B., Partner, Keyser Mason Ball LLP A New Wave: Recruiting on Social Media presented by Harpaul Sambhi, Chief Executive Officer and Author, Careerify Corp. WSIB Fraud Update- Employers Beware presented by Brian Sartorelli, President, CEO/Director/Owner, Investigative Research Group Performance Networking & Social Protocols- Mastering the Art presented by Lynne Mackay, Certified Image Consultant & Speaker, Mackay Byrne Group Click here for a printable PDF. Social Networks & Your Workplace: The Ever Changing Legal Landscape In this informative session, we will explore the rapidly evolving area of Social Networking - what it means to you and your employees. Get a hands-on perspective on the challenges presented by social media in today's workplace. What are the legal risks? What are the opportunities? How are our courts reacting to the challenges associated with social networking in today's workplace? Critical issues include: • Managing employee use of social media in an environment where many employers now require employees to use it: the importance of policy • Social media as evidence in employment law • Social media and post-employment perspectives: how do you deal with an employee who misrepresents their ongoing connection with your company even after they have left? • Privacy and understanding your rights and obligations as an employer • The impact of social media upon your obligations as an employer under Bill 168 (amendments to the Occupational Health and Safety Act) Click here for information on Ruben Goulart A New Wave: Recruiting on Social Media Does social media really work? Through the developed methodologies in his latest book “Social HR”, Harpaul Sambhi answers what corporations have been asking around the world. We know what social media is, we have seen LinkedIn and other companies rise through social recruitment, but does it actually work? LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, MySpace, Careerify, Hi5, Bebo and thousands of other social networks are all out there. How do corporations utilize these technologies to find the right talent? How do corporations become viral? What strategy works on social networks, more important what does not work? Discover new ideas in a session that is entertaining, thought-provoking and highly interactive. Obtain valuable insights on: • Applications and education on how social networks and media are effecting recruitment • In-depth analysis on social networks which have the greatest ROI on recruitment including corporations leading the way in social-HR recruitment initiatives • Expert tips on usage of social networks • Getting employees to refer candidates through viral networking • Evaluating social networks and media • Why job boards and traditional advertising will eventually die Click here for information on Harpaul Sambhi WSIB Fraud Update- Employers Beware At present, fraudulent (WSIB) compensation and disability insurance claims are occurring at an alarming rate causing considerable costs to the employers. Employers often feel they are being “taken”, that an employee is simply enjoying a lengthy paid vacation, ultimately at the employer’s expense. Participants will obtain updates on issues including: • Red flags • PIPEDA compliance • Obtaining the hard evidence • Pixilization • Knowing the barriers and staying within the guidelines • Letter of authentication • Admissibility • Investigative body status • Claims management and complaints Knowing the barriers and guidelines in a typical WSIB claim, how to properly investigate and conduct surveillance on the subject are key to a fair and proper investigation. This session will provide the information you require to identify, investigate and settle WSIB claims while exposing the potential fraud. Click here for information on Brian Sartorelli Performance Networking & Social Protocols- Mastering the Art Successful networking, both internally and externally, requires that we understand and meet the unwritten expectations of the pseudo social/professional arena. Managing the impression you make and maximizing your ‘like-ability’ are the keys to making every networking opportunity consistently profitable. You’ll master the principles of impression management by exploring perceptual tendencies, the ins-and-outs of small talk and the subtleties of conversation. We’ll cover the need to know elements of referral etiquette, Authentic Client Communication and appropriate attire. Obtain tips and strategies on social protocols including incorporating appropriate business protocols during business interactions, host and guest behaviours, being prepared with an agenda, tag lines that put you into context when you attend events, approaching groups with confidence and exiting with grace, developing authentic communication and more. This upbeat interactive session will provide you with information and practice of key networking and etiquette strategies to ensure immediate successful interaction and positive performance. Click here for information on Lynne Mackay Halifax Half Day Workshop October 24, 2012 Topic: Today’s Critical Issues in Employment Law presented by Ian C. Pickard, B.A., LL.B., Partner, McInnes Cooper Walking the Tightrope: Strategic & Tactical Leadership presented by Brenda Fair, Principal, Fairwinds Training and Development Today’s Critical Issues in Employment Law Employment law is an ever changing landscape. New issues like Facebook and Twitter continue to arise and create challenges for employers. In this session, we will explore three critical issues: off duty conduct including Facebook and Twitter use, constructive dismissal and managing employee absenteeism. Off Duty Conduct of Employees Including Use of Social Media Discover when and how it is appropriate to discipline employees for engaging in conduct outside of the workplace. There have been some recent Nova Scotia decisions which challenge prior beliefs about when an employer can discipline for an employee’s behaviour away from the workplace. Constructive Dismissal – What’s New? Does it Still Exist? Constructive dismissal has historically protected employees from circumstances where the employer unilaterally reduces an employee’s salary, job title, and responsibilities or fundamentally alters their job duties. Recent case law both in Nova Scotia and across Canada is bringing the concept of constructive dismissal very much into question. Managing Employee Absenteeism Managing employee absences is a constant challenge. Review new and different ways for the employer to take back control of employee absences, both in the short and long term. Click here for information on Ian Pickard Walking the Tightrope: Strategic & Tactical Leadership There comes a time in every leader’s management career where they find themselves torn between strategy and tactics. They were most likely promoted because of their technical proficiency. This may even be a comfort area for them. However, their role has changed and they must now focus on organizational development rather than production. Becoming strategic is not something we are taught in high school. In this session, we will explore what it means to transition into a strategic role and the differences between a manager’s ability to do things right, versus their ability to do the right things. This transition happens incrementally as we climb the ladder from frontline to Supervisor, from Supervisor to Manager and on to the C Suite. At each stage, there are shifts in thinking and in behavior that are necessary for true effectiveness. It is vital for leaders to have a clear sense of the difference between strategic and tactical thought. Review the where, when, why and how to employ each approach and the impact on the teams they lead. In this interactive session, participants will be able to draw on their own experiences to learn about improving performance and achieving the desired objectives. Click here for information on Brenda Fair Toronto Full Day Conference May 9, 2012 Topic: Generational Diversity: Legal Aspects in the Changing Face of the Workplace presented by Malcolm MacKillop, LL. B, Senior Partner and Hendrik Nieuwland, LL.B., Associate, Shields O'Donnell MacKillop LLP Acquisitions & Mergers: How Business Cultures Change (Panel Session) presented by Malcolm MacKillop, LL. B, Senior Partner, Hendrik Nieuwland, LL.B., Associate, Shields O'Donnell MacKillop LLP and Philip Gennis, LL.B., CIRP, Trustee, msi Spergel Inc Diversity: Today’s Competitive Advantage presented by Craig Dowden, Ph.D., Managing Director, André Filion & Associates Inc. Think on Your Feet ® presented by David Newby, COO, McLuhan & Davies Communications Inc. Click here for a printable PDF. Generational Diversity: Legal Aspects in the Changing Face of the Workplace Is your organization’s human resources management practice “age-friendly”? For the first time, the demographics of the Canadian workplace now include four generations of employees, with each having different approaches to work and expectations in the workplace. Boomers, Generation X, Generation Y, the Millennials- what is an employer to do? In this lively and interactive session, participants will gain a deeper understanding of the issues facing employers and practical tips on how to successfully manage a multigenerational workforce including: Accommodating an aging workforce and employees with personal health problems and disabilities Accommodating employees with increased family care responsibilities Managing age-related decline in performance Mandatory retirement and the latest updates on age discrimination case law Legal options and approaches to ensuring smooth succession planning Get vital information and bring your questions for our legal experts. Click here for information on Malcolm MacKillop Click here for information on Hendrik Nieuwland Acquisitions & Mergers: How Business Cultures Change (Panel Session) This session will focus on the legal and financial management issues that arise in the employment context during mergers and acquisitions. Issues discussed will include: What happens to the employment relationship? What are your obligations to existing employees? Can you change the employment terms of newly acquired employees? How do you make the "right cuts"? What are the implications if you do mass layoffs as part of the acquisition? Obtain vital information on these issues and bring your own questions to be answered by our expert panelists. As managers, you can't afford to miss this session, whether or not you've gone through a merger or acquisition. Click here for information on Malcolm MacKillop Click here for information on Hendrik Nieuwland Click here for information on Philip Gennis Diversity: Today’s Competitive Advantage Managing diversity has become an increasingly important investment for organizations today. As globalization continues and the barriers within and between countries continue to shrink, effectively managing diversity will be one of the cornerstones of corporate success. How can employers handle this diversity? Learn about an evidence-based business case for diversity by reviewing its impacts on tangible and intangible organizational outcomes. Discuss the barriers and how to overcome them. Obtain information on a powerful strategy that can be successfully implemented in all organizations to leverage diversity to augment our individual, team and organizational performance. Click here for information on Craig Dowden Think on Your Feet ® In this highly-interactive session, you will be introduced to Think on Your Feet® - the globally acclaimed workshop that trains you to analyze, organize and present your ideas FAST. The Think on Your Feet® approach is now regarded as the core communication competence – the platform on which to build speaking, presenting, writing and negotiation skills. Think on Your Feet® introduces 10 critical thinking plans that structure your ideas quickly • To explain complex ideas clearly • To get to the point • To be more persuasive • To respond on the spot • To grab your audience's attention CLARITY. BREVITY. IMPACT® …. even under pressure! Click here for information on David Newby Edmonton Half Day Workshop May 3, 2012 Topic: Generational Diversity: Legal Aspects in the Changing Face of the Workplace presented by Colin R. Fetter, B.Comm, LL.B., Partner, Brownlee LLP Why Do They Do That? Understand Behaviour, Improve Communication presented by Dan Ohler, Relationship Coach & Motivational Speaker, Thinkin’ Outside the Barn Generational Diversity: Legal Aspects in the Changing Face of the Workplace Is your organization’s human resources management practice “age-friendly”? For the first time, the demographics of the Canadian workplace now include four generations of employees, with each having different approaches to work and expectations in the workplace. Boomers, Generation X, Generation Y, the Millennials- what is an employer to do? In this lively and interactive session, participants will gain a deeper understanding of the issues facing employers and practical tips on how to successfully manage a multigenerational workforce including: Accommodating an aging workforce and employees with personal health problems and disabilities Accommodating employees with increased family care responsibilities Mandatory retirement and the latest updates on age discrimination case law Legal options and approaches to ensuring smooth succession planning Get vital information and bring your questions for our legal expert. Click here for information on Colin Fetter Why Do They Do That? Understand Behaviour, Improve Communication Profit and loss, supply and demand – these are concepts that come naturally to today’s corporate leader. What makes your people tick? That’s a trickier business. In a perfect world, you’d lead a positive, productive team that never argued or disagreed, kept secrets or advanced personal agendas. These things create confusion, distraction, productivity loss and hurt feelings. They prevent your team from reaching its full potential. But these things inevitably happen, and even the most patient among us can’t help but wonder why do they do that? This session will equip you with the tools to tackle head-on your biggest people challenges. You’ll understand that differences in behavioural styles can be a powerful tool, not a barrier to productivity. You’ll learn to motivate, resolve conflicts and find the strength that exists when you understand and celebrate the differences. Specifically, you’ll learn how these tools can help you match behavioural styles to the right job. If you’re involved in recruiting, managing or training, you will definitely benefit from this presentation. Click here for information on Dan Ohler Calgary Half Day Workshop May 1, 2012 Topic: Generational Diversity: Legal Aspects in the Changing Face of the Workplace presented by D. Robb Beeman, B.A., LL.B., Heenan Blaikie LLP Crucial Conversations® - Tools for Talking When the Stakes Are High presented by Lisa Scott, MBA, Senior Associate, LeadershipSmarts & Executive Coach Generational Diversity: Legal Aspects in the Changing Face of the Workplace Is your organization’s human resources management practice “age-friendly”? For the first time, the demographics of the Canadian workplace now include four generations of employees, with each having different approaches to work and expectations in the workplace. Boomers, Generation X, Generation Y, the Millennials- what is an employer to do? In this lively and interactive session, participants will gain a deeper understanding of the issues facing employers and practical tips on how to successfully manage a multigenerational workforce including: Accommodating an aging workforce and employees with personal health problems and disabilities Accommodating employees with increased family care responsibilities Mandatory retirement and the latest updates on age discrimination case law Legal options and approaches to ensuring smooth succession planning Get vital information and bring your questions for our legal expert. Click here for information on Robb Beeman Crucial Conversations® - Tools for Talking When the Stakes Are High Managing across generations requires skillful communication. Anyone can communicate effectively when things are going well - the true test of leadership occurs when the going gets rough. Whatever the issue–from poor productivity or declining quality to lack of teamwork or strained relationships–it’s likely that you’re experiencing the effects of a poorly held crucial conversation. The ability to master crucial conversations directly affects how well leaders/managers succeed. The inability to discuss and issue is often more damaging than the issue itself. Crucial Conversations is the foundation of communicating in a way that is completely candid and fully respectful. Ensuring that there is a mutual purpose and mutual respect in place is a winning strategy across all generations. Discover new ways to use questions and curiosity to invite others to share their thoughts and suggestions. This concept appeals to the universal need for people of all ages to feel safe and respected in conversations. Open dialogue is the goal and leads to better problem solving and better decision making. Sometimes, people who effectively communicate in normal circumstances become less influential as the conversation gets more intense. Discover new tools to resolve disagreements, build acceptance instead of resistance, speak persuasively and foster teamwork. Learn how to promote the best ideas, save time with fewer meetings, have less disagreement and build more alignment with better decisions made in your organization. Click here for information on Lisa Scott Halifax Half Day Workshop April 11, 2012 Topic: Motivational Leadership: So What’s New? presented by Gail Boone, CHRP, Facilitator & Consultant, Gail Boone Consulting Fostering a Safety Culture- Today’s Critical Issues at WCB Nova Scotia presented by Wendy Griffin, MBA, Acting VP, Service Delivery, Workers’ Compensation Board of Nova Scotia Brainstorming for Productivity: Eliminate the Obstacles presented by Kathy Jourdain, Process Artist, Shape Shift Strategies Motivational Leadership: So What’s New? When you google the word “leadership” you get 473 million results. When you shop Amazon for leadership books, you can choose from 50,604 titles. In August 2005, there were 16,583 titles. Can you say exponential growth? So what is this thing called leadership? Can you learn it from a book? Are leaders born or made? What are the traits of today’s leaders? You will be challenged to think about the characteristics of leadership that make a very real difference in people’s everyday work life. What are some key behaviours to which people respond? What does leadership look like when it shows up? What really matters to those who look for leadership? This session will provide an experienced-based look at leadership- first-hand accounts from the inside, out. Review examples of leadership as experienced by those who can describe the difference it made for them. Click here for information on Gail Boone Fostering a Safety Culture- Today’s Critical Issues at WCB Nova Scotia A safety culture is taking root in Nova Scotia. Workplace injury rates are at their lowest in 15 years. The frequency of workplace injuries has dropped by 5 per cent each year since 2005. This is good progress, but there’s still much work to do. Safety is everyone’s responsibility. In this interactive session, learn how WCB is getting closer to the workplace and directly supporting the efforts of workers and employers while continuously improving the way it delivers service. Hot topics featured include building support for workplace health and safety, enhancements to the rate setting model, direct access to physiotherapy, new social marketing campaign on musculoskeletal injuries and the WCB’s long term funding strategy. Obtain insights on these issues and have your own workplace safety questions answered. Click here for information on Wendy Griffin Brainstorming for Productivity: Eliminate the Obstacles Blue sky or out of the box thinking or brainstorming doesn’t always offer us the practical solutions we need to move past stuck points in our projects or teams. By applying a specific set of criteria for the brainstorming session, generate a more targeted discussion that will provide useful ideas that can be applied immediately. Creativity and innovation can be ramped up by identifying powerful questions to zero in on the problem, provide new lenses with which to view it, generate reflective, intentional, lively conversation and produce quality and quickly implementable ideas to blow past the stuck points. Are you wrestling with a stuck point in your work right now? Bring it forward and let a team of participants practice working with the brainstorming criteria and framework for innovative questioning to see what emerges that you can take away and apply. Discover seven criteria you can apply to brainstorming that will improve the effectiveness of your brainstorming sessions. Obtain four simple tools to boost creative output. Learn how to shape questions that set the ground for more creative thinking on stuck points. Click here for information on Kathy Jourdain Ottawa Full Day Conference April 12, 2012 Topic: Generational Diversity: Legal Aspects in the Changing Face of the Workplace presented by Dan Palayew, B.A., LL.B., Partner, Heenan Blaikie LLP Age Makes a Difference: The Impact of New Demographics presented by Margaret Shannon, B.A. (Hons.), LL.B., CMP, Director, Collective Bargaining, Interpretation and Recourse, Canada Revenue Agency Moral Leadership: Doing What's Right for You and Your Organization presented by Craig Dowden, Ph.D., Managing Director, André Filion & Associates Inc. Communication: Bridging the Diversity Gap presented by Wendy Godmere, Certified Communications Specialist Click here for a printable PDF. Generational Diversity: Legal Aspects in the Changing Face of the Workplace Is your organization’s human resources management practice “age-friendly”? For the first time, the demographics of the Canadian workplace now include four generations of employees, with each having different approaches to work and expectations in the workplace. Boomers, Generation X, Generation Y, the Millennials- what is an employer to do? In this lively and interactive session, participants will gain a deeper understanding of the issues facing employers and practical tips on how to successfully manage a multigenerational workforce including: Accommodating an aging workforce and employees with personal health problems and disabilities Accommodating employees with increased family care responsibilities Mandatory retirement and the latest updates on age discrimination case law Legal options and approaches to ensuring smooth succession planning Get vital information and bring your questions for our legal expert. Click here for information on Dan Palayew Age Makes a Difference: The Impact of New Demographics This session will explore the changing attitudes in the workplace and how the changing demographics of the workplace have had an impact on the law, legislation and what is considered acceptable behaviour within the Canadian work environment. This will be approached from the perspectives of two different generations of workers carrying out the same line of work. We will explore the changing attitudes and laws related to: • The employment contract: What is important for both employers and employees to see in employment contracts today? How has this changed from the past and what legal implications have this brought about? • The changing face of the workplace: How have employment equity and human rights legislation changed? • Harassment: What is acceptable, what is not and when did it change? • Complaints and grievances: What is bothering the workers of the various generations? Click here for information on Margaret Shannon Moral Leadership: Doing What's Right for You and Your Organization Leadership is one of the most frequently discussed topics in the world of business and receives considerable coverage in the popular and academic press. Indeed, a key word search of leadership using the Google search engine delivers almost half a billion hits! This leads us to a crucial question: What are the most effective leadership attributes for both individuals and organizations? The importance of this question is further accented by the groundbreaking work of the Gallup organization. Their surveys and studies have consistently shown that the number one reason people leave organizations is “poor leadership.” This trend, combined with the recent failures of our institutions and even countries, has created a fervent call for stronger leadership. We will review an evidence-based argument highlighting the critical importance of the “softer” side of leadership. Specifically, we will examine how humility, empathy, happiness, and self-awareness/authenticity are key differentiators of peak performance organizations. Although this list may seem counterintuitive to widespread beliefs regarding desirable leadership attributes, a sizeable evidence base has grown showcasing its effectiveness. By drawing on classic and cutting edge research, this session will highlight how moral leadership is not only doing the right thing, but it is the right thing to do for the health of our organizations. Click here for information on Craig Dowden Communication: Bridging the Diversity Gap At one time or another, we have all been part of or had to deliver a crucial conversation. It is at those times when we dig deep to find the right words, or the right message with the hopes of engaging the other party involved. In today’s ever changing marketplace, one thing is evident. We live in a very diverse culture that carries over both personally and professionally. There are foundational principles that are truths for each of us, things that we will support. But how are you communicating those truths? In such a diverse society, how are those around you receiving your communications? In this session, we will review the importance of Diversity in the workplace and how to identify your own Values, both personally and professionally. Explore the seven principles of communicating effectively and how to implement those in the diverse environments that you visit daily. Understanding that internal and external conversation are crucial to the outcome we desire, discover new principle based methodologies that are easily applied, leaving you with effective communication strategies to reach your desired outcome. Knowing that crucial communications will take place, having the knowledge and confidence to embrace them, will reduce stress and increase productivity in any organization. Click here for information on Wendy Godmere Ottawa Full Day Conference November 1, 2011 Topic: Workplace Bullying, Fraud & Investigations: Recent Trends & Best Practices presented by David Elzinga, CA-IFA, CFE, Global Leader, Forensic Investigative Services, Grant Thornton LLP Legal Roundup: Fraud & Malicious Prosecution Risk, Proving Just Cause in Fraud Cases and Labour Arbitration Update presented by Steven P. Williams, LL.B., Partner, Emond Harnden LLP Managing in Quicksand presented by Bruce Beakley, Director of Human Resources, County of Renfrew Difficult Conversations: How to Get a Grip presented by Monika B. Jensen, Principal, Aviary Group Click here for a printable PDF. Workplace Bullying, Fraud & Investigations: Recent Trends & Best Practices Fraud and Workplace Bullying The link between fraud and bullying may not be obvious, but it’s there! When fraud occurs over a long period of time, it’s almost inconceivable that someone in the organization didn’t know or have suspicions. Why didn’t that person come forward? We will look at a number of real life fraud cases where there has been an element of bullying that either precipitated the fraud or allowed the fraud to go undetected. Learn how to develop and implement proper policies and procedures in dealing with bullying and fraud. Fraud Investigation – Best Practices We know that fraud occurs in the workplace. One component of a comprehensive fraud program is the investigation. Review a practical approach and best practices in conducting fraud investigations. The principles can be applied to other internal investigations including theft, harassment, conflict of interest, breach of IT policies or allegations of workplace violence. Each fraud is different. Objectives, planning and approach to a fraud investigation can also vary significantly. Learn how to implement a basic framework for a fraud investigation before there is even a hint of fraud. Emotional reactions to fraud, unsupported or unreasonable assumptions, lack of objectivity, weak investigative mindsets and failure to understand what lies beneath the numbers are a recipe for faulty conclusions and professional embarrassment. We’ll discuss how each of these slippery slopes can be easily avoided. This presentation will provide all managers the necessary information in order to review or develop your present strategy, plans and procedures as well as understand potential problem areas in order to avoid needless litigation in the courts. Click here for information on David Elzinga Legal Roundup: Fraud & Malicious Prosecution Risk, Proving Just Cause in Fraud Cases and Labour Arbitration Update The recent decision of the Ontario Court of Appeal in Pate v Galway-Cavendish Township serves as a grim reminder to employers that they must proceed carefully when they choose to report employee theft to police. This case provides employers with the insight they need to minimize the risk of a successful malicious prosecution lawsuit, among other things. The evidence may suggest fraud, but will it be enough to prove just cause? The decision to proceed with a just cause termination in cases of alleged fraud can be a difficult one. The evidence has to be weighed and all mitigating factors considered. Reviewing a series of arbitral and court decisions, we will examine the factors that contribute to employer success and failure in the hearing room. Each year, arbitrators and labour boards release a few decisions that every HR/LR person must be aware of. We will discuss a few of these decisions and why you need to know about them. Click here for information on Steven Williams Managing in Quicksand In today's evolving legal landscape with initiatives like the OHSA's Bill 168, the "new" Ontario Human rights process and the obligations around disability management, one would question why anyone would want to be an employer now? The reality is most of us don’t have that choice in the public sector. In the private sector, it is better to work for yourself than for someone else. Unions and employees have learned how to "roll the grenade" by dropping terms like harassment, bullying and discrimination. How do we respond to these challenges in today's environment? What are the steps for due diligence? Obtain valuable insights from an HR perspective about these challenges and gain tips and strategies to better ensure accountability in today's work environment. Click here for information on Bruce Beakley Difficult Conversations: How to Get a Grip As senior managers and administrators, you've had to hold an uncomfortable conversation as a result of poor performance, an investigation into unwelcomed behaviour or attitude and offensive, unprofessional conduct in the workplace. Did it run well? It is always easy to praise employees. The conversation becomes tough when employees feel the stakes are high, when perception varies regarding the circumstances of the events and when emotions are strong. Regrettably, these are generally the type of performance-based conversations we encounter. Learning to address difficult issues in a timely manner, use clear communication and create a well-developed plan for improvement is crucial for good performance management. In today's workplace, it is imperative to be able to express views calmly and with confidence even when the situation or event becomes difficult and frustrating. Learn how to better tackle negative topics. If you do not handle the difficult disciplinary conversation properly, the problem will only fester. You lose credibility and your organization experiences serious problems with morale, productivity and retention. Review some best practices that will assist you in "keeping your cool and emotions under control" in a broad range of difficult situations, demonstrating successful ways of dealing with difficult circumstances and employees of all types. Acquire the skills to offset difficult situations and dissolve barriers to excellent interpersonal relations with underperforming employees. Click here for information on Monika Jensen Toronto Full Day Conference October 27, 2011 Topic: Workplace Bullying, Fraud & Investigations: Recent Trends & Best Practices presented by Sandy Boucher, B.Sc, CFE, Senior Investigator, Financial Advisory Services, Grant Thornton LLP Legal Perspective: Bill 168 and Beyond - An Employee's Guide for Employers presented by Ruben R. Goulart, B.A., LL.B., Managing Partner, Keyser Mason Ball LLP Workplace Trauma – No One is Immune presented by Susan McGrail, MSW, RSW,Director of Clinical Services, Bellwood Health Services Difficult Conversations: How to Get a Grip presented by JJ Brun, President, JJ Communications Inc. Click here for a printable PDF. Workplace Bullying, Fraud & Investigations: Recent Trends & Best Practices Fraud and Workplace Bullying The link between fraud and bullying may not be obvious, but it’s there! When fraud occurs over a long period of time, it’s almost inconceivable that someone in the organization didn’t know or have suspicions. Why didn’t that person come forward? We will look at a number of real life fraud cases where there has been an element of bullying that either precipitated the fraud or allowed the fraud to go undetected. Learn how to develop and implement proper policies and procedures in dealing with bullying and fraud. Fraud Investigation – Best Practices We know that fraud occurs in the workplace. One component of a comprehensive fraud program is the investigation. Review a practical approach and best practices in conducting fraud investigations. The principles can be applied to other internal investigations including theft, harassment, conflict of interest, breach of IT policies or allegations of workplace violence. Each fraud is different. Objectives, planning and approach to a fraud investigation can also vary significantly. Learn how to implement a basic framework for a fraud investigation before there is even a hint of fraud. Emotional reactions to fraud, unsupported or unreasonable assumptions, lack of objectivity, weak investigative mindsets and failure to understand what lies beneath the numbers are a recipe for faulty conclusions and professional embarrassment. We’ll discuss how each of these slippery slopes can be easily avoided. This presentation will provide all managers the necessary information in order to review or develop your present strategy, plans and procedures as well as understand potential problem areas in order to avoid needless litigation in the courts. Click here for information on Sandy Boucher Legal Perspective: Bill 168 and Beyond - An Employee's Guide for Employers The passage of Bill 168 (which amended the Occupational Health and Safety Act in June of 2010) has provided your employees with yet another layer of relief in the event that you mismanage their harassment claims. With the benefit of one year of experience under the Bill, this session will provide an overview of the various legal options available to employees when confronted with workplace harassment. We will focus on managing these issues given the new reality in Ontario. Gain valuable insights to help you put the various pieces of the harassment puzzle together. Discuss the following items: 1. Bill 168 one year later: an update on the operation of the Bill and the Ministry of Labour's approach. 2. What to do when the MOL arrives at your door. 3. Human Rights and the Courts: recent cases and "best practice" strategies to manage harassment complaints so that you avoid the courts. 4. Violence: exploring the obligation to protect your workforce versus the privacy rights of your employees. 5. Internal investigation strategies: maximizing the likelihood of resolution before everything goes legal. Participants will review sample fact scenarios designed for analysis and resolution of real life claims. Learn how to best tackle your toughest challenges. Click here for information on Ruben Goulart Workplace Trauma – No One is Immune We need to look no further than the daily news to learn of the range of stressful events that people are exposed to in the workplace. Review a variety of situations that employers must manage in order to maintain safety in the workplace. Often it is not one event that causes trauma in people, rather the interplay between an event, the organizational response and the supports outside the workplace. There are multiple levels of influence and no single, one size fits all model for assistance. What are the best practices for employers following critical events in the workplace? Discuss recent case studies of harassment, bullying and substance abuse in the workplace. What policies do employers need to protect the employer and the employee? Participants will obtain information on assisting affected staff on site following the stressful or traumatic event and the important role in the return to work phase. A review of some of the professions and job types that carry a higher risk for exposure to trauma will be also be highlighted. Click here for information on Susan McGrail Difficult Conversations: How to Get a Grip Difficult conversations are part of the workplace. No matter how competent we are, we all have conversations that cause anxiety and frustration. Whether you're dealing with unprofessional conduct, handling a performance review of an under-performing employee or negotiating with a difficult client, you may not like doing it, but avoiding these difficult conversations usually make matters worse. It is easy to praise employees. The conversation becomes tough when employees feel the stakes are high, when perception varies regarding the circumstances of the events and when emotions are strong. Unfortunately, these are generally the type of performance-based conversations we encounter daily. In time, we must all speak up and carry out a difficult conversation. So, how do you correct or criticize a colleague without generating repercussions? How do you communicate to someone a decision that you know will cause disappointment or even provoke strong disagreement? The first step in learning how to carry out that difficult conversation is to discover what makes people tick. Stop battling with people - carrying out difficult conversation on their terms. Learn to decipher people and understand that people don’t do things to you, they do things for themselves. This session will provide behavioural based strategies to understanding and effectively communicating with all types of people, no matter how destructive their behaviours, by proactively using their own internal drivers to disarm them and create more productive interactions. Click here for information on JJ Brun Halifax Half Day Workshop October 25, 2011 Topic: Improve Your Relations with Labour presented by Joan Jessome, President, Nova Scotia Government and General Employees Union Critical Legal Issues in Managing a Rapidly Aging Workforce presented by Jack Graham, Q.C., Partner, Labour & Employment Group, McInnes Cooper Improve Your Relations with Labour The Nova Scotia Government and General Employees Union (NSGEU) has approximately 29,000 members in both the public and private sectors. Our featured presenter Joan Jessome will provide some insights on major issues and steps that can be taken by employers and managers to improve relations with labour. “Opening the Dialogue” entails discussion with union leadership about key current issues or developments. It can address a potential or growing problem before it may go public and before it becomes more difficult to fix. It is an obvious step but one that is not used as much as it could be. “Labour-Management Committees” is a more formal step of encouraging and supporting regular, ongoing dialogue. Discover ways to maximize success with joint committees. “Bully-Free Workplaces” is a major program launched by NSGEU in September 2010. Bullying, harassment and intimidation exist in almost every workplace. This bullying culture must be changed. Learn more about this program and how it can help stop the epidemic. Click here for information on Joan Jessome Critical Legal Issues in Managing a Rapidly Aging Workforce The workforce is aging in Canada just as it is in all industrialized countries. Older workers can bring valuable skills, experience and other advantages, but they may also have very different employment demands as well. As their numbers increase, this is likely to significantly affect employment relations, create new workplace issues and add complications to existing legal and operational challenges for employers. This session will provide an overview of some developments in employment law that have particular relevance in managing older employees. It will offer practical tips for dealing with some common but troublesome issues arising from workforce aging: • Is it discriminatory to offer no or reduced employee benefits to older employees, especially when premium costs can skyrocket after age sixty-five or so? • What are you going to have to do to do about age-related declining attendance, performance and productivity, when mandatory retirement is no longer going to (at least someday) deal with the problem for you? • How can you meet the duty to accommodate the more frequent and more debilitating disabilities that are apt to occur among older workers? When is that elusive point of undue hardship reached in accommodating normal aging as well as complications arising from physical or mental disabilities? • What about accommodating the increased caregiver obligations that employees may have for their aging family members? Obtain vital information on these issues and have your questions answered on the particular “wrinkles” in their own workplace issues with an aging workforce. Click here for information on Jack Graham Calgary Half Day Workshop October 25, 2011 Topic: Employment Policies: Don’t Leave Home Without Them! presented by Tom Ross, B.A, LL.B., Partner, McLennan Ross LLP Workplace Tests: Navigating the Maze presented by Shawn Bakker, Psychologist, Psychometrics Canada Employment Policies: Don’t Leave Home Without Them! As we all know, employment policies assist employers in reducing exposure to risk in human resource management. These policies must be consistent, understandable, accessible and easy to administer. While employment policies ensure statutory compliance, they also set out guidelines and information regarding your minimum requirements and “best practices” in the workplace. There are a number of essential workplace policies that are often overlooked, neglected or forgotten. Learn how to develop and implement some essential policies, why you need them and what they can do for your organization including: Workplace Violence and Working Alone: Hazard assessment and a policy covering these areas has been a statutory requirement in Alberta for some time now. Privacy / Information: Collection, storage and use of personal information Drugs and Alcohol: Prescription medication, duty to accommodate, testing and potential termination. Computer, Internet, Email, Blackberry Use: Can you monitor employee emails and internet use? Are your employees texting and emailing while driving, and if so, are you potentially liable? A thorough policy on these issues is your best way to avoid costly litigation. Click here for information on Tom Ross Workplace Tests: Navigating the Maze Most of us have had some experience with workplace tests. We have taken or administered them in one form or another. But with the increasing inventory of instruments available for the workplace, how do you determine the best one for your needs? When used correctly, tests can help organizations hire more effective employees, reduce turnover, and save time & money. Whether you work in management, HR, career development, or coaching, it pays to have an understanding of the available tools and what each can offer. This session will focus on how to evaluate, choose and implement assessments into your organization in an effective and defensible way. Participants will get an overview of common assessment tools, the pros and cons of different types of assessments, the different uses of assessments and how to choose which tests best meet their needs. Review how these tests can be successfully used in recruiting, retention and employee development. Gain new insights on the potential of MBTI, Work Personality Index, CPI260, Baron EQi, Strong Interest Inventory, Wonderlic Personnel Test, Watson-Glaser and other tests used to evaluate job candidates, develop employees and coach leaders. Click here for information on Shawn Bakker Edmonton Half Day Workshop October 20, 2011 Topic: Lead with Intent - Engaging Leadership presented by Joanne Beaton, Vice President, National Operations Support, TELUS Customer Solutions Workplace Bullying, Fraud & Investigations: Recent Trends & Best Practices presented by David Elzinga, CA-IFA, CFE, Global Leader, Forensic Investigative Services, Grant Thornton LLP Lead with Intent - Engaging Leadership Joanne Beaton has established a legacy of building winning teams. With 25 years of leadership experience in both the for-profit and non-profit sectors, she has engaged teams of 5 to 1,500 and received international recognition for transforming cultures and achieving business results. In this interactive session, participants will discover real life examples and practical insights to help you Lead with Intent: • Learn how to be you – Authentic Leadership • Crystallize your intent – Be Present • Close the loop – Strategy and Empathy at all levels • Appreciation vs. Recognition – What’s the difference • The Five A’s of Engagement - Their A-mazing results Get inspired to become an engaging leader that makes a positive impact in the lives of others and in the workplace. Click here for information on Joanne Beaton Workplace Bullying, Fraud & Investigations: Recent Trends & Best Practices Fraud and Workplace Bullying The link between fraud and bullying may not be obvious, but it’s there! When fraud occurs over a long period of time, it’s almost inconceivable that someone in the organization didn’t know or have suspicions. Why didn’t that person come forward? We will look at a number of real life fraud cases where there has been an element of bullying that either precipitated the fraud or allowed the fraud to go undetected. Learn how to develop and implement proper policies and procedures in dealing with bullying and fraud. Fraud Investigation – Best Practices We know that fraud occurs in the workplace. One component of a comprehensive fraud program is the investigation. Review a practical approach and best practices in conducting fraud investigations. The principles can be applied to other internal investigations including theft, harassment, conflict of interest, breach of IT policies or allegations of workplace violence. Each fraud is different. Objectives, planning and approach to a fraud investigation can also vary significantly. Learn how to implement a basic framework for a fraud investigation before there is even a hint of fraud. Emotional reactions to fraud, unsupported or unreasonable assumptions, lack of objectivity, weak investigative mindsets and failure to understand what lies beneath the numbers are a recipe for faulty conclusions and professional embarrassment. We’ll discuss how each of these slippery slopes can be easily avoided. This presentation will provide all managers the necessary information in order to review or develop your present strategy, plans and procedures as well as understand potential problem areas in order to avoid needless litigation in the courts. Click here for information on David Elzinga Toronto Full Day Conference May 11, 2011 Topic: Social Media & Electronic Misconduct: What You Don’t Know Can Hurt Your Company presented by Malcolm MacKillop, LL. B, Senior Partner, Shields O'Donnell MacKillop LLP 10 Steps to Safety Excellence in the Workplace presented by Wilson Bateman, President, Global Training Edge Inc. When Money isn’t Enough (or There isn’t Enough Money) Try Fuzzy Slippers! presented by Lynda Mungall, President, Mungall Consulting Group Leading Change & Learning to Love It! presented by Peggy Grall, CSP, Certified Executive Coach, Principal, Peggy Grall & Associates Inc. Click here for a printable PDF. Social Media & Electronic Misconduct: What You Don’t Know Can Hurt Your Company There is no doubt that we live in a technological era. More people than ever before rely on social media to communicate. There are now over 500 million members of Facebook including, without a doubt, many of your employees. Others may have their own blogs or Twitter accounts. When an employee misuses technology, either at work or at home, the consequences for an employer can be profound. While you may think that chances of this affecting your company are slim, recent studies show otherwise. A 2009 survey by Deloitte & Touche found that 27% of employees did not consider the ethical consequences of posting comments, videos, and pictures online and 15% of employees stated that they would complain online if their employer did something that they did not agree with. This presentation describes the risks associated with employee misuse of social media and other forms of electronic misconduct. It also addresses the factors to consider when disciplining an employee for electronic misconduct, guides employers through the privacy issues related to employee monitoring, and provides tips to help craft an effective social media and electronic misconduct policy for your workplace. Click here for information on Malcolm MacKillop 10 Steps to Safety Excellence in the Workplace Impacting the safety culture of an organization starts with an awareness of potential dangers in all areas of the employee’s life. The leading cause of death in Canadians under 45 is unintentional injury. Safe habits at home, while driving, at play and at work will create a safer way of life. When an organization begins to consider safety, they often recognize a silent epidemic. Many of their employees suffer from unintentional injuries on and off the job. Statistics indicate over 90% of injuries are predictable and preventable. Instead of waiting for an incident to happen, we need to be aggressive in our approach to Occupational Health and Safety. To assist in reducing injuries and incidents in the workplace, the 10 Steps program includes hazard assessment, documentation and safety memory. Discuss how to implement this proactive approach which begins at the senior management level and works down through the organization. By delivering this safety message beyond the workplace to employees at all levels of the organization, the safety culture can move beyond zero! Click here for information on Wilson Bateman When Money isn’t Enough (or There isn’t Enough Money) Try Fuzzy Slippers! Many organizations are still feeling the effects of the recession. While economic recovery appears to be here for many companies, and their employees, it just doesn’t feel like it. Indeed, for many sectors of the economy, the recovery is illusive. So, given a lack of dollars to spend on raising employee compensation, how can employers keep their employees interested, engaged and motivated when everyone is under such stress? It starts with a clear understanding of what motivates your people. Is it pay-the traditional rewards and benefits that are the high priced, big dollar items? Or what about the role played by the mission / vision of your company and the meaningful work that it provides? Perhaps you allow important opportunities for employees to grow and develop their skills and expertise. There are any number of reward items that are not necessarily costly, big ticket dollar items, but when consistently delivered, and effectively communicated, provide a big payoff in terms of retention and getting employees to go the extra mile. During this session, you will learn of the importance of developing an inventory of the rewards – monetary and non–monetary - provided by your organization. This is a tool that will provide you with the clues that you will need to develop and implement a total reward strategy that won’t break the bank. While employee engagement is important anytime, it is critical in difficult times. In this session, you will learn about the need to keep high performing staff on board for the turn around while gaining an understanding of specific things – compensation and non-compensation related - that your organization can do to aid in this effort. You will be made aware of findings from a number of studies that prove tough times provide an opportunity to build the commitment of key employees without large expenditures. And you’ll learn why fuzzy slippers just might be one of your best employee retention tools! Click here for information on Lynda Mungall Leading Change & Learning to Love It! Has your team or organization decided to make a change? Are you learning new processes or working with new people? When the leadership of an organization can't change - the people STRUGGLE and leaders have a unique opportunity to model change-skills during times of transition. Whether you are choosing to change, or being forced to make changes ... Hang on! We have good news for you! In this dynamic and interactive session, participants will learn how to leverage the psychological factors that influence people transitions, identify and capitalize on the natural laws of change and recognize their Change Style, and the style of others. Obtain tips & techniques that Change Leaders use to motivate their employees and anticipate and respond to individual & organizational resistance. Learn how to identify and capture the Success Factors of change management and engage in serious Self-reflection about your own change-readiness. Participants will discover potential activities and review case studies to anchor concepts as well as develop ways to enhance your skills as senior managers and leaders. Click here for information on Peggy Grall Calgary Half Day Workshop May 3, 2011 Topic: Social Media in the Workplace: Legal Considerations presented by William J. Armstrong, Q.C., Partner, Armstrong Management Lawyers Workplace Bullying, Fraud & Investigations: Recent Trends & Best Practices presented by Al Bleau, CFI, Senior Manager, Specialist Advisory Services, Grant Thornton LLP Social Media in the Workplace: Legal Considerations Twitter. Facebook. YouTube. The use of social media and its impact on society has grown exponentially in recent years. In Calgary, the recent election of Naheed Nenshi as mayor, over candidates who were initially the front runners, was attributed to the savvy use of social media in his campaign. The impact on workplaces has also been significant. While social media may provide new avenues for corporate communications, they also provide new avenues for employee misconduct. In Canada as in several other countries, there have been cases of discipline and terminations because of comments in social media by employees. Social media are also having an impact on human resources practices such as references and recruiting. Issues of privacy, off duty conduct and free speech are all engaged. Should employers be using social media in recruiting? Do employees have any expectation of privacy on the Internet? Do younger employees have different attitudes than managers? Obtain the most up to date legal information, current trends and strategies on these issues. Review what every organization must have in place in policies and procedures to deal with employees’ use of social media. Click here for information on William Armstrong Workplace Bullying, Fraud & Investigations: Recent Trends & Best Practices Fraud and Workplace Bullying The link between fraud and bullying may not be obvious, but it’s there! When fraud occurs over a long period of time, it’s almost inconceivable that someone in the organization didn’t know or have suspicions. Why didn’t that person come forward? We will look at a number of real life fraud cases where there has been an element of bullying that either precipitated the fraud or allowed the fraud to go undetected. Learn how to develop and implement proper policies and procedures in dealing with bullying and fraud. Fraud Investigation – Best Practices We know that fraud occurs in the workplace. One component of a comprehensive fraud program is the investigation. Review a practical approach and best practices in conducting fraud investigations. The principles can be applied to other internal investigations including theft, harassment, conflict of interest, breach of IT policies or allegations of workplace violence. Each fraud is different. Objectives, planning and approach to a fraud investigation can also vary significantly. Learn how to implement a basic framework for a fraud investigation before there is even a hint of fraud. Emotional reactions to fraud, unsupported or unreasonable assumptions, lack of objectivity, weak investigative mindsets and failure to understand what lies beneath the numbers are a recipe for faulty conclusions and professional embarrassment. We’ll discuss how each of these slippery slopes can be easily avoided. This presentation will provide all managers the necessary information in order to review or develop your present strategy, plans and procedures as well as understand potential problem areas in order to avoid needless litigation in the courts. Click here for information on Bailey Rivard Click here for information on Al Bleau Edmonton Half Day Workshop May 5, 2011 Topic: Employment Policies: Don’t Leave Home Without Them! presented by Colin R. Fetter, B.Comm, LL.B., Partner, Brownlee LLP, Edmonton Social Media 101: Playtime or Business Driver? presented by Gail Matheson, PhD, Vice President, Human Resources & Business Services, Edmonton Journal Employment Policies: Don’t Leave Home Without Them! Succinctly stated, employment policies assist employers in reducing exposure to risk in human resource management. These policies form a foundation for workplace management to create systems that are consistent, understandable, accessible and easy to administer. While employment policies ensure statutory compliance, they also set out guidelines and information regarding your minimum requirements and “best practices” in the workplace. There are a number of essential workplace policies that are often overlooked, neglected or forgotten. In many cases, the presence of and compliance with a clear comprehensive policy can be your best defence against the risk of dispute, acrimony and litigation. On the other hand, the absence of such policies will be your worst enemy. This seminar will discuss several essential policies, why you need them and what they can do for your workplace including: Workplace Violence and Working Alone: Hazard assessment and a policy covering these areas has been a statutory requirement in Alberta for some time now. Privacy / Information: What are your policy obligations with respect to the collection, storage and use of personnel information? Drugs and Alcohol: Unfortunately these issues do or will affect most workplaces at some time. A clear comprehensive policy covers everything from prescription medication to the duty to accommodate, to testing and potential termination. Computer, Internet, Email, Blackberry Use: Can you monitor employee emails and internet use? Are your employees texting and emailing while driving, and if so, are you potentially liable? A thorough policy on these issues is your best proactive tool to control risk in this area. Click here for information on Colin Fetter Social Media 101: Playtime or Business Driver? You keep your kids from spending too much time on the computer. You monitor whom they accept as friends on Facebook. Blogging sounds like something you would do in Ireland. You are vaguely familiar with Twitter but try to look savvy when someone mentions it. But now it’s a business issue? For many employers, social media is primarily viewed as a problem – a reason to have policies about their use in the workplace. But businesses are rapidly realizing that social media is becoming a distinctive competency for marketing and branding. Over the past five years, an increasing number of people are using social media in both their personal and professional lives. While it may have started as a “playtime” trend, it is now a serious market brand and business influence. Social media is being used to increase and drive brand and business awareness, drive sales, get input into product development and build or strengthen brand loyalty. These concepts are also being extended into the HR realm. Many HR practitioners are beginning to draft their social media policies, and are generally concerned with controlling risk and liability associated with social media use. However, social media can be a powerful recruitment branding tool. Simply focusing on issues like use of social media during work and what constitutes inappropriate disclosure of business issues may limit your business from harnessing a powerful business tool. So, bring your Smartphones, laptops, and your desire to learn as we explore the basics of popular social media, the role of social media in marketing, considerations creating sustained social marketing ROI and the HR implications of social media. Click here for information on Gail Matheson Ottawa Full Day Conference on Social Media and Communication April 6, 2011 Topic: Social Media & The Wired Workplace- Legal Considerations presented by Dan Palayew, B.A., LL.B., Partner, Heenan Blaikie LLP Social Media’s Impact on Your Organization- Best Practices presented by Ryan Moore, Director of Operations, CKG International Make Sure Your Written Messages Connect! presented by Nadja Corkum, B.A., M.Ed., President, ACR Communications Inc. The 3 Secrets to Presenting Ideas & Getting Buy-In presented by JJ Brun, President, JJ Communications Inc. Click here for a printable PDF. Social Media & The Wired Workplace- Legal Considerations The workplace has changed dramatically in recent years due to advances in computer and communications systems. In addition, the explosion of social networking sites such as Facebook, Twitter and Lavalife and a generation of employees entering the workplace having been raised on them, have created new challenges for employers. At the same time, these changes and the growth of social media have provided employers with powerful tools for recruiting, retention, performance management and beyond. With these new technological advances, cultural changes and ever evolving legal obligations, employers are being forced to explore their rights and responsibilities. Discover the latest trends, cases and strategies that will enable your organization to benefit from the rewards and minimize the risks of the wired workplace. Click here for information on Dan Palayew Social Media’s Impact on Your Organization- Best Practices Social media presents an endless opportunity for businesses today if you are able to create and implement strategies that will gain attention of your desired target. This new media outlet also presents functionality for both internal and external use providing a whole new communication gateway. The world is now hyper connected with Smartphones and Tablets becoming staples to everyday life all having a constant wi-fi connection. Social media can be the thread that will help connect your company to this hyper connected world. These concepts are also being extended into the HR realm. Many HR practitioners are beginning to draft their social media policies, and are generally concerned with controlling risk and liability associated with social media use. However, social media can be a powerful recruitment branding tool. Simply focusing on issues like use of social media during work and what constitutes inappropriate disclosure of business issues may limit your business from harnessing a powerful business tool. Most organizations today are not taking full advantage of what social media can do for them or are not following the unwritten rules to social media. Discuss the keys to achieving success with your social media efforts. We will examine several organizations that are having great success with their efforts and what you can do to create similar success. Learn how to use social media both internally and externally. Focus on best practices and strategies for the major networking sites. Get tips and tricks to help you maximize your efforts. Discover practical methods on how to format your message. Obtain the ideas and information you need to take back and implement in your organization. Click here for information on Ryan Moore Make Sure Your Written Messages Connect! Do people answer your emails promptly? Do colleagues voice support for suggestions in your memos? Does your team pick up and run with your instructions? Do you get requests for copies of your reports? Even if you answer “Yes!” to these questions and consider yourself an effective writer, this session could still change your (business-writing) life. In today’s time-pressed business environment, managers, clients and employees are overwhelmed with reading demands. So they set priorities such as relevance, brevity and clarity. These principles apply to even the most mundane business communications. In fact, they apply in personal communications too including letters, email, notes to your kids, even voicemail. Are all your messages getting across? This informative session will provide you with a quick refresher on your writing skills. Not only will you benefit from a review of the principles, you’ll have a chance to practice a few of the easiest “quick fixes”, ask a few questions and leave with a list of recommended writing style guides. Participants will be able to take back a list of “to do’s” and “what not to do’s”. You’ll be amazed at how much useful information you can absorb in 90 minutes! Click here for information on Nadja Corkum The 3 Secrets to Presenting Ideas & Getting Buy-In Everyone loves a secret! Discover ways to connect, communicate, and gain buy-in when presenting and/or communicating an idea to your audience every time you speak. Obtain three secret insights that will equip you and provide you with a comprehensive overview of the fundamental differences in individual behavioural patterns in order to connect by design and not by chance with any individual or group around the globe. Wouldn’t it be nice if you could take away the pain out of presenting and implementing new ideas? Imagine what you could accomplish by recognizing motivational triggers from simple conversations. Learn how to recognize what will stimulate and maintain a person's motivation and conversely, what will turn them off. The principles can be applied to individual conversations as well as group discussions and presentations. Our presenter will share from his international experience and cultural insights in order to empower and enhance your human performance when interacting and presenting your ideas. Obtain the latest strategies and tips on how to improve your interpersonal communication skills and learn how to communicate more effectively. Click here for information on JJ Brun Halifax Half Day Workshop March 30, 2011 Topic: Workplace Bullying, Fraud & Investigations: Recent Trends & Best Practices presented by Sue MacMillan, FCA, CFE, CFI, Partner, Grant Thornton LLP and Joyce McGeehan, MBA, CMA, CFI, Senior Manager, Forensic Accounting & Advisory Services, Grant Thornton LLP Making the Difference: New Trends in Leadership presented by Kevin Hamm, CEO, Nova Scotia Gateway Secretariat Workplace Bullying, Fraud & Investigations: Recent Trends & Best Practices Fraud and Workplace Bullying The link between fraud and bullying may not be obvious, but it’s there! When fraud occurs over a long period of time, it’s almost inconceivable that someone in the organization didn’t know or have suspicions. Why didn’t that person come forward? We will look at a number of real life fraud cases where there has been an element of bullying that either precipitated the fraud or allowed the fraud to go undetected. Learn how to develop and implement proper policies and procedures in dealing with bullying and fraud. Fraud Investigation – Best Practices We know that fraud occurs in the workplace. One component of a comprehensive fraud program is the investigation. Review a practical approach and best practices in conducting fraud investigations. The principles can be applied to other internal investigations including theft, harassment, conflict of interest, breach of IT policies or allegations of workplace violence. Each fraud is different. Objectives, planning and approach to a fraud investigation can also vary significantly. Learn how to implement a basic framework for a fraud investigation before there is even a hint of fraud. Emotional reactions to fraud, unsupported or unreasonable assumptions, lack of objectivity, weak investigative mindsets and failure to understand what lies beneath the numbers are a recipe for faulty conclusions and professional embarrassment. We’ll discuss how each of these slippery slopes can be easily avoided. This presentation will provide all managers the necessary information in order to review or develop your present strategy, plans and procedures as well as understand potential problem areas in order to avoid needless litigation in the courts. Click here for information on Sue MacMillan Click here for information on Joyce McGeehan Making the Difference: New Trends in Leadership This presentation will address the issue of leadership as it applies to all employees in any organization in both private and public sectors. Recognize the signs of call to become a leader, subtle versus very vocal displays. Discover ways to assess when new leadership is required, the difference between the traditional “custodian thinking” and the new “world class” process. Learn how to address the need, how to lead and how to obtain the buy-in from superiors and senior executives. Participants will review the top traits or characteristics of standing leaders against which they can measure themselves. Discuss actual case studies and examples to learn why “custodian thinking” is no longer an option for any employee to succeed in an organization, regardless of position. Organizations can no longer survive or flourish with the “status quo” or “mind the shop” attitude. Learn how to move yourself and those around you into world class thinking that will help you become the leader you want to be! Click here for information on Kevin Hamm Ottawa Half Day Workshop November 4, 2010 Topic: Today's Critical Issues in Employment Law presented by Lynn Thomson, BA, LL.B, MBA, Partner, Hicks Morley Partner with Productivity-The Ongoing Challenge presented by Ann Max, President, Productive to the Max Today's Critical Issues in Employment Law Highlights of this session include: When should we start worrying about human rights issues? How about "before they arise?" It is essential that employers be alert to issues of potential harassment or discrimination and have in place appropriate measures to deal with them. Reviewing some recent Human Rights decisions will demonstrate this. Can we include contractual terms at the outset that will limit liability? Recent legal developments have left employers floundering with respect to mid-contract changes. Get it right at the outset and address issues of notice and lTD coverage at day one-no matter how unfriendly it looks. The liability free termination- does it really exist? In what circumstances, if any, is it appropriate to release an employee without compensation? What can you do to minimize your liability? What are the current trends in damages? Up, up and up. With some exceptions in the area of damages flowing from the manner of termination, carrying out a risk analysis for your employer based on the costs flowing from termination will mean increasing estimates which would have been done a couple of years ago. Recognize the hot spots for damages that go beyond reasonable notice and avoid some of these added costs. If we investigate workplace issues, can we increase our liability? The number of workplace investigations into issues ranging from theft to harassment is on the rise. To provide reliable information and treat people properly, you want them done well. You can also avoid damages which could flow from the emerging tort of negligent investigation. What can employers do about disgruntled employees making inappropriate use of social media? Facebook, Twitter, blogging,anonymous and otherwise,all provide a platform for instant employee communication to many, many others. When that employee is angry, or indifferent to confidentiality, what can you as the employer do? Is discipline an option? Does it matter if the behaviour is off hours? Can you get at anonymous blogs? Click here for information on Lynn Thomson Partner with Productivity-The Ongoing Challenge The balance between life and work is a constant struggle. Demands are increasing in every aspect of our lives. Are demands so overwhelming that the feeling of accomplishment is elusive? We are tormented by backlogged projects, endless to-do lists, and conflicting priorities, not to mention cell phones and “instant” communication. We must learn to develop strategies to remain focused on what is important. Learn to take control over your time and your environment to reduce the stresses of everyday life. To be successful, goals must be identified, priorities clarified and schedules established that are realistic. Plans must be formulated that are effective and efficient. Combine these skills with an orderly and decluttered environment and you are ready to take on the world with an enjoyable and balanced life. In this interactive session, participants will discover the reasons behind their disorganization and lack of time and learn behaviour modification techniques, apply organizing, time management and balanced lifestyle principles that work and streamline their lives. Click here for information on Ann Max Toronto Full Day Conference October 28, 2010 Topic: Risky Business: Top 10 Things Employers Shouldn't Gamble On In Workplace Law presented by Ruben R. Goulart, B.A., LL.B., Managing Partner, Keyser Mason Ball LLP and Simon R. Heath, B.A., MIR, LL.B., Associate, Keyser Mason Ball LLP Informational Interviews – Avoiding Guilt by Investigation and Other Pitfalls presented by Sandy Boucher, B.Sc, CFE, Senior Manager, Forensic Accounting and Investigative Services, Grant Thornton LLP Emails: The Good, The Bad and The Ugly presented by Jane Watson, President, J. Watson Associates Inc. An HR Executive’s Guide to Employee Assessments presented by Maureen Catania, RAS, Vice President, WorkforceAssessments.com Risky Business: Top 10 Things Employers Shouldn't Gamble On In Workplace Law This interactive session examines today’s most critical issues in employment law. Highlights include: • Ontario Employment Standards Act, 2000 (“ESA”) - Overtime Rules. Which employees are entitled to overtime under the ESA and which are not? How is overtime calculated for employees paid by hourly rates or commissions? What are the rules governing employee “averaging agreements”? • “Use it or lose it” vacation policy- Can the employer implement this policy? What are the basic minimum requirements with respect to vacation time and vacation pay under the ESA? How should your vacation policy address these issues? • Travel Time- Do employers need to pay employees who spend a considerable amount of time traveling as part of their duties? Review the ESA rules on travel time and draw a distinction between travel for work, commuting from home to the workplace and whether a change in location can constitute a constructive dismissal. • “Independent Contractors vs. Employees” Examine the potential and inherent risks. We will address recent Ontario Court of Appeal decisions which have refined the tests on when an individual who is labelled an independent contractor is really an employee. • When can you consider an employee to have "Resigned" from his/her position? We will review the requirements of having a resignation in writing, the subjective and objective test for resignation and also discuss the concept of “job abandonment”. • Employer’s return to work obligations under the Workplace Safety and Insurance Act- What factors are to be considered? Are these duties the same as those under the Ontario Human Rights Code and which statutory regime should be followed? • Severance Update- What should employers really pay? We will review common law damages and minimum standard clauses in employment contracts. • Maternity/Parental Leave- What happens if you want to keep the replacement because that person is doing a better job? What is an employer’s obligation in returning a worker back after a leave of absence? Under what circumstances is it permissible not to return a worker from a maternity and/or parental leave? • Employer’s obligations for long-term disability- How long can the employee be on long term disability before we can treat the employment relationship as having come to an end? • Medical Information- What medical information is an employer entitled to when an employee is ill? When can the employer ask for more medical information or an independent medical examination? Click here for information on Ruben Goulart Click here for information on Simon Heath Informational Interviews – Avoiding Guilt by Investigation and Other Pitfalls Most managers have encountered some level of difficulty in getting accurate information and responses during the interview process. We’re told to avoid confrontation, pay attention to body language, nervousness, the list goes on in our search for obtaining the necessary details quickly and efficiently. This special presentation will provide skills in conducting fact finding workplace interviews by providing methods for getting organized for the interview, formulating questions, taking notes and providing a good closing. Participants will review new developments in interview practices including the five-step PEACE method now being used by police investigators in the UK and North America and demonstrate the benefits of its use for workplace interviews in assessing allegations or conducting investigations whether it be based on hard facts or an anonymous whistleblower. We will also address privacy and other legal issues such as recording the interview and how to avoid defamation allegations. The program will also explore use of these new techniques in interviews to develop questions on technical skills and situation based questions in recruitment interviews and in performance evaluations. Participants will obtain the most recent statistics and trends as well as a new approach on the interview process which can be implemented in organizations of all sizes. Click here for information on Sandy Boucher Emails: The Good, The Bad and The Ugly Emails can get you into trouble legally, waste your time regularly, and affect your image professionally. They are also a vital part of today’s business world. Yet few people have received formal training in this area. Effective emails combine the clarity and conciseness rules of standard business writing with the organizational pattern of journalism. Then you have to add a liberal dose of the right tone. Explore the seven deadly sins of email writing and discover the words that bless and those that burn. Learn how to increase your chances of getting your messages read and acted upon quickly. Discover the top ten Canadian pet peeves when it comes to email communication. Review proven techniques for keeping your messages short without being curt and for increasing your reader buy in. Click here for information on Jane Watson An HR Executive’s Guide to Employee Assessments In many organizations, staffing costs are among the largest budget line items. Given the top challenges facing CEO’s, organizations need their leaders, managers and people aligned and working together at the highest levels of performance. Employee assessments provide organizations and managers consistent, in-depth, and objective information about their people. This includes the employee’s fit, knowledge, learning and communication styles, integrity, work ethic, response to conflict, stress and the likelihood of aggression. This session will look at information uncovered from assessments to help leaders and managers rely less on gut instinct and make smarter people decisions. Discover the latest trends in assessment tools and learn what instruments can be used to achieve the specific objectives. Although HR may manage the day-to-day administration of an assessment program, these initiatives thrive in the organization when sponsored by all senior managers committed to building and retaining a high performing workforce. Click here for information on Maureen Catania Halifax Half Day Workshop October 26, 2010 Topic: Top 10 Best Practices for Termination presented by G. Grant Machum, B.Comm, LL.B., Partner, Stewart McKelvey Engaging Employees: Smart Management presented by Steve Ashton, Vice President, People & Organization Development, IWK Health Centre Top 10 Best Practices for Termination As managers, we are tasked with terminating employees. Though it’s not one of our favourite duties, we must ensure that the terminations are done properly in order to avoid future legal action by the former employee. Organizations can avoid needless litigation by following certain “best practices” in dealing with termination. This session will provide vital legal information and updates required by all managers from the hiring stage to termination. Highlights include dealing with termination on hiring, progressive discipline and required documentation, reasons- determining Just Cause, attendance management, investigation, how to handle the toxic employee, the meeting, restrictions post-employment, references and the importance of maintaining dignity for everyone. Click here for information on Grant Machum Engaging Employees: Smart Management Lots of lip service is paid to the importance of our people as our "most valuable strategic resource." However, like many areas of human resources, organizations rarely dedicate the time and commitment to measuring and improving the level of employee engagement. Over the past 10 years, the science (and art) of measuring engagement has matured beyond simply looking at employee satisfaction. Leading organizations have engaged social and organizational research to look at the key drivers between what leaders do, and how employees respond. Engagement has become one of the most important lead indicators to predict employee performance, commitment, retention, alignment to strategy, and service to key customers and stakeholders. Our goal in this session is to look at the latest research into the measurement of engagement, some of the key drivers, and the work that leading organizations have put into improving engagement levels over time. We will look at how to best measure employee engagement considering the generational differences in today’s workforce. Discover new strategies and best practices to engage individuals and groups. Examine what do to versus what not to do as leaders. As we'll learn, the hardest work is what is done "between surveys" and how important it is for leaders at every level to understand the impact their everyday actions can have on long-term commitment of their employees. Click here for information on Steve Ashton Edmonton Half Day Workshop October 21, 2010 Topic: Retiring Boomers & Knowledge Transfer: Have You Been Asking The Right Questions? presented by Carmien Owen, Chief Business Architect, Collaboration Consulting Inc. Understanding the Relationship between Personality and Performance presented by Mike Moreau, Director of Client Development, Concord Consulting Corp Retiring Boomers & Knowledge Transfer: Have You Been Asking The Right Questions? As the Boomer generation prepares to retire, businesses that fail to successfully execute a knowledge transfer strategy are taking on significant risk. At the same time, many businesses have struggled with successfully delivering Knowledge Management and Business Intelligence solutions. If your business has failed to effectively solve the problems of Knowledge Management (or worse yet has not even attempted to understand its organizational knowledge), then resolving the needs of knowledge transfer between Boomers and other workers is bound for failure. Much of the pain that has been felt around Knowledge Management and Business Intelligence initiatives can invariably be attributed to efforts or projects that treated the symptom and not the cause. In other words, if knowledge requires an understanding of what needs to be learned, then surely the work that is done is central to any effort to transfer knowledge. It is proposed that for an organization to unravel the Knowledge conundrum, the right questions must be asked to determine what workers do and what information is needed to make informed business decisions. In this session, we will present the critical questions that must be asked to build a comprehensive understanding of organizational knowledge. We will consider the beliefs around what organizational knowledge appears to be, and actually is. And most importantly, we will review proven frameworks for determining the causal drivers of the Knowledge Transfer conundrum. The driving premise for this session is that any effort to manage organizational knowledge can only be successful if there is a proven and measured understanding of what is done in the business. In short, understanding what causes knowledge is paramount to being able to manage knowledge. Click here for information on Carmien Owen Understanding the Relationship between Personality and Performance In every workplace, we observe individuals who are consistently above average performers- meeting and often exceeding expectations. Others are average performers and still others are those who on a good day, only perform at a below average level. More frustrating is the fact that these people may share the same education, training and experience as your top performers. So why do we see such a significant difference in performance when the resumes are nearly identical? Determining the “A” players from Receptionist to Design Engineer to Marketing Coordinator to CFO is both an art and a science. Most managers develop the “art” of interpreting resumes, understanding the kind of “relevant experience” necessary for their jobs, and pinpointing the required education or academic training. The area of most failure is the ability to more accurately define what the “high performance” behaviours are for their key roles and then being able to evaluate those in candidates – internal or external. Far too often, tenure or education is rewarded with promotion and individuals are promoted to a place of incompetency. In this session, we will explore the connection and science between personality and performance. We'll present a scientific model that you can deploy in your organization to significantly increase the amount of “A” players in every role. A handout will be provided summarizing the key points and models. Click here for information on Mike Moreau Calgary Half Day Workshop October 19, 2010 Topic: Recession Recovery: A Legal Update on Issues Facing the Workplace during Recovery presented by Birch K Miller, BA, LL.B., Associate, Stikeman Elliott Understanding the Relationship between Personality and Performance presented by Mike Moreau, Director of Client Development, Concord Consulting Corp Recession Recovery: A Legal Update on Issues Facing the Workplace during Recovery As the economy begins to recover, employers are faced with new challenges in the areas of employment, labour, human rights and privacy law. This informative session will deal with issues facing employers as we begin to exit the recession in the areas of recruiting, hiring, retention, performance management and termination. It will also cover the latest developments in these areas as a result of recent case law. With respect to recruiting, we will look at pre-employment background checks, reference checks, headhunting (recognition of previous years of service, inducing and hiring workers subject to post-employment restrictions), written employment contracts and foreign temporary workers. In relation to retention, we will review workplace policies, compensation structures (bonuses, stock options and pension entitlements) and the expansion of employee rights under human rights legislation. On the topic of performance management, we will examine social networking and computer use, personal employee information privacy requirements, progressive discipline and establishing just cause. In regards to termination, we will discuss the obligations of departing employees, post-employment restrictive covenants and the latest trends in notice periods and severance packages. Click here for information on Birch Miller Understanding the Relationship between Personality and Performance In every workplace, we observe individuals who are consistently above average performers- meeting and often exceeding expectations. Others are average performers and still others are those who on a good day, only perform at a below average level. More frustrating is the fact that these people may share the same education, training and experience as your top performers. So why do we see such a significant difference in performance when the resumes are nearly identical? Determining the “A” players from Receptionist to Design Engineer to Marketing Coordinator to CFO is both an art and a science. Most managers develop the “art” of interpreting resumes, understanding the kind of “relevant experience” necessary for their jobs, and pinpointing the required education or academic training. The area of most failure is the ability to more accurately define what the “high performance” behaviours are for their key roles and then being able to evaluate those in candidates – internal or external. Far too often, tenure or education is rewarded with promotion and individuals are promoted to a place of incompetency. In this session, we will explore the connection and science between personality and performance. We'll present a scientific model that you can deploy in your organization to significantly increase the amount of “A” players in every role. A handout will be provided summarizing the key points and models. Click here for information on Mike Moreau Ottawa Half Day Workshop June 3, 2010 Topic: Successful Labour Relations in Uncertain Times: Stay In Control presented by Dan Palayew, Partner, Heenan Blaikie and Daryl Bean, President, MD Solutions Labour Relations Consultants Successful Labour Relations in Uncertain Times: Stay In Control The recent recession, which was the most significant since the Great Depression, fundamentally altered labour relations in the province of Ontario. Plants were closed, wages were frozen and labour disputes in the public sector increased. As we emerge from this period, the labour management relationship is more critical than ever to an organization's success. This special half day program is designed to help you improve your relationship with labour. Many organizations also have employees changing roles, making the transition from union to management. How can you make the transition go smoothly? We have two of the country’s top experts providing both the legal and practical perspective as well as a Question and Answer segment to help you get the answers you need in dealing effectively with labour. In this interactive session, attendees will hear from Dan Palayew, a management side labour lawyer with over 15 years of experience who brings a practical, business-minded and cooperative approach to labour relations. Dan will cover some of the major "life events" in the labour management relationship including: Collective Bargaining, Workplace Health and Safety, The Duty to Accommodate, Managing Absenteeism, and Grievances and Arbitration. Daryl Bean, past National President of the Public Service Alliance of Canada, will discuss making the transition from union to management. Having made the transition himself, he inherited the responsibility for managing and overseeing the work of over 300 staff members at the PSAC with interesting challenges. Daryl will provide updates on the role of unions, relationship building, understanding the collective agreement and the importance of consultation and communication. Participants will gain a better understanding of pitfalls to avoid, problem areas, how to overcome them and the keys to success. Both of our well-known presenters will share their personal experiences and provide tips, plans and strategies on how to better manage in a union environment. The session will end with a panel discussion including a question and answer segment to help all participants get a better handle on labour relations, regardless of organization and size. Click here for information on Dan Palayew Click here for information on Daryl Bean Toronto Full Day Conference May 12, 2010 Topic: Today’s Critical Issues in Employment Law presented by Richard J. Nixon, B.A., M.B.A., LL.B., Partner, Davis LLP Recruiting Smarter - and More Creatively presented by Paul Dodd, President, Head2Head Inc. and Sarah Welstead, Director, User Experience, Head2Head Inc. Ready, Get Set..Change! The Impact of Change on Workforce Productivity and Engagement presented by Amalia Jimenez, Vice President, Talent Management, Right Management Today’s Critical Issues in Employment Law This session will focus on key developments that directly affect workplaces in Ontario. Session highlights include: * The Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2005 and the Accessibility Standards The Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2005 applies to every employer in the public or private sectors in Ontario. Understand your obligations under this sweeping new legislation and its Accessibility Standards. Review what you have to do in order to comply with the Customer Service Standard. How will the other proposed Standards affect your business? Find out how you can secure government funding for exceeding the requirements of the standards. * Amendments to the Employment Standards Act, 2000: Temporary Employees Employees of temporary employment agencies in Ontario now have significant new rights, including entitlement to public holiday pay, termination pay and severance pay. What does this mean for your organization? Are your agreements with temporary employment agencies updated to reflect your new potential liability? * Bill 168 - Violence and Harassment in the Workplace Now that Ontario's Bill 168, the Occupational Health and Safety Amendment Act (Violence and Harassment in the Workplace), has received Royal Assent, all Ontario employers will soon be required to have policies addressing reporting, complaint and response procedures and measures to protect workers from domestic violence. Are you prepared to identify and assess the risk of violence in your workplace? Learn how to properly deal with employees who exercise their statutory right to stop working where they feel endangered by workplace violence. * Terminations in Challenging Economic Times The global financial crisis may be over but we are still in the recovery process. Further streamlining of your workforce may be required. Do you know what your employees’ rights are? Do you also know what your rights are? Learn about some alternatives to termination and find out how to minimize the risk of litigation. * When does “Work” Count? What Counts as “Work”? Applying hours of work laws is increasingly complicated in the changing economy. For many employees, the boundary between “working” time and “non-working” time has become blurred. The virtual workplace has made working time and non-working time harder to distinguish. Learn how to navigate the pitfalls of hours of work and overtime claims. What are the consequences an employer faces if an employee is not paid for work the employee performs outside their “normal” working hours? Click here for information on Richard Nixon Recruiting Smarter - and More Creatively Now that the economy is picking up and organizations are hiring again, employers are faced with two challenges: how to make their recruiting budget work harder - while still getting the best people. With many industries continuing to experience talent shortages, how can organizations attract and secure A-list candidates without breaking the bank? Discover new alternatives to traditional recruiting methods for small, mid-size and large organizations. Gain new insights about building referral programs that work. Learn how to better leverage your organization and make everyone a recruiter. Review the best ways to use social media for recruiting. Discuss how to “insource” your recruiting function. Participants will take away five vital strategies which they can implement immediately to help their organization win the war for top talent. Click here for information on Paul Dodd Click here for information on Sarah Welstead Ready, Get Set..Change! The Impact of Change on Workforce Productivity and Engagement Managing change effectively ensures your organization is properly positioned to meet current and future organizational objectives. Yet, organizations tend to underestimate the importance of managing change through their people. Those who architect, execute, and realize change initiatives often inevitably undermine their ability to achieve desired goals. Drawing on global research from over 28,000 employees from 10 industries in 15 countries, the session will include valuable information about the correlation between engagement and key factors playing a critical role in implementing and executing change. Discover new practices to help you reduce attrition, increase workforce productivity, enhance business performance, raise employee engagement and improve your organization’s talent attraction. Participants will have a business case for effective change management and take back pragmatic recommendations for implementing change within their own organizations. We will examine workforce trends and the dynamic environments driving faster and more frequent changes. Change agility can be part of a larger strategic workforce management strategy focusing on overall performance. Obtain strategies on how to better plan, communicate and facilitate for effective change. Participants will also review behaviours that create obstacles and how to avoid the pitfalls. Get a new perspective on how change impacts business metrics. Click here for information on Amalia Jimenez Edmonton Half Day Workshop May 6, 2010 Topic: Disability Management: When Does It Legally End? presented by Colin R. Fetter, B.Comm, LL.B. Partner, Brownlee LLP, Edmonton Informational Interviews – Avoiding Guilt by Investigation and Other Pitfalls presented by Justin Thoman, CA, President, Thoman Forensic Accounting, Edmonton Disability Management: When Does It Legally End? Today’s legal update focuses on the end of the illness and disability management process. So you have accommodated to the point of undue hardship- now what? Employers continuously struggle with the fear of terminating an employee who has been on disability- can it really be done and how? Our legal expert will review strategies for resolution and establishing frustration of the contract or undue hardship. Participants will obtain key practical strategies and procedures, learn about timing the conclusion of employment to minimize risk and disability benefit implications. We will present defence strategies for Human Rights complaints. We will also look at questions and lessons learned from recent Supreme Court of Canada cases. As managers, we’ve all heard the horror stories. This informative session will deliver the vital information required to properly manage the most difficult part of disability management. Click here for information on Colin Fetter Informational Interviews – Avoiding Guilt by Investigation and Other Pitfalls Most managers have encountered some level of difficulty in getting accurate information and responses during the interview process. We’re told to avoid confrontation, pay attention to body language, nervousness, the list goes on in our search for obtaining the necessary details quickly and efficiently. This special presentation will provide skills in conducting fact finding workplace interviews by providing methods for getting organized for the interview, formulating questions, taking notes and providing a good closing. Participants will review new developments in interview practices including the five-step PEACE method now being used by police investigators in the UK and North America and demonstrate the benefits of its use for workplace interviews in assessing allegations or conducting investigations whether it be based on hard facts or an anonymous whistleblower. We will also address privacy and other legal issues such as recording the interview and how to avoid defamation allegations. The program will also explore use of these new techniques in interviews to develop questions on technical skills and situation based questions in recruitment interviews and in performance evaluations. Participants will obtain the most recent statistics and trends as well as a new approach to the interview process which can be implemented in organizations of all sizes. Click here for information on Justin Thoman Calgary Half Day Workshop May 5, 2010 Topic: Mental Health and Medical Issues in the Workplace: A Legal Perspective presented by William J. Armstrong, Q.C., Armstrong Management Lawyers Informational Interviews – Avoiding Guilt by Investigation and Other Pitfalls presented by David L. Ray, B.A., LL.B., CFE, Senior Practice Leader, Security & Investigations, Grant Thornton LLP Mental Health and Medical Issues in the Workplace: A Legal Perspective Employers continuously struggle with how to best handle mental health and other medical issues with their employees. This legal update will include discussion on attendance management, privacy, Human Rights, progressive discipline and frustration of employment contracts on medical grounds. Review what medical information an employer needs and how to obtain it. Discover how far the employer must go to accommodate mental health and other medical issues. Learn how to recognize whether you are dealing with a mental health issue as opposed to a culpable discipline issue. Most employers fear terminating an employee who is or has been on disability- can it really be done? How can the employer best mitigate the associated risks? Our legal expert will review strategies and procedures to avoid litigation. We will also look at questions and lessons learned from recent Supreme Court of Canada cases. As managers, we've all heard the horror stories. This informative session will deliver the vital information required to properly manage this growing problem in today's workplace. Click here for information on William Armstrong Informational Interviews – Avoiding Guilt by Investigation and Other Pitfalls Most managers have encountered some level of difficulty in getting accurate information and responses during the interview process. We’re told to avoid confrontation, pay attention to body language, nervousness, the list goes on in our search for obtaining the necessary details quickly and efficiently. This special presentation will provide skills in conducting fact finding workplace interviews by providing methods for getting organized for the interview, formulating questions, taking notes and providing a good closing. Participants will review new developments in interview practices including the five-step PEACE method now being used by police investigators in the UK and North America and demonstrate the benefits of its use for workplace interviews in assessing allegations or conducting investigations whether it be based on hard facts or an anonymous whistleblower. We will also address privacy and other legal issues such as recording the interview and how to avoid defamation allegations. The program will also explore use of these new techniques in interviews to develop questions on technical skills and situation based questions in recruitment interviews and in performance evaluations. Participants will obtain the most recent statistics and trends as well as a new approach on the interview process which can be implemented in organizations of all sizes. Click here for information on David Ray Halifax Half Day Workshop April 21, 2010 Topic: Walking the High Wire - Balancing Management Rights & Employee Privacy Interests presented by Jack Graham, Q.C., Partner, Labour & Employment Group, McInnes Cooper, Halifax Morale in the Workplace: Turn Negative into Positive presented by Wilson Bateman, President, Global Training Edge Inc. Walking the High Wire - Balancing Management Rights & Employee Privacy Interests Employers have legitimate rights to secure resources, to investigate undesirable conduct, to acquire the information about applicants and employees that is necessary to make sound business decisions and to meet their legal obligations under the abundance of laws governing employment in Canada. However, it is an ever increasing challenge to find the correct balance between these employers’ rights and their employees' privacy interests. This session is intended to provide some general guidance on what an employer is entitled to know, and how that information may acceptably be acquired, in some typical workplace circumstances that are becoming more complicated by the need to find the right balance point: • Using social media to screen job applicants or keep tabs on employees; • Risk, attendance and performance management through workplace and off-site surveillance technology; and • Acquiring the medical information necessary to assess employee health issues, and to meet accommodation obligations, especially when the employee is uncooperative or in denial. While each set of circumstances requires an individualized assessment, this session will provide useful general guidelines to recognizing where the risks lie, and how employee privacy interests must be taken into consideration. Click here for information on Jack Graham Morale in the Workplace: Turn Negative into Positive The energy in today's workplace may seem negative or even toxic at times. People are dealing with issues that may contribute to a negative attitude towards fellow employees and managers. Many workplaces are downsizing, reducing the number of employees, cutting budgets, limiting travel and are grim about future prospects. This combination of issues can lead to problems within any workplace, resulting in negative energy. Negative energy affects the workplace not only with morale, but also productivity, potential violence, conflict and stress. Put negative energy into perspective. Examine it and then evaluate its impact on the individual and the organization. Many people may not even realize that they are thinking in a negative manner or that they are negative at all, even when confronted with the idea. Participants will acquire new tools to examine their thought patterns to determine if they are a negative or a positive thinker. Learn more about the benefits of positive thinking and acquire techniques to help people become more positive. These tools can be used by any employee within the organization. Discover how to avoid a toxic work environment. Recognize how to evaluate the extent of this negative energy, the impact on each employee, their workteam and the organization overall. Participants will also gain insight about controls and what can we do to change the negative into positive energy. This special program will assist employees and organizations in dealing with issues around negative energy, which can cause pain and suffering, an issue that will impact everyone at some point in his or her working lives. Click here for information on Wilson Bateman Vancouver Full Day Conference April 20, 2010 Topic: Today’s Critical Issues in Employment Law presented by Charles G. Harrison, LL.B., Partner, Fasken Martineau Screening and Background Checks: Today’s Best Practices presented by Dave Dinesen, President & CEO, BackCheck Ready, Get Set..Change! The Impact of Change on Workforce Productivity and Engagement presented by Lisa Ryan, MBA, Vice President, Talent Management, Right Management, Vancouver Build Power Teams: Why Bad Teams Happen to Good People presented by Wayne Rawcliffe, MBA, CHRP, RODC, President, Senga Consulting Inc., Vancouver Today’s Critical Issues in Employment Law This session will explore today’s hot issues in Employment Law. Our legal expert will provide updates in several key areas including: social networking and blog law, additional damages available to employees upon dismissal and disability and frustration of the employment contract related to disability. Blog Law Update: The Internet has evolved into a powerful "publication" tool available 24/7 to almost anyone through personal blogs, social networking sites such as Facebook, etc. Outspoken and disgruntled employees have used it as an outlet to vent both positively and negatively about workplace events and issues. As such, corporate and individual reputations may be harmed in the process. We will examine the current state of the law with respect to the limits of permissible online behaviour from an employment perspective. From "Wallace Damages" to Keays & Honda and Beyond: Obtain updates related to a variety of "additional damages" available to dismissed employees. We will identify the current traps and pitfalls for employers that might lead to a "Wallace bump", aggravated or punitive damages. Disability and Frustration of the Employment Contract: As with most contracts, outside events may occur that fundamentally undermine the employment contract. Employers continuously struggle with the fear of terminating an employee who has been on disability. Can it really be done and how? We will discuss strategies for resolution and establishing frustration of the contract or undue hardship. At what point does an employee's absence due to disability frustrate the employment contract and bring it to an end? Recent developments in our courts have brought greater clarity to this and other related matters. As HR Professionals, we’ve all heard the horror stories. This informative session will provide participants with the latest tips, strategies, trends and recent cases to avoid needless litigation. Click here for information on Charles Harrison Screening and Background Checks: Today’s Best Practices The recent economic slowdown has had a great impact on the applicant pool for organizations. There have been some dramatic shifts in the current employment landscape. As we are flooded with potential candidates, are we getting the needed information to make smart and effective choices in an efficient and timely manner? This session will review typical screening standards for major Canadian industries as well as provide the latest background checking statistics. Participants will learn how to get the full story on candidates prior to making the hiring decision. As employers, it's sometimes confusing to acquire the information related to background checking in the midst of evolving and innovative technology which includes social networking mediums such as Twitter and Facebook. We will also look at the organization’s extended workforce. Should organizations be looking more closely at how their vendors and suppliers meet the internal screening guidelines of their organization? Discover the best practices and strategies for employment screening which include new technology offerings, systems for screening an organization’s extended workforce and how organizations can turn background checking into an employee benefit! Click here for information on Dave Dinesen Ready, Get Set..Change! The Impact of Change on Workforce Productivity and Engagement Managing change effectively ensures your organization is properly positioned to meet current and future organizational objectives. Yet, organizations tend to underestimate the importance of managing change through their people. Those who architect, execute, and realize change initiatives often inevitably undermine their ability to achieve desired goals. Drawing on global research from over 28,000 employees from 10 industries in 15 countries, the session will include valuable information about the correlation between engagement and key factors playing a critical role in implementing and executing change. Discover new practices to help you reduce attrition, increase workforce productivity, enhance business performance, raise employee engagement and improve your organization’s talent attraction. Participants will have a business case for effective change management and take back pragmatic recommendations for implementing change within their own organizations. We will examine workforce trends and the dynamic environments driving faster and more frequent changes. Change agility can be part of a larger strategic workforce management strategy focusing on overall performance. Obtain strategies on how to better plan, communicate and facilitate for effective change. Participants will also review behaviours that create obstacles and how to avoid the pitfalls. Get a new perspective on how change impacts business metrics. Click here for information on Lisa Ryan Build Power Teams: Why Bad Teams Happen to Good People We all know the benefits of developing high performing teams. We know the impact that high performing teams have on productivity, exceptional service delivery and bottom line profitability. We work in teams all the time. The reality is that for most of us, our team experiences have often been less than satisfactory. We long for the unique experience of achieving amazing results with a top performing team. Some of us have had the privilege of leading or being a part of a high performing team. Why is it so difficult for great people to form great teams? What goes wrong and what can we do to make the experience different and improved? This session is designed for participants to gain a deeper understanding of: the social background to teams, what teams are, the process effective of team formation, team leadership, and how to recover when things go wrong. In this interactive session, participants will gain new insights on discovering the elements of team effectiveness, drivers of team success and the fundamental contradiction between working in teams in an individualistic society and how to increase the likelihood of team members achieving great things. Participants will learn that while great teams’ members get along and care for each other, togetherness is NOT the core ability of a high performing team. We will explore all of the critical elements of high performance in teams. Click here for information on Wayne Senga Ottawa Half Day Workshop November 5, 2009 Topic: Today’s Critical Issues in Employment Law presented by Patricia Brethour, LL.B., Associate, Hicks Morley Issues & Solutions: Mental Health in the Workplace presented by Karen Shipman, Program Manager, Canadian Mental Health Association Today’s Critical Issues in Employment Law This informative session will explore today's hot issues in Employment Law. Our well-known legal expert will provide updates in a number of areas, including performance management, progressive discipline, termination, absenteeism and accommodation. With performance management, participants will look at the supervisor’s role and coaching. Obtain current updates on legalities of termination for performance issues or absenteeism and interrelationship with human rights code. We’ll review the steps, process and issues involved with progressive discipline as well as culminating incidents. Discover the latest trends in termination with cause, without cause and wilful misconduct. Learn about the legal aspects of absenteeism management, culpable versus non-culpable and termination for innocent absenteeism. Participants will also acquire updates on accommodation, the Human Rights Code, employer’s responsibility, undue hardship and the accommodation process. Participants will review the latest trends, cases and strategies to avoid needless litigation. Click here for information on Patricia Brethour Issues & Solutions: Mental Health in the Workplace This session will help employers to recognize when an employee may be struggling with a mental health issue in the workplace. Participants will come away from the session with some awareness and recognition of mental health issues which might have an impact at work. Solutions to deal with these mental health issues will be discussed. The session will explore how to approach employees with these issues and consider ways to help employees stay productive when dealing with emotional distress. Valuable resources will also be provided for dealing with issues that may arise in the future. The object of the session will be to increase employers' comfort level in supporting employees with mental health issues. Participants will have the opportunity to watch and listen to real people with mental health problems talk about their working lives and consider practical strategies for dealing with these situations. Click here for information on Karen Shipman Toronto Full Day Conference October 29, 2009 Topic: Screening Techniques in Our Current Economy: Today’s Best Practices presented by John Campbell, Manager, Strategy & Business Development, Hays Specialist Recruitment (Canada) Inc. HR’s Role at the Executive Table- Get There & Keep Your Position presented by Philip Gennis, LL.B., CIRP, Vice President, Recovery & Reorganization, Grant Thornton Ltd. Today's Crucial Issues in Employment Law presented by Ruben Goulart, B.A., LLB, Managing Partner, Keyser Mason Ball LLP, and Simon Heath, B.A. LL.B., Associate, Keyser Mason Ball LLP Screening Techniques in Our Current Economy: Today’s Best Practices In this economy finding the “right fit” in a potential employee is more important than ever! Companies can’t afford to make hiring mistakes! This is an opportunity to discover more effective methods of screening qualified candidates to make sure you have the right fit. This interactive session will provide you with proven methods of qualifying and closing the best candidates including examples and case studies. Current data will be presented on reasons why employees are leaving their current jobs and what is attracting them to take new positions. Through our process, we have assembled a wealth of information and feedback from employers and candidates on their interview experiences. This includes a library of challenging questions, innovative techniques and best practices. Participants will obtain a structure for the interview to facilitate a complete agenda, making sure that all objectives are met on a consistent basis. Discover different ways of qualifying candidates, including role plays, behavioural and situational interviewing. Get hot tips on spotting inconsistencies in resumes and candidate backgrounds. Acquire more effective questioning techniques to get past the “professional interviewee” to the real candidate and guidance on how to present your opportunity in its best light and close the candidate. Learn from the real life examples and share the best practices of top recruitment consultants and employers. Managers from all organizations will greatly benefit from this most informative presentation. Click here for information on John Campbell HR’s Role at the Executive Table- Get There & Keep Your Position We know that HR must become engaged. It is far better to be at the decision making table from the start instead of waiting at their desk to hear about the latest budget or staff cuts. A key to survival for HR in today’s rapidly evolving economic environment is to become a profit centre, develop systems, models and matrixes to measure and report on human resource performance. How does HR get to or sustain their role in the corporate boardroom? As major partners in the management of the organization, we must prove our value to the bottom line and brush up on our knowledge of financial management issues. Today’s managers must see themselves as part of the solution with suggestions and strategies that add to both short and long term success. Many of us have experienced downsizing and survived mergers and acquisitions. It’s a sign of the times, but do we have all the necessary knowledge? This session will present participants with information and updates on various financial issues that senior financial experts examine with CEO’s and company presidents with a focus on downsizing, mergers and acquisitions. What factors come into play in getting to the C-Suite boardroom table? Recognize the trends and early warning signs and acquire the tools you need to participate in the decision-making process. Participants will learn what senior management considers in times of turnaround. Discover the best way to downsize using a detailed case study. Learn about the process and differences in dealing with union and non-union environments. What is the cost of terminating your best employees? What do you need to have in place to approach senior level executive? The session will also include an update the new Wage Earner Protection Program (WEPP). In this volatile economic climate, obtain the tools you need to get the job done right and avoid needless litigation. In the case of mergers, acquisitions, downsizing and restructuring, you’ll be able to sustain your role as a key team player. Click here for information on Philip Gennis Today's Crucial Issues in Employment Law This session will focus on key developments that directly impact workplaces in Ontario. With an aging workforce and the abolishment of mandatory retirement, performance management is more important than ever. On a legislative front, there are several pending and completed changes that will impact how workplaces deal with violence and harassment, temporary employees, and Human Rights Complaints. Session highlights include: Performance Management - Getting it Right: What every employer needs to know to improve employee performance and prepare for a potential termination. Legislative Snapshot - Three key developments and how they impact your business: (a) Violence and Harassment in the Workplace: An update on Bill 168 and the proposed amendments to the Occupational Health and Safety Act. We will explore what policies your workplace will require and what procedures will have to be implemented in order to ensure compliance with Bill 168 to prevent and address violence and harassment in the workplace. (b) Using Temporary Employees: Bill 139 - how it may impact the cost of using temps in your workplace. We will explore the substantive amendments that will be made to the Employment Standards Act, 2000 by Bill 139 in order to demonstrate the changes employers will face in the use of temporary employees. (c) Human Right Reform One Year Later: Observations on the impact of the new system on Employers. We will explain the significant changes to the Human Rights Code and Tribunal and share our direct experience on what is working and what is not working under the new system. Click here for information on Ruben Goulart Click here for information on Simon Heath Halifax Half Day Workshop October 27, 2009 Topic: Downsizing: A “Moment of Truth” for Your Organization’s Employment Brand presented by Mark Surrette, President, Knightsbridge Robertson Surrette and Anna Stuart, Partner, Knightsbridge Robertson Surrette Strategic Workforce Planning in Turbulent Times presented by Tim Brennan, Chief Visionary Officer, HiringSmart Canada Inc. Downsizing: A “Moment of Truth” for Your Organization’s Employment Brand Downsizing was a new event in the 80’s, became standard practice in the 90’s and today has taken on an entirely new dimension. Downsizing, when it must be done, has to be viewed in the light of employee retention and recruitment. Imagine, using restructuring as an engagement process! Beyond the moral and social responsibility to treat people with dignity and respect, it makes good business sense to effectively manage the human impact of downsizing. Whether you are downsizing for economic or strategic reasons, people remember how you treated them and talk about it. If they perceive their experience as unnecessarily negative or unfair, they will share it with friends, family and colleagues. In the age of the internet and social networking, the harm to your employment brand can be swift and far-reaching, and can haunt you when you are ready recruit new talent. There are also the perceptions of your remaining employees to consider. If they believe you have not been fair or respectful to departing employees, they will look for other job opportunities once conditions improve. Those most likely to depart are the individuals with the most options – your top talent. Discover how to manage downsizing so it will have a positive long-term impact on your organization’s employment brand. Employers of choice understand the value of looking at HR from a marketing perspective. They think about employment with an organization as a product like any other with a unique set of features, benefits and a specific target market –the top talent in the industry. Leading organizations strive to develop and communicate a strong employee value proposition that resonates with the type of employees they wish to recruit and retain. Review some of the best practices in downsizing that help not only at the time of the downsizing but serve to mitigate the potentially negative impacts on your organization’s employment brand. Learn how employment brand is shaped, how downsizing can impact employment brand and engage in a dialogue about creating a ‘moment of truth’ that serves to enhance your organization’s employment brand and position you for the return of the war for talent. Click here for information on Mark Surrette Click here for information on Anna Stuart Strategic Workforce Planning in Turbulent Times With the current unstable economic climate, companies that find ways to maximize their employees’ contribution have a greater chance of weathering the storm. Currently, 70 to 80 percent of the workforce in North America is at some level disengaged in their work, which in itself costs the economy billions of dollars annually in misdirected resources. Much of this waste is a direct result of outdated staffing and talent management approaches. We must focus on measuring what matters, specifically the four critical aspects of fit: fit with the job, fit with the manager, fit with the team and fit with the organization. These are the four leading indicators that lead to engagement with effects the business results that the organization uses as the real measurement of success. You will obtain three strategic activities that will clearly outline the steps to create a consistent, efficient hiring process across an entire organization based on the four critical aspects of fit. Discover techniques and tools to collect the information that matters for strategic workforce planning. We will examine best practices of leading organizations to ensure that you get the right person quickly and accurately, saving time and money. Learn how to create a "knowledge chain reaction" within your organization that will become the framework for strategic workforce planning decisions. Managers will then be able to see where there may be current weak spots and address the problem, which in turn leads to reduced turnover and increased retention and engagement. Click here for information on Tim Brennan Edmonton Half Day Workshop October 22, 2009 Topic: Today’s Critical Issues in Occupational Health & Safety: An Update presented by Trisha Gain, B.A., LL.B., Associate, McLennan Ross LLP Managing Today’s Multigenerational Workforce: What's New? presented by Gail Matheson, Ph.D., Principal, Stratius Consulting Today’s Critical Issues in Occupational Health & Safety: An Update Alberta's Occupational Health and Safety Act is an important piece of legislation that affects all those in the workforce. The Alberta Occupational Health and Safety Code has recently been updated to keep workplace health and safety rules current and relevant. Alberta employers have until July 1, 2009 to comply with the updates. In this session, we will look at the amendments to the Code as well as discuss recent developments and trends in respect to health and safety in Alberta. We will look at a number of critical areas including ever-increasing fines, multiple employer work sites and contractor and subcontractor liability, to name a few. As legislation becomes increasingly stringent on individuals or corporations designated as the Prime Contractors, those Prime Contractors realize their due diligence is, in many ways, connected to the performance of their subcontractors. We will also discuss recent cases of interest to all employers in Alberta. This workshop will also highlight the practical implications for organizations and managers, in order to help you understand the standards and avoid criminal charges in the event of an incident. Click here for information on Trisha Gain Managing Today’s Multigenerational Workforce: What's New? For the first time in history, four generations are participating in the workforce. Each generation has been shaped by different cultural events that influence their values and behaviours. And, each generation responds differently to management styles. Many managers struggle to bridge the differences in their workforce. What can you do to engage a multigenerational workforce? Even the best managers tend to become passionate about the issues of dealing with a multigenerational workforce. For the first time, we have access to market data that tells us what the values of different generations are, which should make it easier to address differences. This data can serve as a mechanism for developing targeted strategies that are more effective for recruitment and retention. The unexpected result has been myths, generalizations, and - in the worst case scenario – prejudice against members of different generations. In this session, we will explore if the differences really do matter, and what the drivers for engagement are across all generations. Participants will obtain tips and strategies and look at recent trends in managing this diverse workforce. Click here for information on Gail Matheson Calgary Half Day Workshop October 20, 2009 Topic: Today’s Critical Issues in Occupational Health & Safety: An Update presented by Trisha Gain, B.A., LL.B., Associate, McLennan Ross LLP, Calgary Team Development in Turbulent Times presented by Charmaine Hammond and Michèle Luit, Consultants, ENFP2 Today’s Critical Issues in Occupational Health & Safety: An Update Alberta's Occupational Health and Safety Act is an important piece of legislation that affects all those in the workforce. The Alberta Occupational Health and Safety Code has recently been updated to keep workplace health and safety rules current and relevant. Alberta employers have until July 1, 2009 to comply with the updates. In this session, we will look at the amendments to the Code as well as discuss recent developments and trends in respect to health and safety in Alberta. We will look at a number of critical areas including ever-increasing fines, multiple employer work sites and contractor and subcontractor liability, to name a few. As legislation becomes increasingly stringent on individuals or corporations designated as the Prime Contractors, those Prime Contractors realize their due diligence is, in many ways, connected to the performance of their subcontractors. We will also discuss recent cases of interest to all employers in Alberta. This workshop will also highlight the practical implications for organizations and managers, in order to help you understand the standards and avoid criminal charges in the event of an incident. Click here for information on Trisha Gain Team Development in Turbulent Times The current global economic and employment situation have posed some interesting challenges for businesses today. Some may view the current economic downturn with fear and uncertainty; however, employers looking towards the long term, recognize this as an opportunity for learning, team development and a time to build internal capacity. This outlook readies teams for what inevitably comes next. The current situation is an opportunity for teams to re-organize, re-energize and re-define themselves. It’s also time for teams to take a deep breath! So often, we work with teams that are so fatigued by the rules of the game and the lack of personal control, that they welcome time out on the bench! Let’s work together to get you back in the game through taking stock of your team’s talents, providing learning and development and re-connecting policies and process. This is important work and we hope our workshop will provide more information to move teams from a survival level to a thriving level. This is essential for teams that want to be ready for what comes next. This workshop will provide concrete ideas and insights to help teams weather times of turbulence and change while recognizing what is required to survive and thrive, reach results, and move beyond fear to success! Charmaine Hammond and Michele Luit have a combined 45 years experience developing teams, facilitating team tune ups and guiding teams through the boom, the bust and what’s in between. Click here for information on Charmaine Hammond Click here for information on Michele Luit Ottawa Half Day Workshop June 2, 2009 Topic: Fraud & Deception in the Workplace- What Can the Employer Do? presented by David Elzinga, CA-IFA, CFE, National Leader, Grant Thornton Forensic & Investigative Accounting Services Today’s Critical Issues in Employment Law presented by Dan Palayew, B.A., LL.B., Partner, Heenan Blaikie, Ottawa Fraud & Deception in the Workplace- What Can the Employer Do? Statistics show that chances that an employee in Canada commits a corporate fraud are 4 in 5. Chances that the organization will recover its money are slightly better than 1 in 10. Do you realize that fraud occurs at all levels of the organization? Canadian companies are losing millions of dollars to fraud each year thus efforts to detect and prevent it are on the rise. This special presentation will look at some of the areas where fraud is likely to occur, reasons why it is on the rise, how to detect is and how to deal with it. Deception also happens prior to the employee hire. We will review the current business landscape as it relates to electronic data and some of the related pitfalls in failing to do proper background checks. Participants will be given an understanding of the technology at play and some tools to set up procedures that meet the needs of the organization to properly check new employees. We will look at employee theft and its many forms. The troubled economic climate causes employees to move around more and set up their own businesses. Employers must know how to safeguard all of their assets. Participants will discover the most current trends, tips, plans and strategies to implement in organizations of all sizes to minimize the risk and properly deal with situations that may arise. We will also examine the investigation process itself. Internal investigations may result from fraud, theft, harassment, conflict of interest, breach of IT policies, or allegations of workplace violence. We will review the best practices for undertaking an internal investigation including conducting an appropriate fact-finding meeting with an accused employee. We will provide a model protocol to ensure that the investigation is properly conducted and will also address avoiding defamation actions as a result of the inquiry. We will also discuss dealing with the police if the inquiry relates to a criminal offence. This presentation will provide HR and Administration Managers the necessary information in order to review or develop your present strategy, plans and procedures as well as understand potential problem areas in order to avoid needless litigation in the courts. Click here for information on David Elzinga Today’s Critical Issues in Employment Law This session will explore today’s hot issues in Employment Law. Our well-known legal expert will provide updates in several areas beginning with Managing Critical Issues in the Employment Relationship. From the courting stage (recruiting), to the prenuptial agreement (employment contract) to divorce (termination), the employment relationship has become complex and fraught with peril for employers. Join us as we examine some of the crucial steps in the relationship and learn how to manage the legal issues surrounding a number of them. With the hiring stage, we will review background checks, pre-employment medical testing and application forms. In the employment phase, we will discuss the do’s and don’ts of employment contracts, drug and alcohol testing and discipline. In the termination stage, participants will review what is cause, reasonable notice and what can we as employers do not to get sued? Participants will discover the latest trends, cases and strategies to avoid needless litigation. Click here for information on Dan Palayew Toronto Full Day Conference May 13, 2009 Topic: Today’s Critical Issues in Employment Law presented by Richard J. Nixon, B.A., M.B.A., LL.B., Partner, Davis LLP Background Checks & Our Changing Technology: An Update presented by David Malamed, CA.IFA,CPA (Illinois),CFE, Partner, Specialist Advisory Services, Grant Thornton LLP Building A Community of Leaders presented by Dr. Vince Molinaro, Managing Director - Central Region, Knightsbridge Human Capital Solutions Partner with Productivity- The Ongoing Challenge presented by Ann Max, President, Productive to the Max Today’s Critical Issues in Employment Law This informative session will explore today's hot issues in Employment Law. Our well-known legal expert will provide updates in a number of areas, including the latest word from the Supreme Court of Canada on an employer's duty to accommodate and the ability to terminate employment for excessive absenteeism, mandatory retirement, and the duty of fidelity and loyalty owed by employees towards their employer. Other topics include recent class actions over hours of work and overtime pay, employer restructuring during difficult economic times, and progressive discipline. Participants will review the latest trends, cases and strategies to avoid needless litigation. Richard was named one of the "Best Labour and Employment Lawyers in Canada" by the National Post. Click here for information on Richard Nixon Background Checks & Our Changing Technology: An Update In today’s volatile market, many employers don’t feel they have the time or luxury to do proper data verification on potential employees. We are all competing to hire in the shortest time possible so quite often background checks don't get done properly or at all. In addition, 99% of information stored is in electronic form and over 70% of documents that are created are never printed out. Social networking sites such as Facebook and MySpace are becoming one of the main places people connect with each other at home and at work, often without ever meeting in person. What are the challenges of this changing workplace? This session will explore the current business landscape as it relates to electronic data and some of the related pitfalls in failing to do proper background checks. Participants will be given an understanding of the technology at play and some tools to set up procedures that meet the needs of the organization to properly check new employees. You will obtain a matrix that can be used by employers to ensure that the right checks are in place for the right position within an organization. Discover how to implement a process to avoid litigation issues and costs. Lies on resumes may include everything from qualifications, education, past employment history and even real names. Professional investigators constantly deal with employees who have lied on their applications and end up under investigation for issues such as fraud or conflict of interest. Avoid unnecessary expense and the "cookie cutter" approach. Know who you are dealing with, protect yourself, your organization and your employees and make the right hiring decision from the start! Click here for information on David Malamed Building A Community of Leaders Building leadership capacity is mission critical. This is the conclusion of more and more senior executives who are making the connection between leadership capacity and competitive advantage. Unfortunately, many of these organizations have significant leadership gaps which are undermining their ability to succeed. What is especially alarming is that despite significant investments in leadership development and other strategies to build leadership capacity, these gaps are not closing. Today’s organizations need communities of leaders to succeed. This session will describe what a community of leadership is and what it looks like. It will also present tools for assessing whether your organization has a strong community. We will present strategies for building strong communities of leaders. This session will explain why it is important to have create this community in your organization. Participants will be provided with specific tools and checklists to assess whether your organization has a strong community of leaders. We will also discuss proven strategies to build and sustain a strong a community where leader trust, alignment and engagement are high. Click here for information on Vince Molinaro Partner with Productivity- The Ongoing Challenge The balance between life and work is a constant struggle. Demands are increasing in every aspect of our lives. Are demands so overwhelming that the feeling of accomplishment is elusive? We are tormented by backlogged projects, endless to-do lists, and conflicting priorities, not to mention cell phones and “instant” communication. We must learn to develop strategies to remain focused on what is important. Learn to take control over your time and your environment to reduce the stresses of everyday life. To be successful, goals must be identified, priorities clarified and schedules established that are realistic. Plans must be formulated that are effective and efficient. Combine these skills with an orderly and decluttered environment and you are ready to take on the world with an enjoyable and balanced life. In this interactive session, participants will discover the reasons behind their disorganization and lack of time and learn behaviour modification techniques, apply organizing, time management and balanced lifestyle principles that work and streamline their lives. Click here for information on Ann Max Edmonton Half Day Workshop May 7, 2009 Topic: Top 10 Reasons to Call Your Employment Lawyers… Before You Think You Need Them presented by Colin R. Fetter, B.Comm, LL.B. Partner, Brownlee LLP, Edmonton Workplace Investigations: An Update on Today’s Best Practices presented by David Elzinga, CA-IFA, CFE, National Leader, Grant Thornton Forensic & Investigative Accounting Services Top 10 Reasons to Call Your Employment Lawyers… Before You Think You Need Them There are many often overlooked pitfalls and underutilized proactive measures that every employer should understand and use within a proactive employee management system. This session will focus on several of these including: - Employment Agreements/Contracts and the use of fixed terms, severance clauses, and probationary periods. - When is a "contractor" really an employee? - Effective Disciplinary Systems and Last Chance Agreements. - The constantly evolving law on Drug and Alcohol Testing. We will also include an update on the surprising number of Employment Cases from the Supreme Court of Canada this year. Click here for information on Colin Fetter Workplace Investigations: An Update on Today’s Best Practices Most organizations have codes of conduct and various policies for employees to follow. Many of these organizations also have stated consequences should employees breach these policies. However, in most cases the breaches are not clear and/or are only allegations or suspicions and most organizations do not have stated processes for conducting the necessary internal investigations. Internal investigations may result from fraud, theft, harassment, conflict of interest, breach of IT policies, or allegations of workplace violence. This session will review the best practices for undertaking an internal investigation including conducting an appropriate fact finding meeting with an accused employee. We will provide a model protocol to ensure that the investigation is properly conducted and will also address avoiding defamation actions as a result of the inquiry. There will be discussion about the burden of proof required in assessing whether a workplace offence has been committed and the considerations that should be taken into account in assessing discipline. The session will also cover considerations in dealing with the police if the inquiry relates to a criminal offence. We will focus on addressing issues of fraud, theft and conflict of interest. This presentation will provide HR and Administration Managers the necessary information in order to review or develop your present strategy, plans and procedures as well as understand potential problem areas in order to avoid needless litigation in the courts. Click here for information on David Elzinga Calgary Half Day Workshop May 5, 2009 Topic: Today’s Critical Issues in Employment Law presented by William J. Armstrong, Q.C., Laird Armstrong Workplace Investigations: An Update on Today’s Best Practices presented by David Elzinga, CA-IFA, CFE, National Leader, Grant Thornton Forensic & Investigative Accounting Services Today’s Critical Issues in Employment Law This session will explore today’s hot issues in Employment Law. Our well-known legal expert will provide updates in several areas including: employment contracts- the do’s and don’ts, contractor or employee, last chance agreements and developments in drug testing. We will also review the recent Supreme Court of Canada Hydro Quebec case with regards to the duty to accommodate. Participants will discover the latest trends, cases and strategies to avoid needless litigation. Click here for information on William Armstrong Workplace Investigations: An Update on Today’s Best Practices Most organizations have codes of conduct and various policies for employees to follow. Many of these organizations also have stated consequences should employees breach these policies. However, in most cases the breaches are not clear and/or are only allegations or suspicions and most organizations do not have stated processes for conducting the necessary internal investigations. Internal investigations may result from fraud, theft, harassment, conflict of interest, breach of IT policies, or allegations of workplace violence. This session will review the best practices for undertaking an internal investigation including conducting an appropriate fact finding meeting with an accused employee. We will provide a model protocol to ensure that the investigation is properly conducted and will also address avoiding defamation actions as a result of the inquiry. There will be discussion about the burden of proof required in assessing whether a workplace offence has been committed and the considerations that should be taken into account in assessing discipline. The session will also cover considerations in dealing with the police if the inquiry relates to a criminal offence. We will focus on addressing issues of fraud, theft and conflict of interest. This presentation will provide HR and Administration Managers the necessary information in order to review or develop your present strategy, plans and procedures as well as understand potential problem areas in order to avoid needless litigation in the courts. Click here for information on David Elzinga Halifax Half Day Workshop April 22, 2009 Topic: Would You Follow You? Leadership in Times of Change presented by Kevin Hamm, President & COO, DownEast Communications, Halifax Today’s Critical Issues in Employment Law presented by Jack Graham, B.A., B.Ed., LL.B., Partner, Labour & Employment Group, McInnes Cooper, Halifax Would You Follow You? Leadership in Times of Change This dynamic session will look at the traits of leaders and how leaders must understand the distinction between “managing” versus “leading”. With over 20% of current Canadian workplace eligible to retire in ten years, the need to keep employees tuned in and turned on to what you are doing is most critical in today's marketplace. The presentation will help participants take stock of their personal leadership style, what components they admire, respect and measure themselves against that. Our presenter will teach participants how to reflect, reset and rejuvenate their leadership style, their department and even the organization they work for. We will address Personal Power vs Positional Power. We examine the influence we have when we are in a position of leadership. Participants will review a particular leadership model on how to drive a performance culture that leads to greater retention and greater operating results. We will also look at the power of dreaming and the impact it can have on your life, career and everyone with whom you make contact. Participants will discover the four main ways we learn in life and how to apply them to both their career and personal lives. We will table the technique called “Skill/Attitude” and how it applies to everyone. This workshop will also present an outstanding HR tool called “Can’t/Won’t” and describe how to use it with others. Click here for information on Kevin Hamm Today’s Critical Issues in Employment Law One of the most important components of HR strategy relates to employment agreements. The agreements define the key rights and obligations of both parties, as well as benefits and restrictions that an employee may be subject to during the term of the contract and after the contract ends. The first part of this presentation will consider the following issues pertaining to employment contracts: purpose, open ended vs. fixed term, how to define key issues related to compensation and benefits, restrictive covenants related to non competition, confidentiality and non-solicitation and how to limit an employer’s liability at the time of termination. Participants will also obtain legal updates on recent court decisions pertaining to testing, second obligations of terminated employees to mitigate their damages and making fundamental changes to employment contracts. Our well-known legal expert will review the latest trends, cases and strategies to avoid needless litigation. Click here for information on Jack Graham Vancouver Full Day Conference March 31, 2009 Topic: Today's Critical Issues in Employment Law presented by Michael J. Weiler, LL.B., Associate Counsel, Lang Michener LLP HR’s Role at the Executive Table- Get There & Keep Your Position presented by Mark Wentzell, CA, CIRP, Senior Vice President, Grant Thornton Ltd. Workplace Tests: Navigating the Maze presented by Bruce Wagner, M.C., RCC, RRP, Partner, Lifework Design Group and Dr. R. Kirk Austin, Ph.D., M.C., Partner, Lifework Design Group Today’s New Reality: Employee Productivity for Enhanced Business Results presented by Barbara Adams, Managing Director, HR architects Today's Critical Issues in Employment Law This session will explore today’s hot issues in Employment Law. Our well-known legal expert will provide updates in several areas including: employment contracts, employee vs. independent contractor, overtime class action lawsuits in BC, as well as some Supreme Court of Canada cases that have come out in the employment area in recent months. Participants will review the latest trends, cases and strategies to avoid needless litigation. Michael has often appeared on radio talk shows and in other forums to discuss labour and employment law and is the Assistant Editor, Canadian Cases on Employment Law (Carswell). Click here for information on Michael Weiler HR’s Role at the Executive Table- Get There & Keep Your Position We know that HR must become engaged. It is far better to be at the decision making table from the start instead of waiting at their desk to hear about the latest budget or staff cuts. Traditionally, this has not happened- HR must be part of the strategic plan and must become more involved and more visible. A key to survival for HR in today’s rapidly evolving economic environment is to become a profit centre, develop systems, models and matrixes to measure and report on human resource performance. How does HR get to or sustain their role in the corporate boardroom? As major partners in the management of the organization, we must prove our value to the bottom line and brush up on our knowledge of financial management issues. Today’s managers must see themselves as part of the solution with suggestions and strategies that add to both short and long term success. Many of us have experienced downsizing and survived mergers and acquisitions. It’s a sign of the times, but do we have all the necessary knowledge? This session will present participants with information and updates on various financial issues that senior financial experts examine with CEO’s and company presidents with a focus on downsizing, mergers and acquisitions. What factors come into play in getting to the C-Suite boardroom table? Recognize the trends and early warning signs and acquire the tools you need to participate in the decision-making process. Participants will learn what senior management considers in times of turnaround. Discover the best way to downsize using a detailed case study. Learn about the process and differences in dealing with union and non-union environments. What is the cost of terminating your best employees? What do you need to have in place to approach senior level executive? The session will also include an update the new Wage Earner Protection Program (WEPP). In this volatile economic climate, obtain the tools you need to get the job done right and avoid needless litigation. In the case of mergers, acquisitions, downsizing and restructuring, you’ll be able to sustain your role as a key team player. Click here for information on Mark Wentzell Workplace Tests: Navigating the Maze Most of us have had some experience with workplace tests. We have taken or administered them in one form or another. But with the increasing inventory of instruments available for the workplace, how do you determine the best one for your needs? When used correctly tests can help organizations hire more effective employees, reduce turnover, and save time & money. Whether you work in management, HR, career development, or coaching, it pays to have an understanding of the available tools and what each can offer. This session will provide an overview of common preference, capacity, and barriers tests. We will review a number of instruments in each category; discussing some pros and cons; provide a checklist of items to look for when selecting tools for your organization; and have sample tests available for viewing. Participants will learn what is required to administer various assessments; where to purchase them; and how to make the best use of test results. You’ll learn about the MBTI, 16PF, FIRO-B, Strong Interest Inventory, JVIS, CISS, Values Driven Work Inventory, VS, LVI, RP, Wonderlic Personnel Test, CAST, WJIII, GATB, MCSEIT, BEQI, CDI-R, SASSI-3, STAXI. STAI and other tests relevant to recruiting, retention and development. Click here for information on Bruce Wagner Click here for information on Dr. R. Kirk Austin Today’s New Reality: Employee Productivity for Enhanced Business Results There is absolutely no doubt that enhancing employee productivity is critical in today’s tough business climate. Especially when we still face a shortage of experienced, qualified employees for positions left vacant through the retirement of current employees – including individuals in leadership positions. So what can we do to recruit the best and encourage them to risk changing employers in a less than secure job market? And what can we do to delay the retirement of those high performing employees possessing company knowledge, specialized skills sets, and desired competencies? This is when human resources can truly add value by becoming a strategic business partner. Human resources must evaluate and project workforce requirements within the new business realities and create recruitment and retention strategies that are innovative, attractive to new recruits, and add value to existing, high performing employees. However, they must also identify and design new and creative methods of enhancing employee productivity and as a result, increase company results. They must also be concerned with helping employees feel confident and secure in an uncertain future. So what can you do? This session will present participants with a strategic outlook on recruitment, retention, and employee productivity in today’s tough business environment. Participants will learn practical techniques, recommendations for key initiatives, and hear realistic methods of enhancing employee productivity. Click here for information on Barbara Adams Ottawa Half Day Workshop November 12, 2008 Topic: Manage Absenteeism: Make it Work! presented by Bruce Beakley, CHRP, CMO, AMCT, Director of Human Resources, County of Renfrew Today’s Critical Issues in Employment Law presented by Dan Palayew, B.A., LL.B., Partner, Heenan Blaikie, Ottawa Manage Absenteeism: Make it Work! Now is the time to consider your approach to managing employee absenteeism. Consider why not all management will be on side with attendance management programs or attendance support programs. What is the difference between culpable and non-culpable absenteeism? What is the accepted policy pertaining to accepting a doctor’s note? Why should employers have to pay for medical related information? This session will provide insights to these questions and more, including the case study of the programs implemented at the County of Renfrew, which has 9 divisions, 700+ employees, 5 unions and 27 site locations. Participants will review both an Attendance Management program (AMP) and Attendance Support Program (ASP) implemented across the County. Learn about the cultural shift that is required in the way employers approach the types of programs that are implemented and the hostility that can be experienced at all levels of the corporation related to program implementation and expectations. All managers of any organization, regardless of size, in both union or non-union environments, will benefit from this most informative session. Click here for information on Bruce Beakley Today’s Critical Issues in Employment Law Session highlights include: Technology and the Changing Workplace Discover how technology has facilitated more flexible work arrangements and hours of work. We will examine the various legal issues this raises such as monitoring of performance, security of company documents and confidential information, computer and network use policies and surveillance. Through continually enhanced technology, employers can communicate with, monitor and locate employees. The increased use of cell phones and PDA’s for emailing brings a new dimension to monitoring or surveillance. Today’s more open exchange of information on the Internet via blogs and Facebook delivers further challenges. What can employers now do? What about the right to privacy for the parties involved? Participants will obtain tips, plans and strategies to develop and implement the necessary policies and ways to avoid needless litigation, staying out of the courts. Managing Absenteeism in the Workplace This update will provide insights on how to proactively manage difficult absenteeism and disability cases in light of recent decisions of the courts and human rights tribunals. Participants will receive information on managing this issue from a legal perspective. Click here for information on Dan Palayew Toronto Full Day Conference Oct 30, 2008 Topic: Minimize Mayhem: Disaster Management Done Right presented by David L. Ray, B.A., LL.B., CFE, Senior Practice Leader, Security & Investigations, Grant Thornton LLP Link People to Profit: Employee Engagement & Organizational Performance presented by Henryk Krajewski, Ph. D., Vice President & National Practice Leader, Organizational Consulting, Right Management Canada Future Performance Starts Now: How to Hire and Coach for Engagement, Performance and Retention presented by Chuck Reynolds, Principal & Chief Performance Officer, Excel Group Development Empower for Better Results: A Communication Update presented by Monika B. Jensen, Principal, Aviary Group Minimize Mayhem: Disaster Management Done Right Unexpected emergencies have a significant impact on any organization regardless of size. Whether the event is a kidnapping, bomb threat, natural disaster or epidemic, it may result in confusion, loss of operating sites, and shortage of staff and key personnel. Having a tested plan in place will help the organization to minimize the impact of these events and will assist in the recovery to normal operations. This session will explore the role of an emergency plan and business continuity program to ensure continued availability of essential services, operations, programs and resources. Participants will acquire the latest techniques to permit rapid and cost effective resumption of the essential services and programs of your organization. We will also review tools available such as business impact analysis, crisis communications and the incident command system so that the organization can manage stakeholders and establish an effective plan. In order to demonstrate methods to test a contingency plan, we will review a case study of an actual kidnap and ransom exercise that was run in conjunction with a corporation and the police service. Click here for information on David Ray Link People to Profit: Employee Engagement & Organizational Performance Welcome to the talent crunch! Recent research conducted by Manpower Inc. reveals that 31% of employers across the globe are finding it more difficult to fill key positions. Further research indicates this problem will only get worse in coming years with the changing workforce demographics. So how do you engage your current workforce and attract future talent? Successful companies understand that while employee engagement is important, a strong, distinctive employee brand identity is absolutely critical for sustainable growth. When achieved, alignment, commitment and increased productivity are the ROI. In this session, participants will discover the myths and truths of employee engagement, gain a better understanding of the effects of employee engagement on bottom line results, learn to identify the talent that drives value within their organization, and apply classic branding principles to a talent strategy that will keep talent choosing to join, stay, grow and contribute to the organization’s success. Click here for information on Henryk Krajewski Future Performance Starts Now: How to Hire and Coach for Engagement, Performance and Retention Organizations don't achieve results. People do. The escalating challenge of the future is aligning and developing talent to achieve sustainable organizational performance. With the changing workforce, organizations will need to address two critical success factors to support what one CEO called the "PH Balance" : Profit High and People Happy. This session will look at Really Coaching Talent vs. Mismanaging It and the significance of Talent/Job alignment for superior engagement, performance, and retention with the power of understanding individual motivators. In this session, participants will obtain a universal definition of what "Coaching" is and why, understand How to Coach for Commitment vs. Manage for Compliance and understand the significance of Talent/Job alignment for engagement and retention. Bonus: Participants will receive a personalized complimentary Personal Motivators (PIAV) profile if registered prior to September 26, 2008. Click here for information on Chuck Reynolds Empower for Better Results: A Communication Update Are you using your language to maximize positive change and build rapport with others? Do you want to know how to better influence and empower yourself and your employees? Discover ways to gain instant rapport with every person you communicate with and how to gain insight into another person’s unique way of thinking and understanding. The impact of your non-verbal communication or body language is far greater than you think! This interactive workshop will teach you how to shift people that are challenged by setbacks and difficulties, by the use of pure language techniques. In this session, you will learn how to become a better and more effective motivator by developing your ability to establish and maintain rapport with others. Identifying the non-verbal body language in addition to tone, manner, voice, attitude, mood - all of these (and more) factor into the idea of rapport. Participants will gain insight into the interpersonal communication process and how to eliminate barriers that can otherwise result in misunderstandings, frustration and most importantly lost opportunities. The spoken word is only a small part of communication. Projecting the most positive non-verbal communication can have an enormous effect on how successful you will become, on the level of interpersonal relationships you establish, and on the overall impressions others have of you. Participants will gain a better understanding of how to impact or control the way others perceive them, resulting in increased confidence in the ability to make connections with others in any type of situation. Click here for information on Monika Jensen Halifax Half Day Workshop Oct 28, 2008 Topic: You Hired the Best- Now Keep Them! presented by Steve Ashton, Vice President, People & Organization Dev't, IWK Health Centre High Risk Terminations- Take the Fear Out of Firing presented by David L. Ray, B.A., LL.B., CFE, Senior Practice Leader, Security & Investigations, Grant Thornton LLP, Calgary You Hired the Best- Now Keep Them! Employee Engagement is viewed by many organizations as the secret to success with very tangible results with regard to corporate performance, customer satisfaction, innovation, and the attraction and retention of top talent. This is especially important in Canada, where our economy is more and more tied to knowledge capital. Therefore, those with the best team, pulling together in the right direction will, all things being equal, win the race. Today’s challenge is how to engage employees and prove that it can actually improve the workplace. In this session, we will look at recent research and trends, including: - Why engagement matters - for executives, leaders of people, front-line employees, and unions. - The importance of the role of front-line leaders; - An overview of some new leadership development programs and other employee engagement initiatives; - The use of employee surveys, focus groups and employee involvement programs. At the end of the day, employee engagement initiatives will only work if the organization and its leaders truly believe in building a long term, trusting relationship with its employees. We will also examine the conditions which cause many of these initiatives to fail, and what we can do to improve their chances for success. Click here for information on Steve Ashton High Risk Terminations- Take the Fear Out of Firing Ever increasing levels of workplace violence cause concern when we consider terminating employees who are threatening or may be considered dangerous. Bullies and employees who utter veiled or direct threats are often treated with caution when their behaviour would normally get them terminated. This session will provide tools to assess the risk of physical harm to staff when terminating an employee that may be prone to violence. Participants will be given a template to profile the person being terminated so that the organization can make a considered risk analysis and decide whether there may be repercussions from the termination. Discover various measures to consider to reduce risk prior to termination, measures to consider in completing the termination and countermeasures to put in place following termination. No risk can be completely eliminated but you will acquire a step by step means of ensuring that the organization undertakes appropriate due diligence to ensure that the risks to the organization and staff are properly managed. Click here for information on David Ray Calgary Half Day Workshop Oct 23, 2008 Topic: Cross-Border Hiring Part 2 - Navigating Through the Jungle presented by Michael Greene, B.A., LL.B., Partner, Sherritt Greene Barristers & Solicitors Workforce Management in Turbulent Times- Leading Successful Change (Panel) presented by Ed Davies, Vice President- Western Canada, DBM , David Towers, CA, CIRP, Principal Specialist Advisory Services, Grant Thornton LLP and Barbara B. Johnston, B.A., LL.B., Partner & Head of Labour & Employment Group, Stikeman Elliott LLP, Calgary Cross-Border Hiring Part 2 - Navigating Through the Jungle This session will take you deep into the jungle of cross-border hiring and show you how to get out safely. Options and processes are changing rapidly as governments and employers struggle to meet current labour market challenges. Allegations of abuse have resulted in increased enforcement to maintain program integrity. Session highlights include: selecting the best approach for temporary skilled and unskilled workers, options for supporting transitions to permanent residence, avoiding common pitfalls in recruiting, hiring and employing foreign workers. You’ll obtain the latest information on the various options for obtaining work permits and tips for preparing successful applications. Other points to be discussed are: avoiding processing delays, strategic planning to obtain favourable results, considerations in choosing source countries for foreign workers, critical issues affecting foreign workers, maintaining status of employees in Canada and ensuring employer compliance in the face of increased enforcement by federal and provincial bodies. Click here for information on Michael Greene Workforce Management in Turbulent Times- Leading Successful Change Most organizations have experienced major changes in the past to include mergers, acquisitions, corporate restructuring, bankruptcy and closure. All scenarios have consequences. How do you lead or manage a successful transition? Our panel of management, legal and financial experts will help you recognize obstacles, provide the tools and strategies to address them, develop a plan and learn about the critical issues to successfully manage the change. This informative session will conclude with an Ask the Expert segment with the audience. No news travels faster through an organization than that of downsizing or mergers and most mistakes and setbacks during a major change stem from communication and people planning issues. Ed Davies will provide insight on the five common and unnecessary mistakes that destroy employee trust, timing of how and when changes should be announced as well as what to do and say during that uncertainty stage before decisions are made. Participants will acquire information on no spin communications that build trust, key talent utilization, retention and productivity and tips on merging cultures. David Towers will talk about risk management, corporate restructuring, receivership and bankruptcy. Participants will gain an understanding of the early warning signs of commercial financial distress. We will also include an update on the new Wage Earner Protection Program (WEPP). Barbara Johnston will provide the legal perspective on employment issues that arise during turbulent times including employment tips and traps for employers contemplating mergers, acquisitions and corporate restructuring. Some of the areas that will be examined include retention, notice requirements, severance issues and how to avoid claims for constructive dismissal. Click here for information on Ed Davies Click here for information on David Towers Click here for information on Barbara Johnston Edmonton Half Day Workshop October 21, 2008 Topic: Workforce Management in Turbulent Times- Leading Successful Change (Panel) presented by Ed Davies, Vice President- Western Canada, DBM, David Towers, CA, CIRP, Principal Specialist Advisory Services, Grant Thornton LLP, and Steven Connors, B.A., LL.B., Partner, Brownlee LLP, Edmonton Passing the Baton- How to Develop Your Leaders presented by Charmaine Hammond, President, Hammond Mediation & Consulting Group Inc. and Michèle Luit, Principal, Workplace Solutions Workforce Management in Turbulent Times- Leading Successful Change (Panel) Most organizations have experienced major changes in the past to include mergers, acquisitions, corporate restructuring, bankruptcy and closure. All scenarios have consequences. How do you lead or manage a successful transition? Our panel of management, legal and financial experts will help you recognize obstacles, provide the tools and strategies to address them, develop a plan and learn about the critical issues to successfully manage the change. This informative session will conclude with an Ask the Expert segment with the audience. No news travels faster through an organization than that of downsizing or mergers and most mistakes and setbacks during a major change stem from communication and people planning issues. Ed Davies will provide insight on the five common and unnecessary mistakes that destroy employee trust, timing of how and when changes should be announced as well as what to do and say during that uncertainty stage before decisions are made. Participants will acquire information on no spin communications that build trust, key talent utilization, retention and productivity and tips on merging cultures. David Towers will talk about risk management, corporate restructuring, receivership and bankruptcy. Participants will gain an understanding of the early warning signs of commercial financial distress. We will also include an update on the Wage Earner Protection Program (WEPP). Steve Connors will provide the legal perspective on employment issues that arise during turbulent times including: Share vs. Asset transaction- resulting obligations and liabilities, post employment obligations, employees absent due to illness and disability, benefits and privacy issues. Click here for information on Ed Davies Click here for information on David Towers Click here for information on Steven Connors Passing the Baton- How to Develop Your Leaders With today’s economy, fast paced employment world and staff attraction and retention issues, many employees are being promoted as a result of necessity, tenure and loyalty, rather than being developed to assume increased corporate responsibility. Too often, these employees struggle with the transition from being “one of the guys” to “supervising the guys”! Most often the challenge is not so much adjusting to the tasks, as much as wading through the transition of managing the people and the change in relationships. When new leaders are not equipped to effectively transition, organizations are often faced with a double-edged sword – the potential loss of seasoned employees or dealing with requests from the newly promoted to resume their previous role. This session will provide an overview of creating and developing a culture that supports employees in their climb of the corporate ladder, why everyone needs to know the rules of the game and what constitutes success. Participants will gain insights about the challenges employees face during the transition from team member to leader: how to manage former colleagues and friends, create actionable results in the workplace, develop strategies to help the new leader over the bridge and through the barriers, validate and communicate the new role to team members and deal with friends or former friends. Click here for information on Charmaine Hammond Click here for information on Michèle Luit Ottawa Half Day Workshop June 12, 2008 Topic: Engaging Employees Through Performance Management presented by Ramona Packham, Senior Consultant, Hay Group, Ottawa Engaging Employees Through Performance Management Many organizations today are focused on enhancing levels of employee engagement. In the rapidly changing environments we now face, where roles and responsibilities are continually evolving, organizations must count on employees to act on their own in ways consistent with organizational cultures, objectives, and values. And faced with a challenging global economic environment, organizations need to do more with less, making the discretionary effort of employees willing to “go the extra mile” for the organization all the more important. Those who enjoy high levels of employee engagement struggle with performance issues. Engaging employees, while clearly important, is not sufficient to sustain maximum levels of individual and team effectiveness over time. This session will feature the latest tools and trends in performance management. How prevalent is linking performance with compensation? What are other factors to consider when developing a plan? Employee engagement and support for success are distinct outcomes that are influenced by different factors. Discover ways to improve the effectiveness of your teams and determine whether performance issues are the result of a lack of engagement, a lack of support for success, or both. Click here for information on Ramona Packham Toronto Full Day Conference May 14, 2008 Topic: Today’s Critical Issues in Employment Law presented by Richard J. Nixon, B.A., M.B.A., LL.B., Partner, Davis LLP, Toronto The Hard Side of HR: A Financial Management Toolbox presented by Philip Gennis, LL.B., CIRP, Vice President, Financial Advisory Services, Grant Thornton Ltd Better Qualifying Personality Fit and Closing Good Candidates presented by Dianne King, President & CEO, Hays Specialist Recruitment (Canada) Inc.,Toronto Beyond Training: Tap Your Internal Expertise to Build Your Leadership Pipeline presented by Glain Roberts-McCabe, President, The Executive Roundtable Inc., Toronto Today’s Critical Issues in Employment Law This informative session will cover today's hot issues in Employment Law. Our well-known legal expert will provide updates in the following areas: managing absenteeism, employer’s rights to monitor email and internet use, reference checks, progressive discipline and drug and alcohol testing. We will also discuss the new Family Day in February and employers’ reactions. Participants will also obtain an update on Bill 107, how to protect employers from Human Rights charges. Participants will review the latest trends, cases and strategies to avoid needless litigation from Richard Nixon, named one of the “Best Labour and Employment Lawyers in Canada” by the National Post. Click here for information on Richard Nixon The Hard Side of HR: A Financial Management Toolbox The soft side of people management will always be a major part of the HR role, but more organizations have realized that HR managers have a major role to play on the financial management side of the business as well. A key to survival for HR in today’s rapidly evolving economic environment is to become a profit centre, develop systems, models and matrixes to measure and report on human resource performance. We are constantly hearing about the need for HR to become engaged. It is far better to be at the decision making table from the start instead of waiting at their desk to hear about the latest budget or staff cuts. Traditionally, this has not happened- HR must be part of the strategic plan and must become more involved and more visible. How does HR get to or sustain their role in the corporate boardroom? As major partners in the management of the organization, we need to prove our value to the bottom line and brush up on our knowledge of financial management issues. Today’s managers must see themselves as part of the solution with suggestions and strategies that add to both short and long term success. This session will present participants with information and updates on various financial issues that senior financial experts examine with CEO’s and company presidents. Topics featured include risk management- new early warning signs and how to best monitor and manage them. Though you may not be involved in the strategic planning process now, you’ll obtain the insights you need to make informed decisions and recommendations in the future. Click here for information on Philip Gennis Better Qualifying Personality Fit and Closing Good Candidates As senior managers, we are experienced interviewers and know how to qualify skill sets. In today’s market, there is an increasing need for people to fit in with the values of the organization and the team. The first part of this session will provide three techniques to qualify candidates in terms of personality types. We will review techniques including behavioural interviewing, situational interviewing, and role playing. With examples, participants will learn how and when best to apply each one. Learn how to get past the “professional interviewee” to the real candidate. Discover more effective methods of screening qualified candidates to make sure you have the right fit. The task of closing the candidate is vital in the present marketplace. Most good candidates have multiple opportunities and offers. In this segment, participants will learn how to better define the corporate value proposition and to present your opportunity in the best light. Acquire the latest techniques and strategies with proven results to improve the percentage of offers closed. This interactive session will provide participants with proven methods of qualifying and closing the best candidates including examples and case studies. Current data will be presented on reasons why employees are leaving their current jobs and what is attracting them to take new positions. With the changing workforce, managers will learn how to be more competitive in selection of the best applicants, also saving time and effort during the interview process. Click here for information on Dianne King Beyond Training: Tap Your Internal Expertise to Build Your Leadership Pipeline Leading today is probably more complex than at any other time in organizational history. Beyond the impact of globalization, diversity, shareholder demands and the 24/7 work culture, four generations are now vying for leadership roles in our organizations. To add to the pressure, the impending leadership gap that is expected as baby boomers move forward to retirement or “next careers” is leaving in its wake a talent gap in terms of hands-on, practiced leaders. The traditional response to developing leaders tends swing from (often too generic) classroom training all the way to high end – and often high cost - options like executive coaching. In this interactive session, we will explore what you can do to tap into the most powerful forms of leadership development – goal setting, coaching, feedback, mentoring and peer interaction – by leaving external consultants at the door and harnessing the expertise from within your existing leadership ranks. Throughout this session we’ll explore high impact ways that you can increase the sustainability and impact of your leadership development strategies by asking and answering the following questions: - How robust is your current leadership development strategy? - Are you over-relying on leadership training and development to accelerate your pipeline? - What are three of the best ways to sustain leadership development and engage your multi-generational workforce at the same time? - How do you leverage your executive team to build leadership capacity? Leave with concrete and easy-to-implement ideas that will boost your leadership development ROI and increase your success in strengthening and engaging leaders at all levels of your organization. Click here for information on Glain Roberts-McCabe Halifax Half Day Workshop April 23, 2008 Topic: Diversity Update: Today’s Legal Issues Regarding Accommodation presented by Tara Erskine, B.A.,LL.B., CHRP, Partner, McInnes Cooper, Halifax . Creative Communication- Manage Conflict in the Workplace presented by Peggy Grall, Certified Executive Coach & Consultant, Peggy Grall & Associates Diversity Update: Today’s Legal Issues Regarding Accommodation A growing challenge for employers is to attract and retain employees. Part of the challenge is providing a workplace that respects the differences among employees and turns it into a competitive advantage. This session will provide an overview of the law on accommodation of diversity. Human rights legislation and proposed amendments to the Nova Scotia Human Rights Act will be reviewed. Recent cases regarding discrimination on prohibited grounds such as age, gender, sexual orientation, religion, family status and disability provide important lessons as to the costs of failing to accommodate diversity. Participants will obtain answers to questions such as: What should employers do for employees who due to religious reasons cannot work on certain days? Do employers have to accommodate modified hours for employees with child care obligations? What constitutes discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation? What pro-active steps can be taken to avoid complaints of discrimination based on race? What accommodations are required with employees who suffer from a disability? How do I respond to a human rights complaint? Click here for information on Tara Erskine Creative Communication- Manage Conflict in the Workplace Unresolved conflict costs the workplace time, resources and reputations. When leaders are faced with helping employees settle sticky issues, it requires skill, determination and a host of time-tested techniques. When relationships go wrong at work, it's common for people to want to blame and criticize the other person. During individual or team conflict you can find yourself thinking, "If it just wasn't for his/ her bad attitude," or "that little group" - this place would be great! It's a common - but deadly- first response to workplace conflict. This workshop will help leaders and managers to assertively engage each other to artfully resolve conflict and transform disputes into opportunities for creativity and innovation. In this advanced session, you will learn how to debunk the myths and misconceptions about conflict in the workplace, learn to quickly settle the question of, 'Who's problem is it anyway' in any dispute, distinguish assertive responses over aggressive or passive ones and select the right response. Discover the key factors that contribute to employee disputes, new approaches available and work with individual leadership skills necessary to help yourself and others resolve issues in a timely and professional manner. Click here for information on Peggy Grall Edmonton Half Day Workshop April 10, 2008 Topic: THE NEW REALITY: Hot Employment and Labour Issues in the Boom Times presented by Colin R. Fetter, B.Comm, LL.B. Partner, Brownlee LLP, Edmonton Background Checks- Do you really know who your employees are? presented Justin Thoman, CA, Senior Manager, Forensic Accounting & Investigative Services, Grant Thornton LLP, Edmonton THE NEW REALITY: Hot Employment and Labour Issues in the Boom Times This session will focus on two key aspects to managing and succeeding in the boom times: recruitment, retention and return strategies and management of illness and disability claims. How do you keep productive employees at work for longer? While the presentation has a legal background, participants will acquire practical proactive strategies for employers to deal with these issues in the extremely difficult economic and legal climate faced by Alberta employers. Obtain the most up to date legal tips, trends, recent judgments and ways to avoid litigation. Highlights of the Recruitment and Retention segment include: how to identify and attract employees of choice, retain employees for the long haul, exiting employees and the battle to bring them back. Highlights of the Managing Illness and Disability segment include: Human Rights, Citizenship and Multiculturalism Act, duty to accommodate, undue hardship, employment contracts, verifying medical and disability claims, return to work programs, attendance management programs and stress claims. Click here for information on Colin Fetter Background Checks- Do you really know who your employees are? In today’s market, many employers don’t feel they have the luxury to do full or proper background checks on potential employees. The market is vulnerable and employers are competing to hire in the shortest time possible so quite often checks don’t get done at all. Professional investigators constantly deal with employees who have lied on their application material and end up under investigation for issues such as fraud or conflict of interest. Lies on resumes may include everything from qualifications, education, past employment history and even real names. This session will explore the extent of the problem and some of the pitfalls and liability in failing to do proper background checks. Participants will be given some tools to set up procedures which meet the needs of the organization to properly check new employees and the duty to protect the personal information of the applicant. Participants will obtain a matrix which can be used by employers to ensure that the right checks are in place for the right position within an organization. Avoid unnecessary expenses and the “cookie cutter” approach. Improve your internal processes and make the right hiring decision from the start! Click here for information on Justin Thoman Calgary Half Day Workshop April 8, 2008 Topic: Today’s Critical Issues in Employment Law presented by Russell D. Albert, B.Comm, LL.B., Partner, Laird Armstrong, Calgary Background Checks- Do you really know who your employees are? presented by Justin Thoman, CA, Senior Manager, Forensic Accounting & Investigative Services, Grant Thornton LLP, Edmonton Today’s Critical Issues in Employment Law Alberta’s employers are faced with serious issues in the extremely difficult economic and legal climate today. This session will explore some of the hot topics in employment law. Recruitment and retention of good employees are ongoing concerns. Obtain the latest information on retention agreements in this hot economy. Learn about what should be included, practical tips and strategies you can implement immediately to avoid needless litigation. Other highlights of this session include: drug and substance abuse testing, class actions in the employment context, severance issues, Wallace “Bad Faith” damages and Human Rights updates, to name a few. Find out about current legal trends and up to date information on recent cases and settlements so you can prepare your organization’s processes to meet the challenges of today’s environment. Click here for information on Russell Albert Background Checks- Do you really know who your employees are? In today’s market, many employers don’t feel they have the luxury to do full or proper background checks on potential employees. The market is vulnerable and employers are competing to hire in the shortest time possible so quite often checks don’t get done at all. Professional investigators constantly deal with employees who have lied on their application material and end up under investigation for issues such as fraud or conflict of interest. Lies on resumes may include everything from qualifications, education, past employment history and even real names. This session will explore the extent of the problem and some of the pitfalls and liability in failing to do proper background checks. Participants will be given some tools to set up procedures which meet the needs of the organization to properly check new employees and the duty to protect the personal information of the applicant. Participants will obtain a matrix which can be used by employers to ensure that the right checks are in place for the right position within an organization. Avoid unnecessary expenses and the “cookie cutter” approach. Improve your internal processes and make the right hiring decision from the start! Click here for information on Justin Thoman Ottawa Half Day Workshop November 15, 2007 Topic: Balance Your Work and Health: Work-Life Balance & Workplace Wellness presented by Laurent Lapierre, Professor, University of Ottawa, Randy Thompson, Regional Director of Business Development, Shepell-fgi, Renée Ouimet, Director, Capacity Building & Education, Canadian Mental Health Association, Glenn Robinson, Triathlon & Running Coach and Health Promoter, Centretown Community Health Centre Balance Your Work and Health: Work-Life Balance & Workplace Wellness Employees, managers and organizations are challenged daily with ensuring workplace wellness and work-life balance, while maintaining productivity. Come hear the different perspectives presented by our panel of experts and engage in the discussions. Preventing Work-Family conflict: An Overview of Promising Strategies Laurent Lapierre will provide an overview of recent research on work-family conflict prevention methods, including employees’ personal life-management strategies, specific forms of support provided by their family members, and family-supportive organizational practices and policies. Changing the Landscape of Employee and Organizational Health Randy Thompson will talk about how organizations can use integrated health and wellness strategies to manage rising benefits costs and how to increase employee awareness of the value of the health and wellness programs that are available to them. The session will help participants better understand the advantages of health solutions that encompass all aspects of physical, mental and social health issues. Mental Health in the Workplace Renée Ouimet will discuss the growing concern about mental health issues in the workplace. She will focus on workplace hazards and protective factors as it pertains to the mental health of employees. She will also discuss the importance of training and skill development for managers to effectively manage performance and productivity issues with employees with mental health problems. An overview of the Mental Health Works Program philosophy and workshops, developed by CMHA, Ontario will be presented. Self-Care in our Turbulent Lives: What’s in it for me? Glenn Robinson will challenge participants by asking if they are taking as good care of themselves as they think they are. Between hectic careers, active families, aging parents and diverse personal and professional interests and commitments, people’s lives are becoming increasingly demanding and stressful. He will explore how people can maximize their time and health without losing their sanity. Hear about different experiences and learn various strategies for self-care. Click here for information on Laurent Lapierre Click here for information on Randy Thompson Click here for information on Renée Ouimet Click here for information on Glenn Robinson Halifax Half Day Workshop October 31, 2007 Topic: Get a Handle on Harassment Investigations - Tips, Trips & Traps presented by David L. Ray, B.A., LL.B., CFE, Senior Practice Leader, Security & Investigations, Grant Thornton LLP, Calgary Discipline Employees Without Fear presented by Jack Graham, B.A., B.Ed., LL.B., Partner, Labour & Employment Group, McInnes Cooper, Halifax Get a Handle on Harassment Investigations - Tips, Trips & Traps This harassment update will walk you through an actual workplace harassment investigation from allegation to discipline. Participants will be provided with a model for internal investigations which protects the rights of the employer, the employee and witnesses. Emphasis will be placed on resolving harassment complaints and conducting the investigation in a manner that will cause the least amount of disruption to the workplace. There will be a discussion on the legal principles of harassment, the difference between workplace and legislative harassment and the duty of the employer to accommodate in cases of discrimination. Participants will also be provided with options to plan the investigation, conduct interviews and report on findings. They will be provided with a sample outline for a harassment report and considerations in arriving at conclusions. There will also be a discussion of report recommendations available to the harassment investigator. Click here for information on David Ray Discipline Employees Without Fear Every employer must establish a system to evaluate workplace performance and misconduct as well as impose fair and consistent discipline. It is essential for employers to have an appropriate framework to conduct disciplinary investigations, to take corrective action for sub-standard performance and to impose discipline in a manner that is consistent and fair to employees and to the employer. Many employers misunderstand the fundamentals of why and how discipline should be imposed. They may not be aware of how this obligation fits with a variety of other legal obligations, including those arising under human rights legislation and employment standards. Participants will obtain information on how to: identify the basis for imposing discipline, develop a process for investigating misconduct, impose progressive discipline for sub-standard performance, develop a framework for determining an appropriate level of discipline, and avoid common mistakes when imposing disciplinary penalties. This session will provide a lively and insightful outline of practical tips and solutions for avoiding legal liability, and dealing with discipline as a positive, constructive tool for improving work performance. Click here for information on Jack Graham Edmonton Half Day Workshop October 25, 2007 Topic: High Risk Terminations- Take the Fear Out of Firing presented by David L. Ray, B.A., LL.B., CFE, Senior Practice Leader, Security & Investigations, Grant Thornton LLP, Calgary Cross-Border Hiring- Getting Through the Maze presented by Wendy A. Danson, B.A., LL.B., MPM, Partner, McCuaig Desrochers LLP, Edmonton High Risk Terminations- Take the Fear Out of Firing Ever increasing levels of workplace violence cause concern when we consider terminating employees who are threatening or may be considered dangerous. Bullies and employees who utter veiled or direct threats are often treated with caution when their behaviour would normally get them terminated. This session will provide tools to assess the risk of physical harm to staff when terminating an employee that may be prone to violence. Participants will be given a template to profile the person being terminated so that the organization can make a considered risk analysis and decide whether there may be repercussions from the termination. Discover various measures to consider to reduce risk prior to termination, measures to consider in completing the termination and countermeasures to put in place following termination. No risk can be completely eliminated but you will acquire a step by step means of ensuring that the organization undertakes appropriate due diligence to ensure that the risks to the organization and staff are properly managed. Click here for information on David Ray Cross-Border Hiring- Getting Through the Maze This session will explore the in’s and out’s of cross-border hiring. Highlights include selecting the right approach for skilled and unskilled workers, professionals, executives and key employees, managerial and specialized positions, intra-company transfers and permanent employees. You’ll obtain the latest information on the “GATS” work permit and drafting applications with the proper documentation. Other points to be discussed are: understanding the difference between a business visitor and a worker, current processing times and delays, using Labour Brokers as recruiters, roles of Alberta Provincial Nominee Program and NAFTA in bringing in foreign workers, “thinking outside the box” and retaining temporary foreign workers. Click here for information on Wendy Danson Calgary Half Day Workshop October 23, 2007 Topic: High Risk Terminations- Take the Fear Out of Firing presented by David L. Ray, B.A., LL.B., CFE, Senior Practice Leader, Security & Investigations, Grant Thornton LLP, Calgary Cross-Border Hiring- Getting Through the Maze presented by Michael Greene, B.A., LL.B., Partner, Sherritt Greene Barristers & Solicitors, Calgary High Risk Terminations- Take the Fear Out of Firing Ever increasing levels of workplace violence cause concern when we consider terminating employees who are threatening or may be considered dangerous. Bullies and employees who utter veiled or direct threats are often treated with caution when their behaviour would normally get them terminated. This session will provide tools to assess the risk of physical harm to staff when terminating an employee that may be prone to violence. Participants will be given a template to profile the person being terminated so that the organization can make a considered risk analysis and decide whether there may be repercussions from the termination. Discover various measures to consider to reduce risk prior to termination, measures to consider in completing the termination and countermeasures to put in place following termination. No risk can be completely eliminated but you will acquire a step by step means of ensuring that the organization undertakes appropriate due diligence to ensure that the risks to the organization and staff are properly managed. Click here for information on David Ray Cross-Border Hiring- Getting Through the Maze This session will explore the in’s and out’s of cross-border hiring. Highlights include selecting the right approach for temporary skilled and unskilled workers, professionals, executives and key employees, managerial and specialized positions, intra-company transfers and permanent employees. You’ll obtain the latest information on the “GATS” work permit and drafting applications with the proper documentation. Other points to be discussed are: understanding the difference between a business visitor and a worker, current processing times and delays, critical issues affecting workers from embargoed countries, maintaining status of employees in Canada or abroad and why compliance is so important. Click here for information on Michael Greene Toronto Full Day Conference Oct 17, 2007 Topic: Building the NEXT-GEN of Human Resources presented by Steve Ashton, Director, Organizational Effectiveness, Bell Aliant, Halifax NS Workforce Management in Turbulent Times- Leading Successful Change (PANEL) presented by Monika Morrow, M.B.A, Vice President & National Practice Leader, Right Management, Philip Gennis, LL.B., CIRP, Vice President, Financial Advisory Services, Grant Thornton Ltd., Howard Levitt, B.A., LL.B., Counsel, Lang Michener LLP Conduct Internal Investigations- Do It Right! presented by Brian Sartorelli, President & CEO, Investigative Research Group Creative Communication- Manage Conflict in the Workplace presented by Peggy Grall, Certified Executive Coach & Consultant, Peggy Grall & Associates Building the NEXT-GEN of Human Resources The good news is that progressive, organization-enabling HR strategies have never been more in demand. The bad news is that few leaders in HR have emerged to stake a claim to this new land of opportunity - and in their place are CEOs, consultants and academics. Should it surprise or concern us that some of the most influential minds in human resources in the past decade have not been HR practitioners? It is true that, at their best, HR leaders are enablers who support the development of 'talentship' at every level of the organization. But more often than not, HR is not attracting enough individuals who truly want to rise to the leadership challenge and act as an equal member of the Executive team. In this interactive session, we will ask the questions that burden the minds of those who aspire to see more leadership from the HR office: - Why is HR not attracting the best and brightest leaders? - Why don't more CEO's rise from the ranks of human resources? - Is HR ready to be respected as a body of knowledge and discipline? - Are organizations investing enough in the function or simply paying it lip service? - What are the true costs of not ensuring your organization is developing leadership in this discipline - both in the department and in each and every leader? In this interactive session, we will look at why investing in the next generation of human resources is not simply the responsibility of the specialists - but a competitive competency for any organization that wants to succeed in the future. Click here for information on Steve Ashton Workforce Management in Turbulent Times- Leading Successful Change Most organizations have experienced major changes in the past to include mergers, acquisitions, corporate restructuring, bankruptcy and closure. All scenarios have consequences. How do you lead or manage a successful transition? Our panel of management, legal and financial experts will help you recognize obstacles, provide the tools and strategies to address them, develop a plan and learn about the critical issues to successfully manage the change. This informative session will conclude with an Ask the Expert segment with the audience. Session highlights will include the following: Monika Morrow will discuss what aspects of workforce integration are most in need of improvement among companies merging and acquiring. Is there a relationship between the handling of M & A people issues and the achievement of company objectives? You'll discover 26 lessons learned from past experience. We will review today's best practices around key talent utilization and retention, productivity, selection and placement, the integration plan, leader/manager effectiveness and focus and renewal of employees. Philip Gennis will talk about risk management, corporate restructuring, receivership and bankruptcy. Participants will gain an understanding of the early warning signs of commercial financial distress. We will also include an update on Bill C-62 being an Act to amend the Bankruptcy and Insolvency Act as well as Wage Earner Protection Program (WEPP). Howard Levitt will provide the legal perspective on mergers, employment contracts, traps with mergers, union considerations, bankruptcy and employer solutions. We will discuss how to manage employment contracts in each scenario, the issue of constructive dismissal, mass terminations, benefits, tracking the job market, severance as well as working with collective agreements and union considerations. Click here for information on Monika Morrow Click here for information on Philip Gennis Click here for information on Howard Levitt Conduct Internal Investigations- Do It Right! Workplace investigations may take many forms and take place for many reasons. They are a part of good corporate governance. Employers are obligated to investigate charges of crime, inappropriate behaviour or harassment in the workplace. Credibility is as serious a question for the employer as it is for the investigation itself. Further, an employees' right to privacy must be balanced with the employers' right to manage their operations. This session will provide participants with a complete framework for conducting an investigation. You will learn how to assess the complaint, determine the objective, how to do the investigation, legal implications, good vs. bad investigations, the test and how to handle the results. Using actual case studies, you will also obtain insights on the best practices for conducting investigations. The session will also include updates on WSIB, harassment, internal theft and workplace fraud. Click here for information on Brian Sartorelli Creative Communication- Manage Conflict in the Workplace Unresolved conflict costs the workplace time, resources and reputations. When leaders are faced with helping employees settle sticky issues, it requires skill, determination and a host of time-tested techniques. When relationships go wrong at work, it's common for people to want to blame and criticize the other person. During individual or team conflict you can find yourself thinking, "If it just wasn't for his/ her bad attitude," or "that little group" - this place would be great! It's a common - but deadly- first response to workplace conflict. This workshop will help leaders and managers to assertively engage each other to artfully resolve conflict and transform disputes into opportunities for creativity and innovation. In this advanced session, you will learn how to debunk the myths and misconceptions about conflict in the workplace, learn to quickly settle the question of, 'Who's problem is it anyway' in any dispute, distinguish assertive responses over aggressive or passive ones and select the right response. Discover the key factors that contribute to employee disputes, new approaches available and work with individual leadership skills necessary to help yourself and others resolve issues in a timely and professional manner. Click here for information on Peggy Grall Ottawa Half Day Workshop June 6, 2007 Topic: Coaching & Mentoring: Maximizing Organizational Effectiveness presented by Linda Vanderlee, Organization Effectiveness Consultant, Coach, Founder of Rendezvous Rupert. Coaching & Mentoring: Maximizing Organizational Effectiveness Are you interested in taking your team or organization to the next performance level? Are you also interested in attracting and retaining high performers? This workshop is a must for managers and human resource professionals interested in developing or refining coaching or mentoring programs and skills. Mentoring and coaching programs have the potential to be effective ways for organizations to focus and align employee development needs with organizational needs. Fostering healthy, pragmatic learning relationships via mentoring and coaching programs is one route to that end. The facilitator will invite one or two clients to share information about the opportunities and challenges they encountered in the development of such programs in their organizations. Join us for an informative and interactive workshop. Share your experiences and learning with others. Practice and take away some tools to assess your organizational readiness to implement or refine your coaching or mentoring programs. • Come explore the differences and relationships between mentoring and coaching • Learn when each technique is most effective • Hone key skills required to be an effective coach or mentor • Hear how others employ or plan to implement these techniques in their organizations Click here for information on Linda Vanderlee Toronto Full Day Conference May 16, 2007 Topic: Today’s Critical Issues in Employment Law presented by Richard Nixon, LL.B., Partner, McCarthy Tetrault LLP and Lorenzo Lisi, LL.B., Partner, McCarthy Tetrault LLP. Employee Financial Ill-Health-A Death Knell for Productivity presented by Philip Gennis, LL.B., CIRP, Vice President, Financial Advisory Services, Grant Thornton Ltd. Competitive Advantage: Talent Management Strategies that Make the Difference presented by Mary Marcus, Vice President & Practice Leader, Right Management Inc. The New Leadership Edge: Creating a ‘Yes and …’ Culture presented by Daneal Charney, Business Coach/Facilitator, Leadership Reframed. Today’s Critical Issues in Employment Law This most informative session will cover today's hot issues in Employment Law. Responding to the requests of our members and subscribers, our well-known legal experts will provide information in the following areas: Starting the Employment Relationship: Hiring Pitfalls to include: Recruiting: The Use of Headhunters, Enticement and Pre-Employment Representations, Applications for Employment and Interviews and Background Checks. Labour and Employment Legislation Update to include: Amendments to the Ontario Employment Standards Act, 2000: frustration of contract, Smoking in the Workplace Legislation and Regulation, Health and Safety Update. Significant Cases in Employment Law - Damages in the Employment and Labour Context to include: Wallace Damages and Honda vs. Keyes, Disability issues during the Notice Period: Egan vs. Alcatel, Arbitrator's Jurisdiction to Award Aggravated and Punitive Damages: OPSEU vs. Seneca College. Both our legal experts Richard Nixon and Lorenzo Lisi have presented to IPM Association audiences in the past with phenomenal reviews and have been requested back by popular demand. Click here for information on Richard Nixon Click here for information on Lorenzo Lisi Employee Financial Ill-Health-A Death Knell for Productivity Financial distress can kill employee productivity. Employees who find themselves in financial difficulty are not focused on completing their tasks; spend significant workplace time fending off phone calls from creditors and divert their attention from their jobs to trying to solve their personal financial problems. These problems lead to high stress levels and have an impact on other aspects of their lives outside of the workplace. In 2005, there were 102,660 new consumer insolvency cases filed across Canada, an increase of 1.6% compared to 2004. The same year, Ontario saw the second highest increase in the country in the number of new personal insolvency cases filed at 40,687, 3.2% higher than 2004. When confronted with an employee not performing up to par, managers should be able to recognize those factors involved with financial difficulty which would in turn enable them to suggest referrals to the appropriate resources and professionals. This session, designed specifically for human resource and administration managers, will provide a broad-based understanding of financial stress and the resources available to rehabilitate employees as a means of bringing their overall productivity up to satisfactory levels. The presentation will address such topics as: • Causes of financial difficulties • Warning signs of financial difficulties • Assessing the financial situation • Options available to get a desired result of rehabilitation • Financial counseling including money management, and spending habits • Obtaining and the use of credit • Power of collection agencies and credit reporting services An update on the status of amendments to the insolvency legislation in Canada as it relates to individuals will also be discussed. Managers attending will gain useful insight into personal financial ill-health as well an understanding of the strategies and resources available to assist those who might look to them for guidance. Click here for information on Philip Gennis Competitive Advantage: Talent Management Strategies that Make the Difference Getting things done through people. Ultimately, this is the business most of us are in. However, optimum performance only happens when your talent management infrastructure is designed around getting the best people for your strategy and getting the best from your people. Personal attributes, role definition, performance management and leadership culture are all drivers of this outcome. In this interactive and action-focused session, we will explore best practices and recent innovations related to talent management that focus performance on strategy. We will explore the issue of competencies and how these can drive or hinder productivity, identify assessment strategies that connect people to competencies, and explore an approach to role definition that increases the individual connection to organizational results. We will answer such questions as: • What are the cultural attributes that support your organization’s strategy? • Are these attributes that your organization really wants to support? And how? • What competencies drive success in your organization? • How are you ensuring that these attributes are what you are attracting to your organization? Click here for information on Mary Marcus The New Leadership Edge: Creating a ‘Yes and …’ Culture In Customer-Centred Growth, Richard Whitely states that 85% of employees are reluctant to offer a new suggestion or an innovation because of fear. Yet to increase efficiency, improve quality, and turn out new products and services, organizations need to encourage employees to speak up. In this provocative presentation, Daneal Charney shares her experience as an insider to the ‘yes but …’ corporate culture and discusses how we can begin to turn this around. She challenges her audience to find the root causes of disengaged employees in their organizations, starting with their communication practices, policies and structural layout. Daneal shares the positive benefits of promoting a ‘speak up’ culture: new innovations, harnessing our human capital and capitalizing on change. 5 great reasons to attend this session … • Assess your organization’s cultural barriers to promoting a ‘speak up’ culture and bring the tool back to your organization • Harness the creative capital in your organizations • Be an agent of change for your organization • Gain 8 nuggets key in creating a ‘speak up’ culture • Learn ways to (re-)engage employees into the organization Click here for information on Daneal Charney, Halifax Half Day Workshop April 25, 2007 Topic: The War for Talent: Winning by Staff Retention presented by Kevin Hamm, President & COO, DownEast Communications, Halifax. Bullying & Harassment: What Every Manager Needs to Know presented by Donna Scotten, Senior Account Manager & Training Consultant Sheppell.FGI, Halifax The War for Talent: Winning by Staff Retention Though there has been a spotlight on the shrinking labour pool as a concern for all companies in the past several years, retention of qualified workers has always been a major concern for senior management. Regardless of the size of the labour pool, retention of top performers has topped the list of many organization’s goals. However, as we prepare for mass retirement from the baby boomer generation and as our younger candidates head to other provinces and countries in search of new opportunities and higher wages, retention climbs even higher on our priority lists. This session will explore new programs which have proven to be most successful to retain the valuable staff in your organization. We will focus on three main areas – Morale, Motivation and Momentum – and provide a selection of tips and tools to aid in keeping staff. Discover options available to organizations to create a climate in which employees will want to remain. We will compare closed door, open door and open floor policies. Other highlights include speaking to employee-driven committees, the importance of communication during times of change and its effects on morale, and how to get to the front lines to ensure morale is kept up. Click here for information on Kevin Hamm Bullying & Harassment: What Every Manager Needs to Know Human Resources professionals and people leaders are invested in creating an environment where all people feel free from the effects of any kind of abusive or aggressive behaviour, also known as bullying. The subject is one that challenges our organizations today as they become increasingly aware of the effects of bullying yet find that addressing these behaviours is a difficult and sometimes complex task. This presentation will teach you how to heighten awareness around the subtle and overt behaviours that constitute abusive behaviour at work. We'll help you define behaviours and give you pointers to help identify an employee who would be most likely to behave abusively, then provide an overview of strategy and tactics around the best practices to de-escalate and address situational stressors that can lead to aggression and bullying. The speaker will also touch on the basics in terms of the right to a safe working environment free from the effects of abusive behaviour, how to approach to the bully, as well as encouraging the pursuit of both the informal and formal complaints processes. Click here for information on Donna Scotten Edmonton Half Day Workshop March 29, 2007 Topic: Get a Handle on Harassment Investigations - Tips, Trips & Traps presented by David L. Ray, BA, LLB, CFE, Senior Practice Leader, Security & Investigations, Grant Thornton LLP, Calgary Today’s Critical Issues in Employment Law presented by Vicki L. Giles, B. Comm, LL.B., Partner, McLennan Ross LLP, Edmonton Get a Handle on Harassment Investigations - Tips, Trips & Traps This harassment update will walk you through an actual workplace harassment investigation from allegation to discipline. Participants will be provided with a model for internal investigations which protects the rights of the employer, the employee and witnesses. Emphasis will be placed on resolving harassment complaints and conducting the investigation in a manner that will cause the least amount of disruption to the workplace. There will be a discussion on the legal principles of harassment, the difference between workplace and legislative harassment and the duty of the employer to accommodate in cases of discrimination. Participants will also be provided with options to plan the investigation, conduct interviews and report on findings. They will be provided with a sample outline for a harassment report and considerations in arriving at conclusions. There will also be a discussion of report recommendations available to the harassment investigator. Click here for information on David Ray Today’s Critical Issues in Employment Law This session will highlight some of today’s hot topics in Employment and Labour Law. We feature Dealing with Employee Health Information and Privacy Issues: balancing interests- employer’s right to manage the workplace vs. employee’s right to privacy, how privacy legislation has affected the employer’s right to information, who can access, accommodation of disabled employees, confirming medical reasons for absences, return to work following medical absence and using OH & S nurses to manage medical absences and disabilities. Every manager needs to know about new developments in privacy legislation. Which ones are relevant to your organization? We will discuss PIPA (Alberta), PIPEDA (Federal) for private sector, Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act for public sector as well as the Health Information Act for health service providers. Other topics to be covered will include an update on the duty to accommodate as well as discussion of some recent cases in Employment Law such as Honda vs. Keyes. We will also review the latest developments with reference to Wallace Damages. Click here for information on Vicki Giles Calgary Half Day Workshop March 28, 2007 Topic: Get a Handle on Harassment Investigations - Tips, Trips & Traps presented by David L. Ray, BA, LLB, CFE, Senior Practice Leader, Security & Investigations, Grant Thornton LLP, Calgary. Today’s Critical Issues in Employment Law presented by Gregory D.M Stirling, B.A., LL.B., Partner, Parlee McLaws LLP, Calgary. Get a Handle on Harassment Investigations - Tips, Trips & Traps This harassment update will walk you through an actual workplace harassment investigation from allegation to discipline. Participants will be provided with a model for internal investigations which protects the rights of the employer, the employee and witnesses. Emphasis will be placed on resolving harassment complaints and conducting the investigation in a manner that will cause the least amount of disruption to the workplace. There will be a discussion on the legal principles of harassment, the difference between workplace and legislative harassment and the duty of the employer to accommodate in cases of discrimination. Participants will also be provided with options to plan the investigation, conduct interviews and report on findings. They will be provided with a sample outline for a harassment report and considerations in arriving at conclusions. There will also be a discussion of report recommendations available to the harassment investigator. Click here for information on David Ray Today’s Critical Issues in Employment Law Topics to be featured in this vital Employment Law update include: Employee Misconduct & Dismissal: The Supreme Court of Canada in the Wallace decision extended the notice period to which an employee is entitled because of the ill treatment of Wallace at the time of his dismissal. What type of misconduct on the part of the employer will attract Wallace damages? What steps should the employer take to ensure that the employee is properly treated at the time of dismissal so that Wallace damages claims might be avoided? Dealing with the Disabled Employee Human Rights legislation in Alberta prohibits discrimination on the basis of disability. Employers have a duty to accommodate disabled employees to the point of undue hardship. In what circumstances can a disabled employee be terminated? What is the extent of the employer’s duty to accommodate? Is there a point where the employer can assert that the employment agreement has been frustrated? Drug and Alcohol Testing in the Workplace Is pre-employment drug testing permissible? In what circumstances can the employer require that an employee submit to random drug or alcohol testing? If there is evidence of drug or alcohol use, what are the rights and obligations of the employer? What is the extent of the duty to accommodate, and in what circumstances can the employee be dismissed? Click here for information on Greg Stirling Vancouver Half Day Workshop March 26, 2007 Topic: Today’s Critical Issues in Employment Law presented by Michael J. Weiler, LL.B., Associate Counsel, Lang Michener LLP, Vancouver. “Financial Fiends”: Effectively Dealing with Fraud in the Workplace presented by James P. Blatchford, BA, MBA, CMA, FCMA, CFE, Principal, Grant Thornton LLP, Vancouver. Today’s Critical Issues in Employment Law This session will cover the following hot topics in Employment & Labour Law: * Mandatory Retirement at age 65 is still lawful in British Columbia but for how much longer? A number of factors point to the abolition of Mandatory Retirement in BC likely following Ontario's lead. The Premier's Council on Aging, chaired by Dr. Patricia Baird, has completed its hearings and her report is expected this fall. It is quite possible she will recommend amending the Human Rights Code to prohibit age discrimination at age 65 which would make mandatory retirement prima facie contrary to the Human Rights Code. What are the issues that will confront practitioners in 2007 without mandatory retirement? Will the exceptions to Ontario's law survive a Charter of Rights challenge? * Drug and alcohol testing are becoming more prominent in employment policies, especially with the expansion of the duty to accommodate obligations on employers and unions under the Human Rights Code. Is drug testing illegal? Is it effective? Recent jurisprudence suggests that pre employment drug testing might also be attacked as contrary to the Human Rights Code--what does that mean to hiring practices? Is someone who has no relationship with the company entitled to the same level of accommodation as a 20 year employee who tragically succumbs to a drug or alcohol addiction? * How often does an employer, in dealing with an employee performance problem,end up embroiled in a human rights dispute because, unbeknownst to the employer, the employee suffers from a physical or mental disability? Electronics Arts recently found itself in that type of dilemma and was ordered by the BC Human Rights Tribunal to pay a dismissed employee who was on LTD $20000 for "loss of severance", $20000 for injury to dignity, feelings and self-respect, $6000 for loss of health care costs, $3300 for legal fees and $70000 for the lost value of her stock options. Find out what might be done to avoid these types of judgments and minimize the risk in dealing with the disabled employee. Click here for information on Michael J. Weiler “Financial Fiends”: Effectively Dealing with Fraud in the Workplace Public awareness of corporate wrong-doing and fraud has never been higher. How do you minimize the risk that fraud is occurring in your organization? What do you do when faced with the prospect that it has occurred? What are the responsibilities and obligations of an employer and how are they balanced with the rights of an employee who has been accused of and/or investigated for fraud or other wrong-doing? This informative session will provide HR and administrative professionals with insight into the occurrence of fraud, strategies for its prevention and detection, and how to appropriately react to suspicions of fraud. Participants will understand how fraud could be occurring in their organization, recognize the indicators, develop strategies to prevent and detect it, and considerations when reacting to fraud. Topics Covered: • Fraud: what is it, who does it and why • Environments favorable to fraud • Indicators or “red flags” of fraud • Deterrents to fraud • Reacting to allegations of fraud in your organization • Balancing the rights of employers and employees Click here for information on James Blatchford Edmonton Half Day Workshop November 9, 2006 Topic: “Financial Fiends”: Effectively Dealing with Fraud in the Workplace Alberta Human Rights- Today’s Critical Issues Speaker: Justin Thoman, CA, Senior Manager, Forensic Accounting & Investigative Services, Grant Thornton LLP, Edmonton Audrey Dean, LL.B., Senior Legal Counsel, Alberta Human Rights and Citizenship Commission, Edmonton “Financial Fiends”: Effectively Dealing with Fraud in the Workplace Public awareness of corporate wrong-doing and fraud has never been higher. How do you minimize the risk that fraud is occurring in your organization? What do you do when faced with the prospect that it has occurred? What are the responsibilities and obligations of an employer and how are they balanced with the rights of an employee who has been accused of and/or investigated for fraud or other wrong-doing? This informative session will provide HR and administrative professionals with insight into the occurrence of fraud, strategies for its prevention and detection, and how to appropriately react to suspicions of fraud. Participants will understand how fraud could be occurring in their organization, recognize the indicators, develop strategies to prevent and detect it, and considerations when reacting to fraud. Topics Covered: • Fraud: what is it, who does it and why • Environments favorable to fraud • Indicators or “red flags” of fraud • Deterrents to fraud • Reacting to allegations of fraud in your organization • Balancing the rights of employers and employees “Financial Fiends”: Effectively Dealing with Fraud in the Workplace Justin Thoman is Senior Manager with Grant Thornton Forensic Accounting and Investigative Services. He graduated from the University of Alberta in 1994 with a Bachelor of Commerce with distinction. He articled with Grant Thornton LLP in Edmonton and obtained the CA designation in 1996. He completed his investigator training at the International Organized Crime Conference in 2001. Prior to joining Grant Thornton, he acted as in-house Forensic Accounting Representative for the Integrated Proceeds of Crime Unit of the RCMP. He specializes in investigations and quantification of losses related to possible employee fraud and misappropriations and risk analysis. He has instructed various courses on fraud investigation, including courses offered to police agencies across Alberta and has also spoken to numerous corporate audiences on forensic accounting and fraud investigation. Alberta Human Rights- Today’s Critical Issues This Human Rights update will begin with an overview of the Alberta Human Rights, Citizenship and Multiculturalism Act and will cover mediation of human rights complaints and settlement. We will explore recent complaints and cases made to the Commission about the workplace including: gender harassment, mental or physical disability, drug and alcohol testing, marital and family status, mandatory retirement or age discrimination complaints. We will also include the issue of managing and accommodating the disabled worker. When discrimination is found, what is the role of the employer with respect to accommodation? What limits are there with respect to the employer's duty to accommodate? What constitutes undue hardship today? What is the role of the employee with respect to accommodation? We will also review the most recent Human Rights decisions on disability and Alberta decisions on concurrent jurisdictions, that is, suing in court as well as pursuing a Human Rights complaint. Alberta Human Rights- Today’s Critical Issues Audrey Dean has Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor and Masters of Social Work degrees and her Bachelor of Law degree. She is senior legal counsel with the Alberta Human Rights and Citizenship Commission and has been since 1992. Prior to this Audrey worked in other government departments including Justice, Education and Family and Social Services. She has extensive experience in Administrative law and court experience. She is active in professional groups and volunteer associations. In 2004, Audrey received the Distinguished Service Award from the Law Society of Alberta and the Canadian Bar Association. Calgary Half Day Workshop November 7, 2006 Topic: “Financial Fiends”: Effectively Dealing with Fraud in the Workplace Alberta Human Rights- Today’s Critical Issues Speaker: David L. Ray, BA, LLB, CFE, Senior Practice Leader, Security & Investigations, Grant Thornton LLP, Calgary Marlene G. Stones, Q.C., Founding Partner, Stones Fontaine Carbert, Barristers, Calgary “Financial Fiends”: Effectively Dealing with Fraud in the Workplace Public awareness of corporate wrong-doing and fraud has never been higher. How do you minimize the risk that fraud is occurring in your organization? What do you do when faced with the prospect that it has occurred? What are the responsibilities and obligations of an employer and how are they balanced with the rights of an employee who has been accused of and/or investigated for fraud or other wrong-doing? This informative session will provide HR and administrative professionals with insight into the occurrence of fraud, strategies for its prevention and detection, and how to appropriately react to suspicions of fraud. Participants will understand how fraud could be occurring in their organization, recognize the indicators, develop strategies to prevent and detect it, and considerations when reacting to fraud. Topics Covered: • Fraud: what is it, who does it and why • Environments favorable to fraud • Indicators or “red flags” of fraud • Deterrents to fraud • Reacting to allegations of fraud in your organization • Balancing the rights of employers and employees “Financial Fiends”: Effectively Dealing with Fraud in the Workplace David Ray is Senior Practice Leader Security and Investigations with Grant Thornton LLP. David spent ten years as Manager of Corporate Security for Shell Canada Limited. Prior to his work with Shell he held the position of Director, Corporate Security with MacMillan Bloedel Ltd in Vancouver. While with MacMillan Bloedel, he also held the position of Corporate Solicitor. Prior to his work in the private sector, he spent fourteen years with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police in various duties including the Commercial Crime Section. His work with the police included extensive international investigations including work in the Far East. He holds a Bachelor of Arts from York University in Toronto and a Bachelor of Law from Osgoode Hall Law School. He instructs with the University of Calgary in the areas of Security Administration, Security Law, Harassment Investigations, Workplace Violence, Fraud and Crisis Management. He also instructs in Security Law with the University of Alberta. He is a past President and a Life Member of the Canadian Society for Industrial Security and is a member of ASIS International and the Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police. Dave has been a featured presenter on Workplace Fraud to numerous organizations in both the public and private sectors. Alberta Human Rights- Today’s Critical Issues This Human Rights update will begin with an overview of the Alberta Human Rights, Citizenship and Multiculturalism Act and will cover mediation of human rights complaints and settlement. We will explore recent complaints and cases made to the Commission about the workplace including: gender harassment, mental or physical disability, drug and alcohol testing, marital and family status, mandatory retirement or age discrimination complaints. We will also include the issue of managing and accommodating the disabled worker. When discrimination is found, what is the role of the employer with respect to accommodation? What limits are there with respect to the employer's duty to accommodate? What constitutes undue hardship today? What is the role of the employee with respect to accommodation? We will also review the most recent Human Rights decisions on disability and Alberta decisions on concurrent jurisdictions, that is, suing in court as well as pursuing a Human Rights complaint. Alberta Human Rights- Today’s Critical Issues Marlene Stones, Q.C. is a Founding Partner of the law firm Stones Fontaine Carbert, Barristers, in Calgary. She graduated from Dalhousie Law School in 1981 and was admitted to the Alberta Bar in 1982, following which she spent a number of years as a litigation partner at MacKimmie Matthews. In 1996, Marlene was the recipient of the Suzanne Mah Award from Alberta Human Rights and Citizenship Commission in recognition of exemplary human rights, principles and ideals in the practice of law and in service to Albertans. In 2002, she was appointed Queen’s Counsel for the Province of Alberta. Marlene has extensive experience in representing both employees and employers in the areas of employment law and human rights. In 2006, Lexpert has listed her as one of the “repeatedly recommended” leading employment practitioners in Calgary. She is the past Chair of the Labour and Employment Subsection (Southern Alberta) of the Canadian Bar Association. She has presented at seminars and conferences on employment related and human rights issues in the workplace. Halifax Half Day Workshop November 1, 2006 Topic: “Financial Fiends”: Effectively Dealing with Fraud in the Workplace Workers’ Compensation Board of Nova Scotia- Supporting Injury Prevention and Return to Work Speaker: Susan MacMillan, FCA, CFI, CFE, Partner, Forensic Accounting & Investigative Services, Grant Thornton LLP, Halifax Tony Bremner, Provincial Coordinator, Return to Work Programs, Workers’ Compensation Board of Nova Scotia “Financial Fiends”: Effectively Dealing with Fraud in the Workplace Public awareness of corporate wrong-doing and fraud has never been higher. How do you minimize the risk that fraud is occurring in your organization? What do you do when faced with the prospect that it has occurred? What are the responsibilities and obligations of an employer and how are they balanced with the rights of an employee who has been accused of and/or investigated for fraud or other wrong-doing? This informative session will provide HR and administrative professionals with insight into the occurrence of fraud, strategies for its prevention and detection, and how to appropriately react to suspicions of fraud. Participants will understand how fraud could be occurring in their organization, recognize the indicators, develop strategies to prevent and detect it, and considerations when reacting to fraud. Topics Covered: • Fraud: what is it, who does it and why • Environments favorable to fraud • Indicators or “red flags” of fraud • Deterrents to fraud • Reacting to allegations of fraud in your organization • Balancing the rights of employers and employees “Financial Fiends”: Effectively Dealing with Fraud in the Workplace Susan MacMillan is partner in charge of Grant Thornton’s Forensic Accounting and Investigative Services in Halifax. She obtained her Bachelor of Business Administration from Acadia University in 1977 and her CA designation in 1979. She is a certified Fraud Examiner and certified Forensic Investigator. She has also provided expert testimony in the Supreme Court of Nova Scotia and Nova Scotia Provincial Court on matters of theft, fraud and accounting. She has conducted numerous investigations and reviewed auditor performance as well as critiqued reports prepared by other experts. Susan has spoken to numerous corporate audiences on the topic of workplace fraud. Workers’ Compensation Board of Nova Scotia- Supporting Injury Prevention and Return to Work In 2005, over 34,000 claims were registered with the WCB. That works out to more than 90 injuries a day across Nova Scotia. Of those, over 9,000 workers – 25 a day – were injured severely enough to lose time from work. One person died on the job every two weeks. If you put all of the people who were injured on the job last year together in one place, it would be the third largest community in Nova Scotia. The human and economic cost of workplace injuries is simply not acceptable in this day and age. When thinking about how to reduce the cost of workers’ compensation, it is important to know that, all things being equal, Nova Scotia has one of the highest injury rates in Canada compared to other provinces. Also, workers in Nova Scotia stay on short-term benefits longer and more workers in our province go on to receive permanent benefits. We need to better understand what drives this situation and what we can do to ensure workers return safely to work. It is in everyone’s best interest to help employees get back on the job in a safe and timely manner. Otherwise, employers will continue to pay high workers’ compensation premiums and workers will continue to see their lives interrupted and changed by workplace injuries. It will take the combined efforts of everyone – workers, employers, labour groups, government, health care providers and others – to change this situation. The WCB will use all of the tools at is disposal to encourage safe workplaces and help injured workers return to work. Tony Bremner will describe the steps the WCB is taking to help create a safety culture in this province and help injured workers return to work in a safe and more timely manner. This includes the WCB’s Rate Incentive Program, Priority Employer Program, a new online service called MyAccount. Tony will also explain how the WCB’s new agreement with Nova Scotia physiotherapy clinics improves opportunities for safe and timely return to work. Workers’ Compensation Board of Nova Scotia- Supporting Injury Prevention and Return to Work Tony Bremner has worked his entire 28-year career at the Workers’ Compensation Board of Nova Scotia. Tony has a wealth of knowledge about injury prevention and helping injured workers return to work. For the past 8 years, Tony has traveled throughout the province helping employers and labour groups understand the terrible human and financial toll of workplace injuries. He encourages everyone in the workplace to work together to implement effective programs to reduce the impact of these injuries on the employee and their employer. As President of the 400-member NSGEU Local 55, he is well positioned to understand both the employer and labour perspective on workplace safety and return to work issues. Ottawa Half Day Workshop June 1, 2006 Topic: “Financial Fiends”: Effectively Dealing with Fraud in the Workplace Implementing the Values and Ethics Mandate Speaker: Jennifer Fiddian-Green, CA, IFA, CFI, Partner, Forensic Accounting & Investigative Services, Grant Thornton LLP, Toronto Paul Maillet, President, Paul Maillet Center for Ethics, Ottawa, ON “Financial Fiends”: Effectively Dealing with Fraud in the Workplace Public awareness of corporate wrong-doing and fraud has never been higher. How do you minimize the risk that fraud is occurring in your organization? What do you do when faced with the prospect that it has occurred? What are the responsibilities and obligations of an employer and how are they balanced with the rights of an employee who has been accused of and/or investigated for fraud or other wrong-doing? This informative session will provide HR and administrative professionals with insight into the occurrence of fraud, strategies for its prevention and detection, and how to appropriately react to suspicions of fraud. Participants will understand how fraud could be occurring in their organization, recognize the indicators, develop strategies to prevent and detect it, and considerations when reacting to fraud. Topics Covered: • Fraud: what is it, who does it and why • Environments favorable to fraud • Indicators or “red flags” of fraud • Deterrents to fraud • Reacting to allegations of fraud in your organization • Balancing the rights of employers and employees “Financial Fiends”: Effectively Dealing with Fraud in the Workplace Jennifer Fiddian-Green is partner with Grant Thornton’s Forensic Accounting and Investigative Services in Toronto. She obtained her Bachelor of Arts (Honours) from the University of Waterloo in 1993, her CA designation in 1995 and her CMA in 1996. She is a certified Fraud Examiner and certified Forensic Investigator. She specializes in the areas of fraud, money laundering and identity theft. She has investigated, reported and managed numerous large fraud investigations for both government organizations and private companies. Previously, she completed a two-year secondment as the sole in-house forensic accountant for the RCMP. Jennifer has spoken to numerous corporate audiences on the topic of workplace fraud. Implementing the Values and Ethics Mandate There is no doubt that both global and national trends, and societal expectations, are encouraging the development of more formal applications of ethics and values in governance, leadership and workplace practices. In addition to economic capacities, notions of corporate social responsibility and organizational ethics are emerging as important components to global competitiveness and corporate success. The challenge is to find effective and supportive approaches to meet these expectations. This session will examine current ethics best practices, and propose a framework for dealing with ethics in current governance structures. This session will explore best practices designed to create organizations, in which governance, leadership, workplace practices, and stakeholder relationships commit to being “ethically awake, to being able to reflect on ethical issues in terms of ethics and values, and supported in living and acting in terms of these values. The capacity to effectively balance controlling wrongdoing with building integrity, will be explored, as will ethical decision-making. Learn how to create organizations that support ethical behaviour. Explore best practices and an ethics framework that integrates ethical expectations with awareness and training, leadership models, decision-making models, voice mechanisms and accountability, with economic and operational activities. Engage in an interactive format to explore tools, decision-making and ethical issues relevant to professional managers. Implementing the Values and Ethics Mandate Paul Maillet is a specialist in the field of organizational ethics with extensive knowledge and practical experience in the development and implementation of ethics programs. He is the president of the Paul Maillet Center for Ethics, a company that specializes in applications of business and public sector ethics. He is also responsible for the Ethics and Values Group of the First Nations Development Network Inc. Paul is on the Board of Directors for the Ethics Practitioners Association of Canada (EPAC). Paul is also partner for Ethics, Values and Spirit at the Strathmere Management Center. He is an associate and former Director of Integrity Services for the Governance Network (TGN), a company that specializes in governance modernization in international and national arenas. Paul is a retired Air Force Colonel with 33 years experience in the Canadian Department of National Defense and served for four years as the Director of Defense Ethics. Project work has involved ethics and values framework development and implementation, internal disclosure mechanisms development, and ethics training for numerous federal departments; and on international projects in developing countries, notably Belize and Iran. Toronto Half Day Workshop May 10, 2006 Topic: “Financial Fiends”: Effectively Dealing with Fraud in the Workplace Coping with the End of Mandatory Retirement: Management Issues Speaker: Jennifer Fiddian-Green, CA, IFA, CFI, Partner, Forensic Accounting & Investigative Services, Grant Thornton LLP, Toronto Mickey Mehal, Senior Career Management Consultant, Right Management, Toronto “Financial Fiends”: Effectively Dealing with Fraud in the Workplace Public awareness of corporate wrong-doing and fraud has never been higher. How do you minimize the risk that fraud is occurring in your organization? What do you do when faced with the prospect that it has occurred? What are the responsibilities and obligations of an employer and how are they balanced with the rights of an employee who has been accused of and/or investigated for fraud or other wrong-doing? This informative session will provide HR and administrative professionals with insight into the occurrence of fraud, strategies for its prevention and detection, and how to appropriately react to suspicions of fraud. Participants will understand how fraud could be occurring in their organization, recognize the indicators, develop strategies to prevent and detect it, and considerations when reacting to fraud. Topics Covered: • Fraud: what is it, who does it and why • Environments favorable to fraud • Indicators or “red flags” of fraud • Deterrents to fraud • Reacting to allegations of fraud in your organization • Balancing the rights of employers and employees “Financial Fiends”: Effectively Dealing with Fraud in the Workplace Jennifer Fiddian-Green is partner with Grant Thornton’s Forensic Accounting and Investigative Services in Toronto. She obtained her Bachelor of Arts (Honours) from the University of Waterloo in 1993, her CA designation in 1995 and her CMA in 1996. She is a certified Fraud Examiner and certified Forensic Investigator. She specializes in the areas of fraud, money laundering and identity theft. She has investigated, reported and managed numerous large fraud investigations for both government organizations and private companies. Previously, she completed a two-year secondment as the sole in-house forensic accountant for the RCMP. Jennifer has spoken to numerous corporate audiences on the topic of workplace fraud. Coping with the End of Mandatory Retirement: Management Issues With the end of mandatory retirement coupled with an older worker appetite to remain in the workforce, several discussion points have surfaced. Because of the increased number of older workers, age will add a new layer of complexity and diversity to the workplace. Studies show that people are living longer, healthier lives and that many so-called ‘retirees’ want to continue to work. This is good news for many individuals; from a social perspective, it could address concerns regarding labour shortages as boomers scheduled to retire in large numbers in the next few years entertain more creative options. From both a financial and meaningful activity perspective, many boomers have already started re-defining retirement by returning to work after a premature taste of Freedom 55. Books on retirement struggle to find a word to capture this life stage as it can include combinations of leisure, freelance, part time, full time or virtual work, as well as snow birding. Boomer fortitude, organizational needs and technological advances will play a role in redefining both retirement and the emerging workplace. In this globalized, changing world of work, HR continues to explore strategies for attracting and retaining talent, and cultivate a nimble workforce that can respond to just-in-time business requirements and satisfy needs of a diverse workplace. The age factor brings additional values, needs and interests into play. Studies tell us that today’s workforce is less engaged and change-fatigued as a result of restructuring and thwarted ambitions due to limited promotions in flatter organizations. Added to this existing profile, further issues could emerge as boomers continue to hold key positions in already de-layered organizations. While the end of mandatory retirement could answer the shortage question, managers also need to anticipate issues related to aging (accommodations), ageism (invisible yet pervasive assumptions about older workers, their worth, place, capabilities and interests), dynamics of entitlement, loyalty, succession, scarcity, privilege, diverse values and competing interests. These themes along with implications for managing employees in this emerging environment will be discussed in this session. We will explore the role that education, awareness and dialogue can play as necessary first steps toward encouraging healthy attitudes toward change. Coping with the End of Mandatory Retirement: Management Issues Mickey Mehal is a Senior Career Management Consultant with Right Management, a leading global human capital management firm. She has over twenty years as a Career Management Consultant, Trainer, Leadership Coach and Brief Psychotherapist. She works with organizations, teams and individuals in both one-on-one and group settings. Her expertise includes dealing with change, career management, leader and organizational effectiveness and preparing for retirement. She obtained her doctorate in 1989 in Adult Education. In her dissertation, she examined the psychology of humour and its role in adult learning, productivity, wellness and stress management. For the past nine years at Right, she has coached hundreds of downsized workers, witnessing many ‘Over Fifty’ executive to front line workers musing about why they were selected to leave. Themes of ageism prevailed. She believes that issues of aging and ageism once named, can be better managed. Ottawa Half Day Workshop June 1, 2006 Topic: How to Prepare your Organization for Workforce Regeneration: The New Face of Succession Planning Speaker: Tim McConnell, Principal, McConnell HR Consulting Inc, Ottawa How to Prepare your Organization for Workforce Regeneration: The New Face of Succession Planning In today’s dynamic work environment, organizations have come to realize that to respond to the changing demographics of the workforce of the future, they must put energy and innovation into succession planning. Succession plans must be practical, easy to manage, and respond to the organization’s changing needs and to the work force that it is seeking to recruit and retain. Learn how organizations of different sizes and with small to large workforce complements ensure that they recruit and retain key talent and develop succession plans to remain competitive. Join us for an interactive workshop on preparing a succession plan for your organization and share ideas with other human resources and management professionals on how to start the process and adapt it to your particular work environment. Learn how succession plans are critical to line and operations managers and determine ways to engage the business in planning for succession and knowledge transfer. Learn how to include succession planning in your HR strategic plan as it aligns to recruitment, retention, employee development and career planning. Make workplace regeneration part of your strategic business model. How to Prepare your Organization for Workforce Regeneration: The New Face of Succession Planning Tim McConnell is an HR Strategist with McConnell HR Consulting Inc. in Ottawa. He has over 25 years experience in Human Resources management, both as a Director of HR and as a senior HR consultant. Tim provides strategic HR guidance to clients in the public, private and not-for-profit sectors. Succession Planning is a key component of the HR Strategies he develops for clients. He is an adjunct professor in the Advanced Program in HR Management at the Rotman School of Management, University of Toronto. He is also a former Sessional Lecturer at Carleton University, teaching HR Management in the graduate School of Public Administration. Tim holds a B.A. in Political Science and Economics from McGill University, and a Masters degree in Public Administration from Carleton University. He has earned professional designations in HR in both Canada (CHRP) and the United States (SPHR). He is a winner of the Ross A. Hennigar Memorial Award from the Human Resources Professionals Association of Ontario (HRPAO). He is the published author of several articles on HR management. Tim is a past-President of the Ottawa Human Resources Professionals Association (OHRPA) and a past-President of HRPAO. Toronto Half Day Workshop May 10, 2006 Topic: Today's Critical Issues in Employment Law Speaker: Richard Nixon, LL.B., Partner, McCarthy Tetrault LLP Lorenzo Lisi, LL.B., Partner, McCarthy Tetrault LLP Today's Critical Issues in Employment Law This most informative session will cover today's hot issues in Employment Law. Responding to the requests of our members and subscribers, our well-known legal experts will provide information in the following areas: The first half of the session will focus on the amendments to the Ontario Human Rights Code definition of age, resulting in the elimination of mandatory retirement at age 65 in Ontario. This will include effects on Collective Agreements, Pensions and the Ontario Pension Benefits Act, Employment benefits such as life insurance, weekly indemnity, long term disability, Wrongful dismissal litigation, Canada Pension Plan benefits, Workers' Compensation benefits, and the Ontario Employment Standards Act. Finally, in what circumstances will employers still be able to terminate employees at 65 because 65 is a bona fide occupational requirement? Other workshop highlights will include: The recent amendments to the Ontario Labour Relations Act Wrongful Dismissal Update Bullying and Other Aggressive Behavior in the Workplace: How should an employer respond? Inappropriate Use of Technology in the Workplace Occupational Health and Safety Inspections and criminal prosecutions. All managers in any size organization should attend this workshop to learn how to comply and avoid the courts. Today's Critical Issues in Employment Law Richard Nixon is a partner in the Labour and Employment Group with McCarthy Tetrault in Toronto. His practice focuses on labour and employment law, acting on behalf of management. Richard regularly advises employers with respect to arbitrations, collective agreement negotiations, employee terminations, wrongful dismissal actions, employment standards claims, human rights complaints, occupational health and safety charges, Workplace Safety and Insurance Act matters and corporate transactions. He regularly represents employers before arbitration boards and tribunals. Richard received his MBA from the University of Western Ontario in 1975 and his LLB from the University of Toronto in 1980. He was called to the Ontario bar in 1982. He appears in the 2002 Canadian Legal L'Expert Directory, a guide to the leading law firms and practitioners in Canada, as a leading lawyer in the areas of employment and labour. He regularly chairs and speaks at conferences on labour and employment law. He has also been a lecturer for the Advanced Human Resources Management – HRPAO program at the Rotman School of Management at the University of Toronto. Richard has presented to IPM Association audiences in the past with phenomenal reviews and is back again by popular demand. Lorenzo Lisi is also a partner with McCarthy Tetrault LLP in their Labour and Employment Group in Toronto. He joined the firm in 1992 after practising as Legal Counsel and Labour Law Specialist for the Canada Post Corporation. Lorenzo represents clients in both the public and private sector in connection with collective bargaining, grievance arbitrations, union certification matters, Labour Board proceedings, human rights issues, applications for injunctive relief and strike-related litigation and proceedings before the Canada and Ontario Labour Relations Board. He also represents management clients in actions for wrongful dismissal and regularly provides management advice on both federal and provincial labour and employment legislation, as well as employment related issues arising from business transactions. Lorenzo received his BA (Hons.) from the University of Toronto in 1987 and his LLB from Queen’s University in 1988. He was called to the Ontario bar in 1990. Halifax Half Day Workshop April 5, 2006 Topic: Hot Updates in Labour Standards Today's Critical Issues in Employment Law Speaker: Mary Belliveau, Director, Labour Standards, Province of Nova Scotia Rick Dunlop, LL.B., Associate, Stewart McKelvey Stirling Scales Rebecca Druhan, LL.B., Associate, Stewart McKelvey Stirling Scales, Halifax Hot Updates in Labour Standards This session will cover some of the hottest issues in Labour Standards in Nova Scotia today, with a focus on overtime pay. Overtime pay - 11/2 times the rate of pay after 48 hours a week - sounds reasonable, doesn’t it? Nova Scotia was later than most provinces in introducing this requirement. All provinces west of New Brunswick have had this type of law for many years. Several even have much more stringent rules. In Fall 2003, the law in Nova Scotia was changed around the overtime rules and employers, and some employees, reacted strongly. The confusion and concern lasted almost a year. How has business adjusted? The session will include the reactions back in 2003 and outline the efforts taken since then to get a level playing field among employers. The impacts to business will be examined as well as the underlying principles behind pay for overtime hours. Finally, the speaker will discuss compliance today, almost three years after the introduction of the new overtime requirements. Hot Updates in Labour Standards Mary Belliveau has been Director of Labour Standards with Nova Scotia Environment and Labour since early 2003. She has led the division and program through a significant renewal initiative, resulting in improved complaints resolution, better communication with employers, and responsive service to employees and employers alike. Mary’s background consists of broad and varied work experiences. Some of these experiences include technical work in a regulatory environment, managing in a not-for-profit agency, policy work in environment, consumer protection and residential tenancies, and leading change in alternative service delivery. Mary attended Ryerson in Toronto where she acquired a diploma in environmental health. She supplemented this background with various business courses and then completed her Masters in Public Administration at Dalhousie University in 2002. Today's Critical Issues in Employment Law This session will include practical information, strategies and recent developments based on actual cases and judgments in the following areas: Update on Wallace damages:where are the courts going? Recently, most wrongful dismissal lawsuits include some allegation of bad faith. Find out what conduct courts are saying will attract Wallace damages and what conduct is unlikely to attract Wallace damages. Stress Leave - what to do when an employee alleges stress? How does an employer deal with vague doctor's notes? How far can an employer push an employee for medical information? How does an employer accommodate a "stressed" employee? Constructive Dismissal - how to avoid these claims. Recently, more employees have been inclined to quit and allege constructive dismissal. How are courts expanding the situations in which constructive dismissal arises? What strategies during the hiring process and during employment can an employer take to avoid these claims? Accommodation to the Point of Undue Hardship - when is enough enough? Though this is not a new topic, it is an area where employers constantly struggle. We will discuss what steps an employer take to increase its chances of meeting the "undue hardship" threshold. Today's Critical Issues in Employment Law Rick Dunlop obtained his Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in 1996 from University of King's College and his Bachelor of Laws from Dalhousie University in 2000. He was admitted to the Nova Scotia Bar in 2001. His practice is exclusively in Labour and Employment Law. He is a member of the Canadian Bar Association as well as the Nova Scotia Barristers' Society. He was Chair, Constitutional and Human Rights Section of the Canadian Bar Association from 2004 to 2005. He provides legal counsel to both the public and private sectors. Rick has presented to numerous organizations in the past pertaining to Employment Law issues and has also done extensive writing in various legal publications. Rick is an Associate with Stewart McKelvey Stirling Scales based in their Halifax office. Rebecca Druhan obtained her Bachelor of Arts from Dalhousie University in 1997 and her Law Degree from Dalhousie in 2003. She was admitted to the Nova Scotia Bar in 2004. Rebecca's areas of expertise include Labour and Employment, Litigation and Insurance. She is a member of the Canadian Bar Association and the Nova Scotia Barristers' Society. Rebecca is an Associate with Stewart McKelvey Stirling Scales based in their Halifax office. Calgary Half Day Workshop March 28, 2006 Topic: Hot Updates in Employment Standards Sustaining Key Employees in the War for Talent-Performance & Assessment Speaker: Randy Sorensen, Education Program Coordinator, Employment Standards, Government of Alberta Joy Humphrey, Managing Partner, Excel Group Development Alberta Hot Updates in Employment Standards The Employment Standards Code was last reviewed in 1988. Since then, technological advances, globalization, increased competition, and changes to family and workforce demographics have altered Alberta’s workplaces. At present, there is a review of Alberta’s Employment Standards Code and Regulation. This session will highlight the most important areas involved in the current review including: hours of work, hours of rest, overtime and overtime pay, general holidays and the new compassionate leave, to name a few. Managers of all organizations should attend this informative session to discover the most recent developments as well as learn how to comply and avoid needless litigation costs. Hot Updates in Employment Standards Randy Sorensen is a recipient of the Premier’s Award of Excellence (1999) for work completed on the development of an Employment Standards telephone counselling unit. Randy has been with the provincial government for 16 years. He is a former Regional Manager for Grande Prairie and has served in different capacities within the department over the years. Randy is currently the Education Program Coordinator for Alberta Human Resources and Employment for Southern Alberta. In this role, Randy is responsible for the implementation and delivery of education programs for Employment Standards and Workplace Effectiveness. A dynamic speaker, Randy manages to make Employment Standards law sound truly interesting as well as informative and clear to understand. Randy has spoken to IPM Associations audiences in the past with enormous success and has been requested to present new updates pertaining to the current review in Alberta. Sustaining Key Employees in the War for Talent-Performance & Assessment Why do attempts to clearly identify superior performance miss the mark? Possible reasons: People are complex and bring more variables to the job than can be measured, identifying top performers is often a personality contest, mastery of skills not needed for superior job performance might be included as requirements by biased people, and jobs today are more complex than in the past – more intangible – and lend themselves to less tangible evidence of performance. If the job could talk, it would clearly identify its performance issues: Knowledge, Hard skills, Behavior, Rewards/Culture, Personal skills. The job cannot talk; people do, so we need a system to reduce the biased opinions on performance criteria. One system enables you to benchmark jobs and assess the talents they require for superior performance by answering the following questions: What attributes are required for superior performance on this job? What are the internal motivators that the job rewards? What behaviors are necessary for success on this particular job? Businesses today need a complete system that will take them from recruiting and selection to retention and development of talent. Three factors include: benchmarking the job, assessing personal talent and comparing the talent to the job. Commitment and accountability are key. When the job requirements are identified, people can be compared against the standard. When the gaps are identified they can be coached for commitment to improve in very specific areas. When they have committed to improving, holding them accountable is easy. In this session, you will acquire valuable information and tools that will help you win the war for talent and retain your top performers. Sustaining Key Employees in the War for Talent-Performance & Assessment Joy Humphrey is a Certified Professional Behavioural Analyst (CPBA) and a Certified Professional Values Analyst (CPVA) with over 25 years’ experience in providing learning and performance solutions. She’s a master certified instructor for RealTime Coaching® and has coached leaders at all levels in a variety of organizations. In addition to demonstrated expertise in identifying needs and designing and delivering development solutions, Joy has addressed many audiences in the areas of leadership training, customer service, interpersonal communications, teambuilding, performance management, time management and career transition for professionals. She has consulted for and worked with numerous organizations in both the private and public sectors. She has presented keynote addresses at dinner meetings of the Human Resource Management Association of Edmonton as well as IPM Associations' Conferences, returning by popular demand. As the western region executive partner with Excel Group Development, Joy is known for assisting clients in achieving results through the development of their human capital. She’s a past vice chair of the Board of Directors for the Villa (Aventa) and on the Board of Directors of the International Coach Federation, Calgary Chapter and an active member of the Training and Education Committee, Calgary Chamber of Commerce. Edmonton Half Day Workshop March 29, 2006 Topic: Hot Updates in Employment Standards Today's Critical Issues in Employment Law Speaker: Cindy Thompson, Education Coordinator, Employment Standards- Government of Alberta Ayla Akgungor, LL.B., Associate, Field LLP, Edmonton Hot Updates in Employment Standards The Employment Standards Code was last reviewed in 1988. Since then, technological advances, globalization, increased competition, and changes to family and workforce demographics have altered Alberta’s workplaces. At present, there is a review of Alberta’s Employment Standards Code and Regulation. This session will highlight the most important areas involved in the current review including: hours of work, hours of rest, overtime and overtime pay, general holidays and the new compassionate leave, to name a few. Managers of all organizations should attend this informative session to discover the most recent developments as well as learn how to comply and avoid needless litigation costs. Hot Updates in Employment Standards Cindy Thompson is Education Program Coordinator, Workplace Partnerships, Alberta Human Resources and Employment. With over 25 years of experience behind her, she has become one of the province's leading experts in the field of Employment Standards. She has worked with all industry sectors assisting them to understand and interpret workplace legislation. Their program encourages employers and employees to work together to build strong and effective workplaces. Cindy has presented to numerous organizations in both the public and private sectors in the past as well as IPM Associations' and is returning for an update, back by popular demand. Today's Critical Issues in Employment Law This session will explore the most recent developments in the courts pertaining to issues in Employment Law. Highlights of this session will include: Employee privacy in the workplace: What are an employee's rights to privacy in the workplace? Can employers use methods such as video surveillance, keystroke logging software or biometric scanning systems in the workplace? What are the competing considerations? Reference letters: Do employers have any obligations to provide reference letters for terminated employees? In what circumstances? What does the letter need to say? Wallace damages: What can employers do to protect themselves from claims of bad faith and unfair dealing? Recent cases involving claims for Wallace damages will be discussed. All attendees will acquire the most current information, recent cases and judgments and ways to avoid litigation. Today's Critical Issues in Employment Law Ayla Akgungor has been an Associate with Field Law in Edmonton since 2001. She obtained her Bachelor of Commerce with Distinction from the University of Alberta in 1996 and her LL.B. in 2000. She was admitted to the Alberta Bar in 2001. Ayla maintains a practice focused primarily on labour, employment and administrative law. She is a member of the Law Society of Alberta, present Co-Chair of the Canadian Bar Association Administrative Law Section and also a member of the Labour and Employment and Privacy Sections of the Canadian Bar Association. She is the Co-Editor of Remedies in Labour, Employment and Human Rights Law published by Carswell. Halifax Half Day Workshop November 16, 2005 Topic: Succession Planning- What Works & What You Need to Know Employment Law Update: Succession Planning, Mandatory Retirement & More Speaker: Supt. Michael W. Bell, Halifax Regional Police Rene Gallant, LL.B., Associate Lawyer, Patterson Palmer Succession Planning- What Works & What You Need to Know Discover the latest developments and strategies to put into place for Succession Planning in your organization. Using the Halifax Regional Police Succession Management Program as a case study, this session will cover the requirements to have in place before you start the plan and the various components of the plan to include People Tracking, Position Tracking, Competency, Leadership and Performance Management systems. As an added bonus, Michael Bell can offer participants a followup meeting in person for a more in-depth consultation. Succession Planning- What Works & What You Need to Know Supt. Michael Bell has been with the Halifax Regional Police for almost twenty years. He specializes in the areas of leadership, project management and facilitation training. Mike has done extensive work in the areas of professional development, motivation of employees, planning and evaluation. As the Senior Project Manager for the Halifax Regional Police Succession Management Program, he is the leading authority for what works for his organization and advises numerous other organizations on how to develop and implement systems. Employment Law Update: Succession Planning, Mandatory Retirement & More This session will include the latest legal updates in the areas of Mandatory Retirement, Succession Planning and more. We will examine issues such as: Retirement and Early retirement - Downsizing in unionized and non-unionized environments, Age based Mandatory retirement - A thing of the past?, Voluntary Severance Offers - how to protect the organization from future competition, and General Principles of Pension Governance - anticipating the necessary communications at the time of retirement. Every participant will gain vital information and strategies to avoid the courts! Employment Law Update: Succession Planning, Mandatory Retirement & More Rene Gallant has re-joined the Patterson Palmer Labour Group after spending four years as General Counsel to the Halifax Regional School Board. Rene received his B.Comm in 1991 from Mount Allison University and his LLB from Dalhousie Law School in 1994. Rene's expertise in Human Resources Litigation and Labour Law is based upon his role as in-house counsel and member of the Senior Management Team of the Halifax Regional School Board. Rene has extensive experience in labour relations including as Chief Negotiator for the school board, leading the simultaneous re-negotiation of collective agreements with four bargaining units. Rene has also provided advice and representation to many clients on a wide variety of non-unionized human resource issues. He is the President of the National Board of Directors of the Canadian Cancer Society, and a member of the Nova Scotia Bar Society and Canadian Bar Association. Ottawa Half Day Workshop November 9, 2005 Topic: Harassment Prevention: Dealing with Conflict Effectively Speaker: Ed Brewer and Al Brewer, Principals, Management Communications Systems Canada (MCS) Inc. Harassment Prevention: Dealing with Conflict Effectively It’s a Challenging Workplace – Managers today function in a very diverse workplace. Psychological harassment as a valid complaint has placed legal overtones on all leadership behaviour. Misunderstandings and a lack of change management can now quickly escalate into grievances and complaints. Are Managers Ready For The Challenge? – Unfortunately, acting naturally can be self destructive for any leader. Come to this three-hour, interactive workshop, to improve your ability to prevent and manage conflict effectively. The following topics will be covered: • Managing Workplace Harassment – Gain both behaviour insights and legal awareness to prevent, resolve and restore harassment incidents. • Orientation to Team Expectations - Counteract the potential conflict caused by change and uncertainty. • Behaviour Insight Training – Use a behaviour profiling tool can accelerate self-awareness and provide a framework to help develop both empathy and flexibility. • Conflict Mediation Training – Enhance your ability to recognize and effectively handle interpersonal conflicts before they escalate and disrupt the workplace. Harassment Prevention: Dealing with Conflict Effectively Ed Brewer and Al Brewer have academic backgrounds in a combination of behaviour dynamics, economics, teaching, business and organizational development. Between them, they have 30 years of senior executive experience in North American Corporations, Provincial Governments and university lecturing. MCS has been in business for 16 years. They are specifically trained to intervene when either a manager or a team is not performing effectively. Usually, even with a team, it is a leadership problem. In 2002, MCS was engaged in organizational behaviour consulting in several municipalities where Hicks Morley was doing parallel legal work. The relationship grew to the point where MCS were engaged in 2003 to convert Hicks Morley’s preventative law seminars into a due diligent e-learning program for line managers. As partners with Hicks Morley, Ed and Al Brewer created the learning format, developed and wrote all of the Leadership Behaviour material in the Managing Workplace Harassment online course. They have integrated many of the behaviour insights from their fifteen years of organizational behaviour consulting in municipalities and other organizations into the e-learning program. Edmonton Half Day Workshop November 1, 2005 Topic: Recruitment and Retention: Hot Updates Recruiting Right Off Campus- Update for Employers Speaker: David Aplin, President, David Aplin Recruiting Mike Henry, Associate Dean of the MacEwan School of Business Recruitment and Retention: Hot Updates Discover the latest trends in the current Human Resource Landscape and recent developments in Recruitment and Retention. We already know that disengagement level is extremely high. We experience the demographic explosion. Today's workplace is much less homogeneous than in the past. Critical issues pulled from these trends will be discussed in some depth. Acquisition and retention are the biggest issues facing organizations today. In this session, we will explore 30 tried and true Best Practices to solve the acquisition and retention problem. Recruitment and Retention: Hot Updates David Aplin has managed David Aplin Recruiting, a Technical/Professional recruiting company with offices across Canada and a total staff of over 60 since 1975. Before forming David Aplin Recruiting, Dave held senior positions in a number of firms including Eaton’s, 3M, CN and Neonex. He has lived and worked in Toronto, Montreal, London, Edmonton and Minneapolis/St. Paul. Dave has a B.A.Sc. from the University of Toronto (Industrial Engineering) and an M.B.A. from York University (Finance and Marketing). Dave is also Former Chair of the Advisory Board and Sponsorship Chair for the 1999 CIPS National Conference. Recruiting Right Off Campus- Update for Employers ‘I can’t get a job because I don’t have experience, but I can’t get experience if I don’t have a job’. It’s the age-old story that every student faces as they enter the world of work. But what about the employer? We all need to do the best we can for ourselves, and hiring an employee with a measure of experience tends to increase your chances of success. You’d like to hire a new graduate, but hesitate as the time and energy it may take to find that incredible employee could outweigh the benefits. MacEwan works to make the transition from student to employee an easy one, with numerous options, shared by many colleges, to assist both with the employer and the student in finding success. Discover the diverse options open to you as a potential employer to get involved with your local educational institution as a source of incredible new talent. From taking on a student in a work placement scenario to participating in an advising capacity to a program in your industry – the opportunities are incredible, but often not well known. Recruiting Right Off Campus- Update for Employers Mike Henry has been with MacEwan since 2000, teaching primarily in the areas of organizational behaviour, Canadian business and leadership. He is the current President of the Management Education Co-ordinating Council of Alberta and is also a member of the MacEwan College Research Council and the MacEwan Institute for Research on Family and Youth. His research interests are focused on how organizations influence public policy and on knowledge management in entrepreneurial and family businesses. Mike has published numerous articles and presentations. He also keeps busy as a current partner in Abells Henry Public Affairs, a consulting practice focusing on stakeholder relations, government affairs, strategic positioning and public consultation. Prior to joining MacEwan, his career spanned the private, public and non-profit health sectors, and included a term as MLA representing Edmonton Centre. Mike received his MBA at the University of Alberta, a Bachelor of Social Science at the University of Ottawa, and a Bachelor of Arts from Brock University. He has also studied at the University of Southern Queensland. Calgary Half Day Workshop October 26, 2005 Topic: Employment Law Update: Today's Hot Issues Speaker: Tina Giesbrecht, LL.B., Associate, McCarthy Tetrault LLP, Calgary James P. Flanagan, LL. B., Partner, McCarthy Tetrault LLP, Calgary Employment Law Update: Today's Hot Issues This half day session will feature two of Calgary's leading Employment and Labour Law specialists (back by popular demand) for an employment law update. This workshop will cover the latest developments in the following key areas: Misuse of Technology Internet and e-mail abuse can be extremely costly to employers in terms of lost productivity. The question facing employers is how to take advantage of existing technology while protecting themselves from abuse and potential liability. As companies provide employees with portable devices such as a BlackBerry, palm pilots and notebooks increase, employers struggle with how to handle Internet abuse. Many employers have sought to introduce measure to monitor use, some of these have led to problems between employer property and employee privacy rights. With the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Acts (PIPEDA), the federal government's privacy legislation, there are now extensive protections for employees but what about the employer? Drug Testing Drug testing is in a large part being driven by the oil and gas firms that are pouring billions of dollars into massive oil sands projects. To protect their investments, employers are becoming more vigilant about drug testing and have imposed some fairly high standards. Pre-employment testing, random testing and what is reasonable cause for testing are all issues that are being pushed. There's pressure on the provincial government to legislate what is permissible and what is not. Getting Employees in and out of Canada for business Getting a foreign worker into Canada can be a bit like wandering through a bureaucratic minefield. The immigration and Refugee Protect Act and its regulations have been in effect since Jun 28, 2002, and provide more flexibility to hire foreign works than previous immigration legislation. But employers should plan carefully to avoid the pitfalls that plague the system, including understanding who can work in Canada and for how long, delays in visa processing posts overseas and compliance with Human Resources Skills Development Canada's (HRS-DC) requirements. What about the other side? Canadian workers who have to travel outside Canada for work reasons - the challenges there and what the employer can do to expediate the process. Recent Developments in the areas of Wrongful Dismissal, Labour Relations, Privacy legislation and Human Rights Employment Law Update: Today's Hot Issues Tina Giesbrecht received her BA in 1990 and her LLB in 1993 from the University of Manitoba. Tina was called to the Manitoba bar in 1994 and to the Alberta bar in 2001. She advises a wide spectrum of both federally and provincially regulated clients on labour and employment matters including collective bargaining, grievance arbitration, human rights complaints, labour board hearings, strikes, employment related immigration matters, employment contracts, personnel policies, fiduciary obligations, non-competition and non-solicitation agreements. She also focuses on issues of discipline and termination of employment including negotiating settlement agreements and defending wrongful dismissal actions. Tina is a member of the Law Society of Alberta, the Alberta Bar Association, Labour and Employment, Immigration and the FOIPP Subsections of the Canadian Bar Association, the Law Society of Manitoba, the Manitoba Bar Association, the Canadian Association of Counsel to Employers and the Human Resource Association of Calgary Legislation and Communications Committee. James Flanagan is a partner in both the Labour and Employment and Litigation Practice Groups in the Calgary office. He has over fifteen years’ experience as a barrister and solicitor, having practised law in British Columbia, Alberta and Saskatchewan. Jamie advises employers and management on a variety of employment related issues, including drafting and enforcing employment contracts, non competition, non solicitation and confidentiality agreements, fiduciary obligations, employment standards, human rights, short and long term disability claims, director’s liability, wrongful dismissal, as well as labour and employment issues that arise in commercial transactions. Jamie obtained his Bachelor of Arts degree at McGill University in 1986 and his Bachelor of Laws degree at University of British Columbia in 1989. He was called to the BC Bar in 1990, Saskatchewan Bar in 1995 and the Alberta Bar in 1998. His professional memberships include Civil Litigation, Labour and Employment Law, Foreclosure, Construction and Insurance Law Subsections of the Canadian Bar Association as well as the Calgary Bar Association. Jamie has written many papers and made presentations to numerous associations and organizations in the area of Employment and Labour Law. Toronto Half Day Workshop June 8, 2005 Topic: Today's Hottest Issues in Employment Law Resiliency – Managing our Energy is the Key to High Performance Speaker: Richard J. Nixon, LL.B., Partner, McCarthy Tetrault LLP, Toronto Michael H. Ballard, President, Michael Ballard & Associates, Toronto Today's Hottest Issues in Employment Law Discover the latest trends and obtain the most current information in today's Employment Law. This session will explore a wide number of topics to include Human Rights, Employment Standards and Privacy Legislation updates. The topic of Employee References will give you clear and concise details on what should and should not be done. Get the current details on compassionate leave and sick leave. The topic of Employment Contracts- Do's and Don'ts will also be explored. Every organization, regardless of size, stands to benefit from this most informative session. You'll hear about recent court decisions and help your organization avoid the courts! Today's Hottest Issues in Employment Law Richard J. Nixon is a partner in the Labour and Employment Group with McCarthy Tetrault in Toronto. His practice focuses on labour and employment law, acting on behalf of management. Richard regularly advises employers with respect to arbitrations, collective agreement negotiations, employee terminations, wrongful dismissal actions, employment standards claims, human rights complaints, occupational health and safety charges, Workplace Safety and Insurance Act matters and corporate transactions. He regularly represents employers before arbitration boards and tribunals. Richard received his MBA from the University of Western Ontario in 1975 and his LLB from the University of Toronto in 1980. He was called to the Ontario bar in 1982. He appears in the 2002 Canadian Legal L'Expert Directory, a guide to the leading law firms and practitioners in Canada, as a leading lawyer in the areas of employment and labour. He regularly chairs and speaks at conferences on labour and employment law. He has also been a lecturer for the Advanced Human Resources Management – HRPAO program at the Rotman School of Management at the University of Toronto. Richard has presented to IPM Association audiences in the past with phenomenal reviews and is back again by popular demand. Resiliency – Managing our Energy is the Key to High Performance Gain insight and understanding how changing the way you and your organization think can enhance the quality of work life. This influences recruitment, retention, productivity and organizational reputation. Obtain key information on how one health care facility cut 31% off the cost of managed care for several types of chronically ill patients through resiliency training. Does your organization have what it takes to grow your staff and organizational resiliency? Do you have a plan or system in place yet? Gain the information, insights and ideas you need during this session. Discover how the process works. Learn to recognize the key components every individual, team and organization needs to use to maximize their resiliency. Learn the five core mindsets and seven vital skills that people and teams need to use and how to tap into them to maximize their resiliency. Resiliency – Managing our Energy is the Key to High Performance Michael H. Ballard has an active human performance practice that specializes in helping individuals, teams, organizations and communities to develop more resiliency. Michael became interested in resiliency eighteen years ago. He has lectured at the Dalhousie University Medical School on the price we pay when there is a lack of resiliency training for medical professionals, staff and patients. For over fifteen years, Michael has had clients as diverse as CMA Ontario,Prudential Assurance, Alberta Literacy, Mead Johnson, Manitoba Rural Development, Council for the Status of Women, Hastings County, Nortel, and Bell Canada. He has appeared in countless media interviews across North America and has written several articles on resiliency. Michael delivers his programs with warmth and wit making him one of the most sought after speakers today. Ottawa Half Day Workshop June 9, 2005 Topic: Ending Mandatory Retirement: How Will It Affect You? Speaker: Lynn H. Harnden, LL.B., Partner, Emond Harnden, Ottawa Kathryn Butler Malette, CHRP, Vice President, Human Resources, Canadian Blood Services, Ottawa Brian W. Pascal, President, IPM- Institute of Professional Management and Publisher/Editor Workplace Today® Journal Jacky Evans, Principal, Mercer Human Resource Consulting, Ottawa Pascal L. Longpre, FSA,FCIA, Associate, Mercer Human Resource Consulting, Ottawa Ending Mandatory Retirement If you fall into any of the following groups, ending mandatory retirement may have a direct impact on you. • An employee approaching retirement but either not ready to retire or not sure you can afford to retire; • A younger professional climbing the corporate ladder counting on attrition at the more senior levels for your opportunities; • A manager supervising an employee who is coasting to retirement , already at a pace slower than you would like; • A pension or benefits administrator unsure of the legal and financial impact on the organization’s plans, policies and practices; • A manager or HR practitioner concerned about the potential age discrimination complaints, or unsure of the impact on different legislation and social programs; • A non-profit organization trying to attract candidates retiring from the public sector; • A CEO or senior manager undertaking succession planning and unsure of the cost-benefit impacts in either a unionized or non-unionized environment. The McGuinty Government plans to follow the lead of countries such as USA, New Zealand and Australia, and other provinces including Quebec and Manitoba in banning mandatory retirement. Whether a change in legislation actually affects your retirement decision or not, there will be wide-ranging impact on organizations, their policies, practices, and benefit and pension plans. Some of the issues that may affect you include: • Increased choices and flexibility in work arrangements as you approach retirement ; • Increased monitoring of performance, lateral promotions, demotions or dismissals of older workers, potentially leading to discrimination challenges; • Possibly declining growth in wages of older workers; • Increased retirement incentives, possibly leading to reduced productivity; • Reduced gains by women and younger workers with fewer job opportunities; • Changes in benefit and pension plans, as well as social programs. These and other issues will be explored by our panel of experts. To understand the impact of eliminating mandatory retirement on you and your organization, it is helpful to better understand the rationale for the change, the prevalence of employment trends and practices today, and to gain a comprehensive perspective of the issues. Come join us for what promises to be an informative and interactive session. Ending Mandatory Retirement Lynn H. Harnden is a graduate of University of Toronto Law School (J.D. 1975) and was called to the Ontario Bar in 1977. He practised with a national law firm for 11 years and co-founded Emond Harnden in 1987. His law firm which comprises 21 lawyers represents employers in employment and labour relations disputes. Lynn received a C.H.R.P. designation from the Human Resources Professionals Association of Ontario and is named by L'EXPERT as a Leading Practitioner in Employment and Labour Relations Law based on peer surveys. He is past chair of the Federal Government Affairs Committee of the Human Resources Professionals of Ontario and Past President of the Ottawa Human Resources Professionals Association. Kathryn Butler Malette is a graduate of the University of Ottawa and is a graduate of the Harvard Law School Program on Negotiation and is certified as a mediator. She is responsible for developing and implementing the strategic policies, plans and programs that will ensure the most effective utilization of human resources practices throughout Canadian Blood Services. Before joining CBS, Ms. Butler Malette was the VP, HR for the Sisters of Charity of Ottawa Health Service, and was formerly VP, HR for the Ottawa Hospital. She is a Member of the Ottawa Human Resources Professional Association, is a Board Member of the Service Coordination Group of Ottawa, and of the Board of the University of Ottawa Alumni Association. Brian W. Pascal is President of IPM as well as Publisher/Editor of Workplace Today® Journal. He has spent over twenty years in Management and Training. After graduating from Concordia University in 1967, he became directly involved in the professional development of human resources including the design, development and delivery of skill workshops and certificate programs. In 1984, Brian left Northern Telecom as Manager, Human Resources and founded the Institute of Professional Management. Brian and his associates have successfully provided skill training to thousands of participants across Canada. Brian is a recognized author and has been widely published in journals and newspapers. Jacky Evans has 15 years of consulting experience and provides advice on the management and design of employee benefit plans to public sector, private sector and not-for-profit organizations. Jacky has an MBA from the University of Ottawa and serves on the Executive Steering Committee of the Ottawa Regional Rewards Association (a World at Work Group Partnership Network). She is a frequent speaker on employee benefit related issues. Pascal Longpre is a senior pension consultant with more than 14 years of consulting experience. He provides consulting as well as actuarial advice on pension plan and executive arrangements to public-sector, private-sector and not-for-profit organizations on plan design, implementation, funding, accounting and administration. Winnipeg Half Day Workshop June 1, 2005 Topic: To Become Change Ready: The Challenge of Contemporary Organizations Speaker: Dr. Leigh Quesnel, Principal, HQS Consulting Services, Winnipeg Maureen Drummond, RPR, RPT, CHRP, Manager, Corporate Human Resources, Linnet-The Land Systems Company, Winnipeg To Become Change Ready: We live in an environment characterized by rapid, unpredictable and complex change. While change is not new, the nature of the change we are currently experiencing is. Not only is the nature of the change we are experiencing new, but the type of situations or challenge it presents us with is also very different. How do we develop change ready organizations? How do you know if your organization is change ready? What factors are involved in getting managers and employees to accept and embrace these new challenges? Some organizations, like some people, seem to have grasped this difference and have the ability to navigate this new type of change with little if any difficulty. They seem in fact, to thrive on it, to see in this new type of change exciting challenges and opportunities for innovation and growth. Not only do they approach change without fear, they approach it with anticipation. These organizations seem to be CHANGE READY. How do you get your organization to be more committed to creating a context for action? Through a process of group work we will explore these and a number of other “change ready” questions and take some ideas back to our respective organizations. To Become Change Ready: Dr. Leigh Quesnel has extensive experience as a leading organizational consultant for well over 20 years. He has worked with small and large organizations in both the public and private sector, nationally and internationally. Leigh has served numerous federal and provincial government departments and crown corporations. In the private sector, he has worked with a number of large service and manufacturing enterprises. His current areas of study and interest include the evolution of management practices, managing surprise, workplace wellness, creating corporate community, the changing meaning of work, leadership, and motivation. His work in organizations ranges from hands on consulting with senior management to the development of management and employee training programs. Maureen Drummond has ten years experience in the Recruiting and Human Resource Management Industry in both a corporate management and consulting capacity. Maureen graduated from the University of Winnipeg, where she obtained a Bachelor of Arts degree majoring in English and Sociology. She also holds a Management Studies Certificate and a Human Resources Management Certificate, both from the University of Winnipeg. Maureen has served in key roles within organizations and has been successful in designing and implementing leading edge HR infrastructures and recruitment and retention programs that strategically align with company growth and business goals. Calgary Half Day Workshop May 12, 2005 Topic: Managing Disability Claims Proactively While Avoiding Legal Pitfalls Occupational Health and Safety Update: Are you doing everything you can to protect your workers and your managers? Speaker: Tina Giesbrecht, LL.B., Associate, McCarthy Tetrault LLP, Calgary Brian D. Portas, LL.B., Associate, Borden Ladner Gervais LLP, Calgary Managing Disability Claims Proactively This session will include the latest developments in Occupational Health and Safety in Alberta. We will review the recent legislative changes, including the OHS Code and Criminal Code as well as the impacts of the new privacy laws. We will talk about what medical information the employer is entitled to receive and tips for managing medical information and protecting employee privacy. There will also be a review of some of the important recent Alberta OHS cases. This workshop will also highlight the practical implications for organizations and managers, in order to help you understand the standards, avoid criminal negligence charges and proactively manage disability claims. Managing Disability Claims Proactively Tina Giesbrecht received her BA in 1990 and her LLB in 1993 from the University of Manitoba. Tina was called to the Manitoba bar in 1994 and to the Alberta bar in 2001. She advises a wide spectrum of both federally and provincially regulated clients on labour and employment matters including collective bargaining, grievance arbitration, human rights complaints, labour board hearings, strikes, employment related immigration matters, employment contracts, personnel policies, fiduciary obligations, non-competition and non-solicitation agreements. She also focuses on issues of discipline and termination of employment including negotiating settlement agreements and defending wrongful dismissal actions. Tina is a member of the Law Society of Alberta, the Alberta Bar Association, Labour and Employment, Immigration and the FOIPP Subsections of the Canadian Bar Association, the Law Society of Manitoba, the Manitoba Bar Association, the Canadian Association of Counsel to Employers and the Human Resource Association of Calgary Legislation and Communications Committee. Occupational Health and Safety Update This informative session will review: • the recent changes to the Alberta Occupational Health and Safety Act and the new Code; • the recent changes to the Criminal Code regarding liability for Corporations and corporate officers; and • key decisions regarding fines against corporations for breaches of occupational health and safety obligations Recent changes to both the Criminal Code of Canada, and the Alberta Occupational Health and Safety Act and Code have introduced tougher measures against companies and their employees that do not take their obligations to keep their workers safe seriously. This session will review the recent changes to occupational health and safety legislation, how those changes affect your company and your company’s obligations for worker safety. Included in this session will be a review of key court cases in which significant fines have been levied against corporations for breaches of their occupational health and safety duties. Occupational Health and Safety Update Brian Portas is an associate in the Calgary office of Borden Ladner Gervais LLP. Mr. Portas received his Bachelor of Commerce, Cooperative Program, with distinction in 1997 from the University of Alberta and his Bachelor of Laws in 2000 from the University of Calgary. He articled with Borden Ladner Gervais LLP and was called to the Alberta Bar in 2001. As a member of the Labour and Employment Law Practice Group at the firm, Brian has assisted both employers and employees with the negotiation of severance packages, wrongful dismissal lawsuits, Employment Standards Code complaints, Workers’ Compensation issues, Occupational Health and Safety matters, Alberta Labour Relations Code issues and other employment and labour related matters. Brian has presented seminars on employment law topics such as recruitment, hiring, employment contracts, termination, employment records, e-mail and internet usage policies, disability, accommodation and privacy issues. Brian is a member of the Canadian Bar Association Employment and Labour Law Section Edmonton Half Day Workshop November 1, 2005 Topic: Building High Performance Organizations Speaker: Darel Baker, B.P.E., C.F.P., Principal, Keldar Leadership Solutions Building High Performance Organizations Why do some organizations experience fantastic success while others have mediocre performance at best? Is it the industry, timing, location, products, services or something else? Every industry has leaders and they sometimes appear in locations that you would not expect. This session will explore how organizations move from Chaos to High Performance and the differences in Traditional vs. High Performance organizations. Using the experiences of the group, we will look at how organizational structure, culture and communication patterns all contribute to the performance level of the organization. A brief review of how Traditional Organizations differ from High Performance organizations leads us right into a discussion on how the Good will get in the way of the Great, in people and in organizations. After our break we will examine the human qualities of great organizations and what makes people want to be part of them. This great “chicken and egg” dilemma will have us debating whether you get the great people first or have the great organization first! Understanding some key areas to look at within our own organizations and those we are working with will allow change to happen quicker. Attending a half day session will not change the world! What it might do is give you ideas required to start identifying individuals and parts of your organization that are operating in Chaos. With that understanding you can start working towards High Performance! Building High Performance Organizations Darel Baker has over 20 years in the workforce in the areas of construction, health and fitness, Community College, Municipal Government, Non-Profit sector and most recently Financial Services. Darel brings a well rounded background to the Leadership arena. Darel has had the opportunity to work with an incredibly diverse range of personalities and talents. Successful recruiting, hiring and training have been a key to success throughout his career. Darel has led management teams and other high performing teams with a number of companies and organizations. Roles include Chairing Community Fundraisers, Director for various Boards and Committees, Golf Course/Recreation Complex General Manager and Regional Director for one of Canada’s leading financial institutions. Darel's firm, Keldar Leadership Solutions’ Core Purpose is “Empowering People to Achieve More in their Personal and Professional Lives”. Halifax Half Day Workshop April 6, 2005 Topic: Emergency Management in the Workplace- Is Your Organization Ready? Today's Hot Topics in Employment Law Speaker: Mike Myette, Deputy Director, Nova Scotia Emergency Measures Organization Brian G. Johnston, Q.C., Partner, Stewart McKelvey Stirling Scales, Halifax Charelle M. Veinot, LL.B., Associate, Stewart McKelvey Stirling Scales, Halifax Emergency Management in the Workplace- Is Your Organization Ready? Disasters can be fatal to business operations. Research has shown that a startling percentage of businesses cease operations within two years following a disaster because they have been unable to successfully recover from the impacts. Preparing for an emergency can easily mean the difference between business failure and successfully “weathering the storm”. Drawing on actual experiences and lessons learned from the response to Hurricane Juan as well as a number of other disasters that have occurred in Nova Scotia, this presentation will focus on an analysis of the potential impacts of disasters to business operations and the key steps in creating an effective emergency management “toolbox”. There will be particular emphasis on practical and effective measures that can be taken within the workplace to prepare for and manage the impacts of a disaster, so that stress to employees and interruptions to business productivity are minimized. Topics to be covered will include: • Emergency Preparedness planning - developing a check list for your business • Creating and implementing an emergency plan - a review of the essentials • Business continuity planning - why no emergency plan should be without this critical element • Disaster recovery - getting “back to business” as soon as the dust settles Emergency Management in the Workplace- Is Your Organization Ready? Mike Myette is the Deputy Director of the Nova Scotia Emergency Measures Organization. For the past 10 years, he has been directly involved in emergency management, preparedness and response. His experiences include co-directing the Province’s response to several recent disasters in Nova Scotia including Hurricane Juan in 2003 and a subsequent blizzard that resulted in the first Province wide state of Emergency in Nova Scotia’s history. A 24 year veteran of the Nova Scotia public service, Mike has served in a number of management roles which include lead responsibility for the Province’s 911 emergency reporting system and four disaster financial assistance programs. Today's Hot Topics in Employment Law This most informative session on Employment Law will cover five key areas: -The Do's and Don'ts of Termination: Labour Standards Code Update, Reasons for Dismissal, Reasonable Notice Periods including recent cases, and Reference Letters -Employee Medical Information: Fitness to Work Assessments and Employer Access -Workplace Investigations: Planning and Timeliness -Human Rights Update: Protected Characteristics, the Duty to Accommodate and Return to Work Programs -Occupational Health & Safety: Bill C-45 Today's Hot Topics in Employment Law Brian G. Johnston, Q.C. is a Partner in the Halifax office of Stewart McKelvey Stirling Scales. Johnston was admitted to the Nova Scotia Bar in 1981 and practices Labour & Employment law exclusively. Johnston graduated from Dalhousie Law School in 1980 and from Mount Allison University with a Bachelor of Commerce Honours in 1977. His credits include present Chair, Board of Regents for Mount Allison University, member of the Canadian Bar Association and Nova Scotia Barristers' Society and Canadian Industrial Relations Association. Charelle M. Veinot is an Associate in the Halifax office of Stewart McKelvey Stirling Scales. Charelle was admitted to the Nova Scotia Barristers’ Society in June, 2004 and practices Labour & Employment law exclusively. Charelle graduated from Dalhousie Law School in 2003, and from the University of New Brunswick with a Bachelor of Business Administration in 2000. She speaks both English and French. Charelle is a member of the Halifax Chamber of Commerce and a volunteer with Dress for Success. She is a member of the Canadian Association of Counsel to Employers, the Nova Scotia Barristers’ Society and the Canadian Bar Association. Winnipeg Chapter Meeting March 10, 2005 Topic: Overcoming Immigrant Recruitment Barriers Speaker: Lynn Campbell, Coordinator-Language Training for Employment, MB Dept of Labour & Immigration Christina Semaniuk, RPR, RAS, Vice President Human Resources, Cambrian Credit Union Overcoming Immigrant Recruitment Barriers With 10,000 immigrants arriving in Manitoba by 2008, how do we successfully integrate them in to our workforce? Come out to learn about the barriers, challenges and differences that employers need to know to increase the likelihood of success in attracting and retaining the right immigrant employees. Also, learn about one project of government and business working together to successfully integrate immigrants from 9 different countries in to the financial services industry. This session will provide basic cross cultural training to assist you and your organization with: • Learning the basics of intercultural communication challenges • Identifying and understanding the language and cultural barriers • Recognizing and identifying differences in academic credentials Plus, share the experiences, challenges, and successes of a current joint business and government pilot project for training and integrating immigrants in to the financial services industry. Overcoming Immigrant Recruitment Barriers Lynn Campbell has over 20 years of hands on experience in working with second language English learners, locally and internationally. Lynn has taught Special Education, and has also been a teacher and coordinator of English as a Second Language (ESL) for the Winnipeg School Division. She has traveled extensively throughout Europe, Africa and South America. Her travels also took her to working overseas which included teaching with CUSO in Africa for three years. In her current position, Lynn is responsible for developing and implementing English culture & communication program related to business and professionals. These programs are designed to assist immigrants with the required skills to enter or enhance their employability in the Canadian workforce. She also works together with business in developing customized cross cultural training programs. Christina Semaniuk has over 14 years of financial industry experience. She is currently responsible for providing leadership in the development and implementation of human resource strategies that include proactive recruitment and retention initiatives. Christina has served as a marketing and human resources project specialist with the Canadian Co-operative Association in the Ukraine and Bahamas. She is a member of the Manitoba Ethnocultural Advisory and Advocacy Council (MEAAC) which provides advice to government on multicultural issues and advocates on behalf of Manitoba’s ethnocultural community and currently serves as the Manitoba Regional Director for IPM's Associations. Ottawa Half Day Workshop November 9, 2004 Topic: Managing Difficult Employees- Job Performance & More Speaker: Brian W. Pascal, President, IPM-Institute of Professional Management, Publisher, Workplace Today® Journal Managing Difficult Employees- Job Performance & More Every manager has encountered problems with job performance and difficult employees. Where do these stem from? Is it only the employee's fault? How can you remedy and prevent these situations from arising in the future? What other means besides training can help? This interactive workshop will tackle the issue of managing difficult employees and job performance. You will acquire information on the various problem areas that lead to performance issues. Highlights will include setting the right objectives, communication, conflict resolution, personality issues and progressive discipline or dismissal. Scenarios will be discussed to test participants' assessment skills along with discussion of case studies. The needs for proper assessment, measurement and problem solving will also be covered. This hands-on workshop will enable participants to deal more confidently with performance related issues as well as conflict and absenteeism, to name a few. Brian W. Pascal is President of IPM as well as Publisher/Editor of Workplace Today® Journal. He has spent over twenty years in Management and Training. After graduating from Concordia University in 1967, he became directly involved in the professional development of human resources including the design, development and delivery of skill workshops and certificate programs. In 1984, Brian left Northern Telecom as Manager, Human Resources and founded the Institute of Professional Management. His dynamic style and unique approach make him one of the most effective business presenters in the country. Brian and his associates have successfully provided skill training to thousands of participants across Canada. Brian is a recognized author and has been widely published in journals and newspapers. Winnipeg Chapter Meeting November 2, 2004 Topic: Employment Law: Reference Checks, Employer's Liability and More Speaker: Mark Newman, LL.B., Partner, Fillmore Riley LLP, Winnipeg Hot Updates in Employment Law This session will explore today's hottest issues in Employment Law. Reference checking will be one of the highlights. We all do them- what else should we know about them? Are you obligated to provide references? Should you give one? When asked, how do you respond to the questions? The topics of reasonable notice and wrongful dismissal will also be covered. We'll examine the continuing impact and latest developments on Wallace vs. United Grain Growers. The issue of disability and termination will be another topic discussed. This is a minefield in itself. Every manager will benefit from this session- learn how to avoid needless litigation and the courts! Mark Newman is a partner at Fillmore Riley and his extensive advocacy practice covers commercial law, employment law, labour law, municipal law and tax assessment litigation. He has appeared before all levels of court in Manitoba, the Supreme Court of Canada, Human Rights Commission Proceedings, Manitoba Labour Board, Municipal Board, Boards of Revision, Labour and Commercial Arbitrations and Inquests. He attended the University of Manitoba where he obtained his Bachelor of Laws in 1978. He was admitted to the Manitoba Bar in 1979. Mark practices mainly in the areas of commercial litigation and labour and employment law and is a past member of The Standards Committee of The Law Society of Manitoba. Halifax Half Day Workshop May 5, 2004 Topic: Leadership in the Global Village- So What's New? Employment Law Essentials - Changes You Need to Know About Speaker: Steve Ashton, Director of Careers, Aliant Inc. Ian Pickard, LL.B., Partner, Patterson Palmer Leadership in the Global Village- So What's New? Leadership remains the most studied and talked about subject in management today. It is also one of the top issues on the mind of the public - not just here in Canada, but around the world. Regardless of the milieu - political, organizational or social - the demands on our leaders are increasing to include a much longer list of characteristics than in the past. Our society is becoming more diverse. Our organizations interact more internationally than in the past. We live in a world with a more complex social agenda than ever before. As a result, we expect our leaders to take all of this into account, and do so with greater transparency, discretion, and honesty. Within the leadership development field, we need to acknowledge this increasing diversity and complexity of demands. However, we should not overlook the common themes emerging from the current debate. We may, in fact, find the world evolving to a singular world view on leadership. In this session, we will explore a number of issues and emerging themes in the global debate on leadership. You will obtain insight and strategies which you can then take back to implement in your workplace. Steve Ashton Steve Ashton is Director of Careers and is responsible for recruitment, learning and leadership development at Aliant Inc. (TSX: AIT), a multi-faceted communications company with revenues of $2.6 billion and 9,100 employees in Canada, the United States, and the United Kingdom. Prior to joining the company in 2001, Steve was a Partner with one of Canada's largest executive search firms.Steve earned his B.Sc. (Honours in psychology) and M.B.A. from Dalhousie University, and is a Certified Human Resources Professional (CHRP). He is a Past-President of HRANS, former Board Member of CCHRA, and teaches human resources in Dalhousie’s MBA program. He is currently Chair of the Board of Discovery Centre, a member of the Premier’s Advisory Council on Innovation, and a founding member of the Shad Valley Atlantic Council. Employment Law Essentials - Changes You Need to Know About In the last year, major changes in employment law have occurred in Nova Scotia. Being informed of these changes is essential to protecting your business and your employees. In the area of occupational health and safety, a significant addition has been made to the Criminal Code. Companies and all levels of management can now be held criminally responsible for accidents in the workplace; how can you avoid criminal liability? Changes are also being made to the Workers Compensation Act; chronic pain is now a compensable injury. How will this effect your experience rating? Overtime provisions in the Labour Standards Code have changed - your salaried and non-salaried employees are eligible - how will this change your bottom line? We will also cover significant recent decisions from the courts in Nova Scotia with respect to notice periods and the enforcement of non-competition and non-solicitation clauses. A most informative law update which will benefit all managers of any organization, regardless of size. Ian Pickard is a Partner with Patterson Palmer in Halifax. His practice is chiefly comprised of providing ongoing labour and employment advice to major employers in Nova Scotia. In particular his practice is focused on working with employers in all areas of labour relations. Ian acts as Chief Negotiator of collective agreements, provides support in the collective bargaining process, assists in the management of labour disputes and represents Employers in all types of arbitrations and wrongful dismissal litigation. Ian also regularly represents Employers in Human Rights and Labour Standards Litigation. Ian has lectured extensively on the topic of progressive discipline, employee termination and the collective bargaining process. Edmonton Half Day Workshop Oct 20, 2004 Topic: Occupational Health & Safety in Alberta- New Updates Employment Standards in Alberta- Today's Hottest Issues Speaker: David Myrol, LL.B- Partner, McLennon Ross LLP, Edmonton Cindy Thompson, Education Program Coordinator, Alberta Human Resources and Employment, Edmonton Occupational Health & Safety in Alberta- New Updates This session will include the latest developments in Occupational Health and Safety in Alberta. We will review of recent legislative changes, including the OHS Code and Criminal Code. There will also be a review of some of the important recent Alberta OHS cases. This workshop will also highlight the practical implications for organizations and managers, in order to help you understand the standards and avoid criminal negligence charges. David Myrol is the chair of McLennan Ross’s OHS Practice Group and a partner in the firm. After graduating with an honours BA in philosophy from the University of Alberta in 1988, he went on to earn his law degree from the same school in 1991. He was admitted to the Alberta Bar in 1992. After working as a civil litigator and criminal defence lawyer, Dave became a Crown Prosecutor, a position he held for nearly nine years. During that time, he became the first full-time OHS Prosecutor in the province and worked on many precedent-setting OHS cases. In addition, Dave helped develop provincial policy and procedure governing OHS investigations, and planned and delivered training for Alberta OHS Officers. An accomplished public speaker, Dave has made countless presentations on the subject of OHS to professional associations around Alberta. Since 1996, he has been a regular lecturer at the Alberta Bar Admission Course. Employment Standards in Alberta- Today's Hottest Issues Everyone is familiar with Employment Standards, but do you know which issues lead to the most problems and litigation costs? A good understanding of Alberta’s minimum standards for pay entitlements leads to improved employer/employee relations. It also helps employers to establish appropriate company policy and avoid policies that may require time-consuming (and costly) corrections later. This informative session will cover the highlights of recent developments and changes in ESA. Wages are often the largest expense in a business. Topics to be discussed will include: Payment of Earnings, Minimum Wage, Payroll Records, Statement of Earnings and Deductions, Hours of work and rest, Overtime, Vacation and Holiday pay, Termination of Employment, Maternity and Parental Leave as well as Self-Employed/ Subcontractor relationships. Every manager, regardless of industry sector and size of organization, will benefit from this most informative half day program! Cindy Thompson is Education Program Coordinator, Workplace Partnerships, Alberta Human Resources and Employment. With over 25 years of experience behind her, she has become one of the province's leading experts in the field of Employment Standards. She has worked with all industry sectors assisting them to understand and interpret workplace legislation. Their program encourages employers and employees to work together to build strong and effective workplaces. Toronto Half Day Workshop June 9, 2004 Topic: Best Practices- Learning from the Best Employers Today's Hot Issues in Employment Law Speaker: Christopher J. Howe, Senior Consultant, Hewitt Associates, Toronto Howard A. Levitt, LL.B., Employment and Labour Law Group, Lang Michener, Toronto Best Practices- Learning from the Best Employers Does YOUR organization have what it takes to be one of Canada's Best Employers? Hewitt Associates has conducted the Best Employer Study, in conjunction with the Globe and Mail Report on Business for five years. This session will provide an overview and the research finding from the 2004 Best Employer Study. The presentation will pinpoint the key drivers and correlations that help explain what makes an organization one of the Best Employers in Canada. Explore the key qualities of the Best Employers: leadership, doing the basics well, employee connectedness, and people practices that align to business strategy. Understand what it takes to excell as an employer of choice. Learn what drivers work best to connect your employees to the business. Learn about the benefits of being a Best Employer and how to help your organization become one. Chris Howe is Hewitt Associates’ Line of Business Leader for Talent and Organization Consulting located in the Toronto office. Chris works predominantly in the areas of organizational change and talent and reward strategies. Chris helps organizations with business issues such as: helping organizations to become a great place to work, workforce strategies and employee promises, attraction and retention strategies, mergers, acquisitions, and motivation and performance strategies. Chris has over 20 years experience in Human Resources. He has worked as both a consultant and a corporate HR leader. As a consultant, Chris’ clients have included companies in industries such as oil and gas, high technology, telecommunications, distribution, utilities, banking, and manufacturing. Chris holds an MBA from the University of Toronto and a Business Administration degree from the University of Western Ontario. Today's Hot Issues in Employment Law This session will cover the most recent developments in Employment Law. Learn about defending against a constructive dismissal claim, what is the proper way to terminate an employee, the conduct of a proper investigation. You'll discover the latest court findings on discrimination in the workplace, how to deal with absenteeism in the workplace. Explore the matter of employers suing employees and how to determine an appropriate termination package.Lastly, we'll cover the most recent developments on the issue of Privacy. All managers will benefit from this most informative law update and learn how to avoid needless litigation. Howard Levitt obtained his B.A. in 1974 and his LL.B. in 1977 from the University of Toronto. He was called to the Ontario Bar in 1979. Howard has received training as a negotiator at Harvard Law School in both general and advanced programs and is presently counsel to the firm and member of the Employment and Labour Law Group at Lang Michener's Toronto office. Howard Levitt has acted as counsel on numerous grievance and interest arbitrations, human rights tribunals, employment standards fact findings and adjudications, occupational health and safety matters, Ontario Labour Relations Board, Provincial Court and wrongful dismissal actions on behalf of management throughout Canada. He has conducted numerous unjust dismissal federal adjudications across Canada for a range of clients. As a leader in the field of Employment and Labour Law, Howard is listed in the "Guide to the Leading 500 Lawyers in Canada", LEXPERT Publishing. Calgary Half Day Workshop May 31, 2004 Topic: A New Frontier in Crime – Identify Theft Employment Law: Today's Hottest Issues Speaker: Constable Kathy Macdonald, Crime Prevention Unit, Calgary Police Service Tina Giesbrecht, LL.B., Associate, McCarthy Tetrault LLP, Calgary A New Frontier in Crime – Identify Theft Identity theft in the workplace is becoming increasingly common in Canada. Identity theft can happen when key personal information is used fraudulently. Constable Kathy Macdonald of the Crime Prevention Unit says identity theft is not limited to any particular age group or demographic. Theft of personal information can happen very easily, and in ways not suspected. An email spoof, an unsecured Web site or even an innocent looking survey may be sources of information for opportunitists and organized criminals. Highlights of this presentation include: skimming devices and theft of financial information, dumpster diving as a source of information, spoof sites, a booming business on the internet, scams and cons on the internet, social engineering –old crime new name, hard drive disposal, war dialing, impact of wireless technology, plus more. Cst. Macdonald also presents ideas on reducing and managing the risk of identity theft. This dynamic presentation is based on awareness and the importance of prevention as a means to curb this growing crime. Constable Kathy Macdonald is a specialist in emerging technological crime. As a 16-year member of the Calgary Police Service she is an expert in Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design and a featured presenter for the Crime Prevention Unit. Kathy holds her Senior Police Management Certificate and a General Management Certificate from the University of Calgary. She is a member of American Society for Industrial Security (ASIS) and was a featured presenter on the topic of cyber crime at the Intersec 2004 Security Conference in London, England, and the ASIS 2003 Annual Convention in New Orleans. She is a member of the Society for Policing Cyberspace (POLCYB) and the High Tech Crimes Investigators Assoc. She instructs on the subject of E-Security for Security Professionals at the University of Calgary. Employment Law: Today's Hottest Issues This presentation will explore the latest developments in employment law. You will acquire the most current information pertaining to Wrongful Dismissal-recent Alberta decisions, what are the trends? This will include some highlights of recent significant cases across Canada. We will also discuss Non-Competition and Non-Solicitation agreements. Do they work? When will the Courts enforce them? In today's economy, many organizations are going through Mergers and Acquisitions. What are the obligations of the vendor and purchaser? What are the statutory and common law issues? Another highlight of this presentation will be Statutory Changes across Canada. What is happening in other provinces which could impact your business? Every manager in any organization will stand to benefit from this most informative session! Tina Giesbrecht received her BA in 1990 and her LLB in 1993 from the University of Manitoba. Ms. Giesbrecht was called to the Manitoba bar in 1994 and to the Alberta bar in 2001. She advises a wide spectrum of both federally and provincially regulated clients on labour and employment matters including collective bargaining, grievance arbitration, human rights complaints, labour board hearings, strikes, employment related immigration matters, employment contracts, personnel policies, fiduciary obligations, non-competition and non-solicitation agreements. She also focuses on issues of discipline and termination of employment including negotiating settlement agreements and defending wrongful dismissal actions. Ms. Giesbrecht is a member of the Law Society of Alberta, the Alberta Bar Association, Labour and Employment, Immigration and the FOIPP Subsections of the Canadian Bar Association, the Law Society of Manitoba, the Manitoba Bar Association, the Canadian Association of Counsel to Employers and the Human Resource Association of Calgary Legislation and Communications Committee. Ottawa Full Day Conference April 14, 2004 Topic: Today’s Hottest Issues in Employment Law Elvis, Bell-Bottoms, and DVDs: Your Guides to Attracting & Retaining Talent Predictive Index: The Human Elements of Today’s Recruiting Challenges Reduce Stress and Improve Productivity- Get Organized to the Max Speaker: Charles Hofley, LL.B., Partner, Hicks Morley Hamilton Stewart Storie LLP, Ottawa Robert Notman, President & CEO, KWA Partners, Ottawa John Watson, President, John Watson Group, Ottawa Ann Max, President, Organized to the Max, Ottawa Today’s Hottest Issues in Employment Law Obtain the latest information and trends in today’s Employment Law. We’ve all heard about and implemented new policies pertaining to Privacy Legislation, but where has it gone? We’ll discuss the Limitations Act Update as well as new developments in Human Rights and Notice Period in Ontario. Where do most problems lie with Employment Contracts? You’ll acquire the information and systems you need to have in place as well as discovering other recent trends in Employment and Labour Relations so your organization can avoid needless litigation! Charles Hofley is a partner with Hicks Morley in its Ottawa office. His practice includes arbitrations, collective bargaining, Labour Board representation, wrongful dismissal defence and employer advice. After receiving his B.A. from Trent University, Hofley attended law school at Dalhousie University in Halifax and was called to the Bar in 1987. Employed by a major law firm until 1993, he went on to establish a labour/employment boutique prior to joining Hicks Morley. He has extensive experience in grievance arbitration in both private and public sectors and trial experience in the Ontario courts. Charles appears regularly before the Ontario Labour Relations Board and other Boards and Tribunals, practising in both official languages. He is well versed in employer requirements for quick preventive action in the face of union certification drives, as well as in the use of legal tools to prevent and minimize conflict and liability arising from the employment relationship. Charles has established expertise in advising and representing clients with respect to plant closures, downsizing, restructuring and sale of business implications. Elvis, Bell-Bottoms, and DVDs: Your Guides to Attracting & Retaining Talent Generational differences in the workforce play a vital role in managing today’s workplace. How do you recruit, motivate and retain a fully functional workforce with so many factors coming into play? This session will examine the generational differences in career needs and expectations, and offer alternative ways of leveraging those needs to recruit and retain a fully functioning workforce. For each of the groups, learn to understand how their life experiences impact their careers. Demographics tell us that a very large percentage of the population is fast approaching the age of retirement. Many organizations can’t afford to lose this vast amount of knowledge and experience. What are some other options to retirement? How has a lifetime of history and economics in Canada impacted this group’s values, work ethic and career expectations? How can we design HR practices to encourage Pre-Retirees to stay involved? Can organizations be creative and offer new types of relationships that utilize their wealth of experience, while allowing them to maintain their desired lifestyle? What do these Pre-Retirees want and how can we develop mutually beneficial relationships? Robert Notman is President and CEO of KWA Partners in Ottawa. His career background encompasses senior management positions in the areas of business development, human resources and career counselling. Rob spent more than ten years directing human resources departments in unionized and non-unionized environments in the high technology industry. Rob has worked in the areas of recruitment and selection, employee relations, training and development, succession planning and retention, which provided him with the opportunity to coach individuals with career development choices. Throughout his career, Rob has developed and implemented policies related to career management. In addition, he has personally coached many individuals at all organizational levels. He holds an Honours Bachelor of Science degree from Carleton University, has his Certified Human Resources Professional designation and a Certificate in Strategic Marketing from Duke University. He has represented Business as a past board member of the Canadian Labour Force Development Board and is currently a board member for Ronald McDonald House, servicing the Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario (CHEO). Predictive Index: The Human Elements of Today’s Recruiting Challenges Have you or your managers heard questions like these: Why are we doing what we are doing today? Who can assist us to be more effective at what we will do in the future? More and more organizations and individuals are looking to psychological factors to further help them distinguish between people during the recruitment process. Recruiters specifically are challenged with matching job fit with candidates who have changed careers and come from diverse work experience. Evaluating personality aspects allows organizations and their associates (employees) to fully understand how and why people succeed in positions. It also helps them analyze effectiveness in job match, look at the chemistry of work groups and assist with successfully predicting potential organizational leadership. The Predictive Index (PI) is a needs assessment tool that helps organizations plan for the future by providing an understanding of how people work independently and in teams. While this system is most often used to assess the management styles of people within organizations, it can also provide insight into how individuals can achieve peak performance. The psychological measures of this instrument can assist individuals and organizations to answer the earlier questions we raised. Learn how Predictive Index (PI) can measure people’s behavioural motives by discussing the following core competencies surrounding the PI tool. The Predictive Index will assist you in understanding your and other’s behaviours, and assist you with your recruitment challenges in today’s environment. John Watson is President of the John Watson Group and is a consultant who brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise in the “understanding of people”, specifically People – Performance – Time – Change. John began his career as a Physical Education teacher and, after finding himself dissatisfied with his chosen profession, he made a career transition to Human Resources. He worked for General Motors of Canada and later became Vice President of the Assessment & Development Group in Toronto. In the early 90’s John formed his own company, a Business Consulting Group that specializes in Behaviour & Motivation. The Predictive Index Program is one of several behavioural application tools that are used by the John Watson Group. John works with more than 140 companies in Canada and United States. A partial client list includes: McCain Foods, J.D. Irving Group, Jacques Whitford Engineering, Hilton Hotels, Budget Car Rental, McKesson Pharmaceuticals, IKEA and Toronto Caterpillar. Reduce Stress and Improve Productivity- Get Organized to the Max The new reality creates endless demands on our time and energy. We must become efficient multi-taskers. Backlogged projects, endless to-do lists, and conflicting priorities torment us--not to mention cell phones, faxes and e-mails. “Instant communication” has become information overload. The balance between life and work is a constant struggle. Demands are increasing in every aspect of our lives. We feel more stress, anxiety and feelings of depression. This session will help you learn to develop strategies to remain focused on what is important. You’ll discover the latest trends and information on how to identify your time management and organizing “personalities”, discover new ways to prioritize your busy lifestyle, meet deadlines, deal with interruptions and time wasters, and be more productive, take control over your time and your environment to reduce the stresses of everyday life. You’ll also obtain tips and techniques to help you get back to basics and enjoy life. Ann Max is a Professional Business Organizer with over 35 years experience in human resource management and organizational administration. From corporate manager to corporate wife, Ann has seen, done, and experienced it all through many of life's unnerving twists and turns. Her skills in planning, organizing, coordinating, and problem solving were honed over many years in the retail, government, and private sectors, and make her especially valuable to her clientele. A seasoned professional with superb organizational and people skills, Ann approaches her passion with common sense, a hearty dose of reality, and a delightful sense of humour. Ann is a member of Professional Organizers in Canada and the Canadian Association of Professional Speakers and is an instructor at the Carleton University Sprott School of Business. Toronto Full Day Conference June 9, 2004 Topic: Today’s Hottest Issues in Employment Law Elvis, Bell-Bottoms, and DVDs: Your Guides to Attracting & Retaining Talent Solving Today’s Human Performance Problems- A New Perspective Corporate Security and Fraud- An Update for Managers Speaker: Richard J. Nixon, LL.B., Partner, McCarthy Tetrault, Toronto Marge Watters, Partner, KWA Partners, Toronto Brian W. Pascal, President, IPM, Publisher, Workplace Today® Journal Brian Sartorelli, President, IRG-Investigative Research Group Today’s Hottest Issues in Employment Law Obtain the latest information and trends in today’s Employment Law. We’ve all heard about and implemented new policies pertaining to Privacy Legislation, but where has it gone? We’ll discuss the Limitations Act Update as well as new developments in Human Rights and Notice Period requirements in Ontario. Where do most problems lie with Employment Contracts? You’ll acquire the information and systems you need to have in place as well as discover other recent trends in Employment and Labour Relations so your organization can avoid needless litigation! Richard Nixon is a partner in the Labour and Employment Group with McCarthy Tetrault in Toronto. His practice focuses on labour and employment law, acting on behalf of management. Richard regularly advises employers with respect to arbitrations, collective agreement negotiations, employee terminations, wrongful dismissal actions, employment standards claims, human rights complaints, occupational health and safety charges, Workplace Safety and Insurance Act matters and corporate transactions. He regularly represents employers before arbitration boards, Workplace Safety and Insurance Act tribunals, the Ontario Labour Relations Board the Canada Industrial Relations Board, Workplace Safety and Insurance Act tribunals and various courts. Richard served for two years as the Senior Vice-President, Government Affairs of the Human Resources Professional Association of Ontario. Richard received his MBA from the University of Western Ontario in 1975 and his LLB from the University of Toronto in 1980. He was called to the Ontario bar in 1982. He appears in the 2002 Canadian Legal L'Expert Directory, a guide to the leading law firms and practitioners in Canada, as a leading lawyer in the areas of employment and labour. He regularly chairs and speaks at conferences on labour and employment law. He has also been a lecturer for the Advanced Human Resources Management – HRPAO program at the Rotman School of Management at the University of Toronto. Elvis, Bell-Bottoms, and DVDs: Your Guides to Attracting & Retaining Talent Generational differences in the workforce play a vital role in managing today’s workplace. How do you recruit, motivate and retain a fully functional workforce with so many factors coming into play? This session will examine the generational differences in career needs and expectations, and offer alternative ways of leveraging those needs to recruit and retain a fully functioning workforce. For each of the groups, learn to understand how their life experiences impact their careers. Demographics tell us that a very large percentage of the population is fast approaching the age of retirement. Many organizations can’t afford to lose this vast amount of knowledge and experience. What are some other options to retirement? How has a lifetime of history and economics in Canada impacted this group’s values, work ethic and career expectations? How can we design HR practices to encourage Pre-Retirees to stay involved? Can organizations be creative and offer new types of relationships that utilize their wealth of experience, while allowing them to maintain their desired lifestyle? What do these Pre-Retirees want and how can we develop mutually beneficial relationships? Marge Watters is a coach, consultant, author and entrepreneur who has spent more than eight years planning and delivering a wide variety of career transition and professional development programs for individuals. As co-founder in the Toronto office of KWA Partners, Marge is active in consulting with organizations to plan and implement strategies to support executives, professionals, managers and staff as they move through organizational change initiatives including re-structuring, outsourcing, acquisition integration and downsizing. She is also a senior member of KWA Partners’ national team. Marge also works with organizations in the development of strategies and programs that use career management as a retention tool. Marge holds a Master of Divinity degree from Wilfrid Laurier University and a Bachelor of Arts in Economics from Northwestern University. She has been an integral part of a team that planned and implemented the reorganization of a 200,000 member national, not-for-profit organization. Marge’s previous experience includes 19 years in the financial services industry including corporate finance, and investment banking. She was a Vice President of Citibank Canada, and co-founder of Penfund Management Ltd. and Permanent Commercial Corporation. Some of Marge’s most notable achievements include: co-authoring It’s Your Move – A Personal and Practical Guide to Career Transition and Job Search for Canadian Managers, Professionals and Executives, published by HarperCollins in 2001 and developing JOB SEARCH PARTNERS©, a distance-learning program that offers clients a highly effective combination of high-touch and high-tech job search support. Solving Today’s Human Performance Problems- A New Perspective Training is big business. The last 50 years have seen a huge growth in training programs. North American employers are estimated to spend up to $200 billion per year on training, including $50 billion in direct costs for formal training alone. The traditional outlook is to see these figures as strictly part of the cost of doing business. If this is the case, how much money could have been saved if training was found not to be the right solution for the perceived problem? Not all performance issues require a training solution. With so much on the line, it is just as important to know when training is NOT the best solution as it is to know how to put a good training program together. Gain an understanding of both these issues at this most informative session! Brian Pascal is President of IPM as well as Publisher/Editor of Workplace Today® Journal. He has spent over twenty years in Management and Training. After graduating from Concordia University in 1967, he became directly involved in the professional development of human resources including the design, development and delivery of skill workshops and certificate programs. In 1984, Brian left Northern Telecom as Manager, Human Resources and founded the Institute of Professional Management. His dynamic style and unique approach make him one of the most effective business presenters in the country. Brian and his associates have successfully provided skill training to thousands of participants across Canada. Brian is a recognized author and has been widely published in journals and newspapers. Corporate Security and Fraud- An Update for Managers Have you ever heard the line “Let’s leave security issues to the security department”? That is definitely not the case. Do you really know who you are hiring? Are you sure that all your WSIB claims are legitimate or not? What is the best way to handle employee terminations? Fraud is likely the leading source of criminal profits in North America, second only to illegal drug sales. Corporate security and fraud have an effect on every member of an organization, regardless of size. This session will provide you with a complete update on key issues. Get the latest information on resume frauds, WSIB claims, Privacy matters and corporate surveillance. You’ll obtain tips and strategies on effective employee termination, how to terminate a high risk employee, security issues that have changed since Sept 11 and VIP protection. We have all been confronted with these issues. We will present the latest developments and legal perspective to ensure that your organization operates efficiently and within the guidelines. Brian Sartorelli is President and CEO of Investigative Research Group, headquartered in Barrie with offices across Eastern Canada. Brian has extensive background in police work, and nearly 20 years experience in the private sector in Insurance and corporate areas. His educational background includes: RCMP College, RCMP Drug Investigational Techniques, Federal Business Development Bank of Management, Link Analysis as well as various Management, Supervisor and Leadership courses. He established, developed and operates The Ontario Institute of Private Investigation. Investigative Research Group provides services for police agencies, law societies, major insurers and Fortune 500 companies. IRG provides a vast network of specialized professionals helping corporations to mitigate potential claim damages and participates in all levels of criminal, civil and insurance litigation processes. He has developed and taught programs in the areas of Private Investigation, Security/Audit, Civil & Criminal Law as well as Surveillance Techniques. He has spoken to numerous corporate and convention audiences and done extensive writing on the topic of corporate fraud and surveillance. He is also Chair of Insurance Institute of Canada, Georgian Bay and Past Director of Crime Prevention for the Chamber of Commerce. Winnipeg Half Day Workshop March 3, 2004 Topic: Employment Law - Today's Hottest Issues Speaker: Darcie C. Yale, LL.B., Associate, D'Arcy & Deacon, Winnipeg This vital Employment Law session will feature four key areas: Hiring and Employment, Performance Management, The Termination and Privacy Laws update. With Hiring and Employment, we will cover: proper use of applications for employment, checking references, conducting personal investigations and making employment contracts enforceable. In the Performance Management segment, you will learn how to document effectively, get the latest information on progressive discipline and proper use of personnel files. We will also cover the issue of terminations, what are the notice periods, what impacts there are on benefits, the termination interview, the issue of “good faith obligation” and preparing termination letters and settlements. Lastly, we will discuss new developments with the Privacy laws, specifically pertaining to the workplace, as well as the impact on employment relationship. You’ll find out all about the latest cases and court settlements and how to avoid litigation in your own organization. Every manager in any organization regardless of size will stand to benefit from this most informative workshop! Darcie Yale obtained her Bachelor of Laws from the University of Manitoba in 1995. After articling with D'Arcy & Deacon, she received her call to the Bar in 1996 and has practiced with the firm since that time. Darcie is an integral part of the D'Arcy & Deacon litigation department practicing primarily in the areas of civil litigation and administrative law. Her practice includes insurance defence work, labour relations, pension matters and general litigation. Darcie has been a lecturer and participant in seminars on legal issues in health care, pension administration, administrative advocacy and a variety of labour relations and general litigation matters. Darcie has also been a volunteer member of various community and charitable organizations. Darcie is also a member of the Manitoba Bar Association, the Canadian Bar Association and member of the Civil Litigation, Administrative Law and Alternate Dispute Resolution Subsections of the Manitoba Bar Association. Edmonton Half Day Workshop February 11, 2004 Topic: Managing for Success: The Value of Values Speaker: Joy M. Humphrey, Managing Partner, Excel Group Development Alberta, Calgary What does a "wrong fit" employee or "turnover" cost your organization in terms of actual costs and productivity loss? What does team conflict or "mis-managed employees" cost your organization in terms of loss or decline of productivity/ performance? What is the cost of not knowing? These issues affect every organization. What can you do to overcome them? To maximize performance, it is essential that leaders have a sound understanding of the motivators that fuel behaviour. This session will help you to understand and appreciate the motivators (values) that fuel behaviour and will give you insights into the uniqueness of your team. When knowledge of values is applied some of the typical outcomes include: reduced conflict and stress, increased productivity, improved communication and better morale. Knowledge of an individual’s attitudes helps to tell us WHY they do things. A review of an individual’s experiences, references, education and training help to tell us WHAT they can do. Behavioural assessments help to tell us HOW a person behaves and performs in the work environment. The PIAV report measures the relative prominence of six basic interests or attitudes (a way of valuing life). This interactive workshop will feature the Personal Interests, Attitudes and Values Profile. For all participants registered before May 3, 2004 we will include a complimentary individual PIAV profile with feedback results (worth $100.00). As an added bonus, we will provide a free DISC Behavioural Profile to the first thirty (30) participants registered for this event. The PIAV profile is based on a scientific, accepted model of what motivates people or the ‘Why’ of our actions. It is adapted from Eduard Spranger’s “Types of Men”. Spranger identified six attitudes or world-views. These attitudes are a type of window through which we view the world and seek fulfillment in our lives. If we are participating in a discussion, activity, or career that is in line with our attitudes, we will value the experience. Conversely, if we are in a conversation, activity or career that is against our dominant attitudes, we will be indifferent or even negative toward the experience, possibly causing stress. Once you know the attitudes or values that drive the actions, you will gain a better understanding of conflict. You will also understand and appreciate your relationship with other individuals and members of your team. Every manager will benefit by participating in this dynamic workshop! Calgary Full Day Conference May 31, 2004 Topic: Elvis, Bell-Bottoms, and DVDs: Your Guides to Attracting & Retaining Talent Hot Updates in Employment Law Employment Standards- What’s new? What’s changed? What trends are developing? Emotions 101- Emotional Intelligence (EQ) Update Speaker: Ross Gilker, Vice-President and General Manager, Toombs KWA Frank Molnar, LL.B., Partner, Field LLP, Calgary Randy Sorensen, Education Program Coordinator, Alberta Human Resources and Employment for Southern Alberta Ivan Zendel Ph.D., President, Paradigm Solutions Elvis, Bell-Bottoms, and DVDs: Your Guides to Attracting & Retaining Talent Generational differences in the workforce play a vital role in managing today’s workplace. How do you recruit, motivate and retain a fully functional workforce with so many factors coming into play? This session will examine the generational differences in career needs and expectations, and offer alternative ways of leveraging those needs to recruit and retain a fully functioning workforce. For each of the groups, learn to understand how their life experiences impact their careers. Demographics tell us that a very large percentage of the population is fast approaching the age of retirement. Many organizations can’t afford to lose this vast amount of knowledge and experience. What are some other options to retirement? How has a lifetime of history and economics in Canada impacted this group’s values, work ethic and career expectations? How can we design HR practices to encourage Pre-Retirees to stay involved? Can organizations be creative and offer new types of relationships that utilize their wealth of experience, while allowing them to maintain their desired lifestyle? What do these Pre-Retirees want and how can we develop mutually beneficial relationships? Ross Gilker is Vice-President and General Manager of Toombs KWA in Calgary. He has extensive experience in both career consulting and business management. He has facilitated workshops and provided individual counselling in the areas of career planning, job search techniques, networking and managing career change. Ross has additional experience in assisting clients with researching and planning for self-employment. He is a certified user of the Career Architect group of instruments for individual and corporate HR planning. Ross holds a Bachelor of Education degree from the University of Alberta and has also received training in facilitating job search programs through Human Resources Development Canada. He is a Certified Human Resources Professional and is a fellow of the prestigious Association of Career Practitioners International. Hot Updates in Employment Law Obtain the latest information and trends in today's Employment Law. Learn about the latest developments in wrongful dismissal. Understand why the courts are penalizing employers for overworking employees and for terminating wrongfully. Why are the courts increasing the grounds that can constitute constructive dismissal? Where do many employers fall down in performance and behaviour management. How are privacy issues impacting the workplace. Can employers provide employment references? Learn also about the latest developments in human rights. Can employers still have a mandatory retirement policy? Are there any limits on the employer's duty to accommodate? What is the latest on drug and alcohol testing in Alberta. Learn about proactive strategies so your organization can avoid needless litigation. Frank Molnar is a partner in the Calgary office of Field LLP and is Chair of the Calgary Labour and Employment Group. His primary areas of practice are labour and employment, education and immigration law. Frank provides representation and strategic advice in all labour and employment matters, including labour arbitration, Labour Relations Board, human rights, collective bargaining, executive employment issues, wrongful dismissal, employment standards, workers compensation and occupational health and safety proceedings, as well as employment related immigration issues. Frank graduated from the University of Alberta in 1981 with a Bachelor of Commerce Degree, specializing in Industrial Relations. In 1982, he received a Master of Industrial Relations Degree from the Centre for Industrial Relations at the University of Toronto and received his Bachelor of Laws Degree from the University of Toronto in 1985. Frank was admitted to the Alberta Bar in 1986 and was called to the Ontario Bar in 1988. He writes and speaks regularly on labour and employment matters and co-authored a chapter in “Remedies in Labour, Employment and Human Rights Law”, a text prepared by his firm and published by Carswell. Since 1993, Frank has been a Director of the Alberta Ballet Company and currently holds the position of Vice-President, Corporate Secretary. Employment Standards- What’s new? What’s changed? What trends are developing? In this session, we’ll explore the hottest issues in Employment Standards. Everyone knows about the guidelines, but where are the problems? What are the latest trends? We will address issues such as Termination of Employment, Maternity and Parental Leave, Overtime Hours and Pay, Vacation Entitlement and Pay, General Holidays and Pay, Payroll Records and Deductions from Wages. Everyone is sure to leave this session with renewed understanding of Employment Standards, understand how to comply and avoid needless litigation in court. Randy Sorensen is a recipient of the Premier’s Award of Excellence (1999) for work completed on the development of an Employment Standards telephone counselling unit. Randy has been with the provincial government for 16 years. He is a former Regional Manager for Grande Prairie and has served in different capacities within the department over the years. Randy is currently the Education Program Coordinator for Alberta Human Resources and Employment for Southern Alberta. In this role, Randy is responsible for the implementation and delivery of education programs for Employment Standards and Workplace Effectiveness. A dynamic speaker, Randy manages to make Employment Standards law sound truly interesting as well as informative and clear to understand. Emotions 101- Emotional Intelligence (EQ) Update Emotional Intelligence (EQ) has been identified as a key predictor of effective leadership, creativity, and physical health. This presentation will raise your "EQ", and help you become more effective and fulfilled. Learning to use your emotions effectively will make you a better leader, a more effective manager, a more productive employee and a more fulfilled person. How do you use emotions such as anger, frustration, sadness, anxiety and fear? Ignoring these emotions doesn't work, except in the short term. And what exactly does it mean to "control" or manage these sometimes intense, and often painful feelings? Clearly these emotions are important. Everyone has them. We experience these painful feelings in the workplace, in our social life, and in our family and personal lives. Emotions 101 will teach you a new way to understand and use negative emotions. Learn how to be aware of negative emotions, and how you can use this awareness to understand yourself, and act with greater understanding towards others. Dr. Ivan Zendel has worked as a psychologist with individuals, groups and organizations. He has held positions as the Coordinator of the Applied Psychology Centre at Concordia University, the Director of Research at the Constance Lethbridge Hospital in Montreal and the Director of Clinical Training at the Foothills Hospital in Calgary. In addition, he has published extensively in scientific journals and the popular press. He is a dynamic presenter at workshops, public forums and conventions and is a recognized expert in stress mastery, interpersonal relationships, and psychological and organizational assessment. He has held appointments in the Faculties of Medicine and Education at the University of Calgary. Ivan combines his skill as a people specialist with a broad knowledge and curiosity in other areas. His formal training includes a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from McGill University. In 1985, Ivan founded Artifin, a company that developed automated expert advisory systems. Ivan founded Paradigm Solutions in 1994 where he continues to help people and organizations create change in ways that are both productive and fulfilling. Halifax Full Day Conference May 5, 2004 Topic: Elvis, Bell-Bottoms, and DVDs: Your Guides to Attracting & Retaining Talent The Future of Human Resources- A Look at Strategic HR Risk Management for HR Practitioners- What’s New? Wellness and the Engaged Employee Speaker: Sue Rosson, Managing Partner, KWA Partners-Atlantic Canada (Halifax) Steve Ashton, Director, Aliant Careers, Halifax Nancy Milford, BN, LL.B., Director of Risk Management & Legal Services, Capital District Health Authority, Halifax Cheryl Hodder, LL.B., Partner, McInnes Cooper, Halifax Charles E Bower, CEO, Ledgehill The Corporate Learning Centre Inc., Halifax Elvis, Bell-Bottoms, and DVDs: Your Guides to Attracting & Retaining Talent Generational differences in the workforce play a vital role in managing today’s workplace. How do you recruit, motivate and retain a fully functional workforce with so many factors coming into play? This session will examine the generational differences in career needs and expectations, and offer alternative ways of leveraging those needs to recruit and retain a fully functioning workforce. For each of the groups, learn to understand how their life experiences impact their careers. Demographics tell us that a very large percentage of the population is fast approaching the age of retirement. Many organizations can’t afford to lose this vast amount of knowledge and experience. What are some other options to retirement? How has a lifetime of history and economics in Canada impacted this group’s values, work ethic and career expectations? How can we design HR practices to encourage Pre-Retirees to stay involved? Can organizations be creative and offer new types of relationships that utilize their wealth of experience, while allowing them to maintain their desired lifestyle? What do these Pre-Retirees want and how can we develop mutually beneficial relationships? Sue Rosson has been active in the career transition field for the past 17 years. Prior to her present position as Managing Partner at KWA Partners, Sue was a Managing Partner with Murray Axmith Atlantic. Before joining Murray Axmith in 1992 she was Manager of a Career Counselling Center at Mount Saint Vincent University where she provided counseling to individuals in career transition. Sue holds a Master's degree in Adult Education and has her Bachelor of Science degree from Dalhousie University. She also has a Diploma in Social Administration from the University of Edinburgh. Sue plays an active role in the community and is currently president-elect of the Dalhousie University Alumni Association. The Future of Human Resources- A Look at Strategic HR The Human Resources profession is in the most enviable position of its short history. CEOs are focused on talent development. Demographics are driving succession planning, wellness and rewards. And the constant mergers, acquisitions and divestitures demand proactive OD and culture initiatives. Never has the need for strategic HR been so in demand. So how prepared are we to provide that leadership? The role of the human resources professional has been in constant evolution from the early days of personnel. Today’s CEOs, Boards and Employees are demanding a higher calibre of HR leadership – one part strategy, one part execution, one part counsel - and all showing a tangible impact on corporate performance. So what does HR have to do to be successful in this environment? This interactive session will focus on the trends and expectations of organizations for HR to play a greater strategic role in their success. We will also ponder the question of why we have seen few HR professionals make it to the corner office (the HR leader as CEO) and how we might change that trend. Steve Ashton is Director of Careers and is responsible for recruitment, learning and leadership development at Aliant Inc. (TSX: AIT), a multi-faceted communications company with revenues of $2.6 billion and 9,100 employees in Canada, the United States, and the United Kingdom. Prior to joining the company in 2001, Steve was a Partner with one of Canada's largest executive search firms.Steve earned his B.Sc. (Honours in psychology) and M.B.A. from Dalhousie University, and is a Certified Human Resources Professional (CHRP). He is a Past-President of HRANS, former Board Member of CCHRA, and teaches human resources in Dalhousie’s MBA program. He is currently Chair of the Board of Discovery Centre, a member of the Premier’s Advisory Council on Innovation, and a founding member of the Shad Valley Atlantic Council. Risk Management for HR Practitioners- What’s New? Risk Management is a key factor in HR Management though often overlooked. We must think more about Risk Management in our day to day work. This session will include key structural elements of a successful Risk Management Program, developing and implementing the right strategies, identification, analysis, alternative risk treatments, and proper program documentation. Areas of risk can be found in all sectors. As managers, we are all accountable. This session will include updated information to help your organization develop the proper process, avoid needless litigation and show you how to incorporate it into the culture and your daily routines. In most cases, you are dealing with complete information. However, there may be risks involved which you are not aware. Everyone in the organization is accountable- here is a positive approach on ways to avoid problems both inside the workplace and in the courts! Nancy Milford is the Director of Risk Management & Legal Services for the Capital District Health Authority in Halifax Nova Scotia. Nancy graduated from Dalhousie Law School in 1994 and was admitted to the Nova Scotia Barristers' Society in 1995. Prior to law school, Nancy was a nurse for 12 years. Most of her nursing experience was in Operating Rooms, and the last 4 years before law school she was the nurse manager in the OR at Camp Hill Hospital in Halifax. Nancy advises and lectures on a variety of health law topics and is on the editorial board of Risk Management in Canadian Health Care, a Butterworths newsletter published bimonthly. Cheryl Hodder is a litigation lawyer with McInnes Cooper where she chairs the Professional Practice Group. Cheryl has also held executive positions in both the public and private sectors. She has served the dual role of legal advisor and senior executive. Cheryl's preferred areas of practice are insurance, risk management and professional regulation and negligence. Cheryl lectures at Dalhousie Law School and Saint Mary's University at the World Trade Centre. Cheryl is an avid community volunteer who currently serves on the Boards of Symphony Nova Scotia, the Atlantic Chapter of the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation and the Halifax Club. Wellness and the Engaged Employee The facts clearly show that 24 percent of our overall and corporate culture is comprised of engaged people. These engaged individuals figure proactive approach to every aspect of their lives including their work, personal relationships and of course their overall wellness. Unlike many of 76 percent who take in many cases a reactive stance. Wellness has many definitions but certainly it is more than the absence of sickness, and has to be examined from the mind, body and spirit perspective. One thing is clear that people who are engaged, take responsibility to prevent diseases from developing in the first place. They realize that wellness is ultimately about personal responsibility in all aspects of their lives. Most individuals want to have a full and healthy existence, but often fail to understand or to act on what needs to be accomplished to make this happen. As we face this huge dilemma of how can we maintain and improve our workplace and personal wellness the role of the individual must play a significant part of the solution. Charles Bower helps to provide a private working environment and programming that helps corporate groups look at the many issues facing today’s organizations. It is with this working knowledge that Charles and his partners are taking Ledgehill to the next step of its Corporate Vision-incorporating a holistic approach to include workplace and personal wellness. Charles has been involved with Nova Scotia businesses for more than 40 years and has owned several successful businesses. These entrepreneurial attributes of innovativeness, creativity, and risk taker have fostered the growth of Ledgehill, The Corporate Learning Centre Inc. over the past 14 years. Vancouver Half Day Workshop May 26, 2004 Topic: Hot Update in Employment Law- The Latest in Wrongful Dismissal Developing and Implementing the Strategic HR Plan Speaker: Michael J. Weiler, LL.B., Partner, Coutts Weiler & Pulver, Vancouver Geoffrey Crampton, Vice President, Human Resources & Organization Development, Fraser Health Authority, Vancouver Hot Update in Employment Law- The Latest in Wrongful Dismissal Discover the latest updates on the topic of Wrongful Dismissal. Learn about the differences between an employee and independent contractor. What kinds of circumstances define “just cause”? What is the permissible period of notice to be given to an employee? What types of damages will be awarded by the court? What are the latest findings in actual settlements? We all know that the courts are still clogged with Wrongful Dismissal cases. Attend this session and find out how your organization can avoid this issue. Michael Weiler is a founding partner of Coutts Weiler & Pulver headquartered in Vancouver. Mike obtained his B.A. (Honours) from the University of Toronto and his LL.B. from Osgoode Hall in 1976. He was called to the British Columbia Bar in 1977. Mike specializes exclusively in labour relations and employment law. He represents a wide variety of employers and employees in wrongful dismissal and other employment-related actions. A significant part of Mike's practice involves providing proactive, strategic advice to employers in both unionized and non-union environments, to assist them in anticipating, avoiding, and solving workplace problems. As senior counsel, he appears regularly before federal and provincial labour relations boards, arbitration boards, employment standards tribunals and human rights tribunals. Mike is also Chair, Labour & Employment Committee, BC Chamber of Commerce, Assistant Editor of Canadian Cases on Employment Law, Member, Labour Law Section, Canadian Bar Association (BC Branch), in addition to being a well-known personality speaking on legal issues for radio, television as well as numerous conferences, symposiums and seminars. Developing and Implementing the Strategic HR Plan This session will focus upon how to develop and implement a Strategic HR Plan that will transform your HR Department into a key Strategic Business Partner. Using the example of restructuring in the Fraser Health Authority, you will acquire the principles and steps to take back and develop your own organization’s strategic plan applicable to all organizations, regardless of size. After the restructuring of British Columbia’s healthcare system (reducing 52 health authorities to six “mega” authorities, and legislative changes turning collective agreements on their ears), the newly formed Fraser Health Authority has strategically focused its approach to human resources in a way that can address the dramatically different relationships among operating entities, the need for HR to be a strategic partner within the organization, and a requirement to manage $100 million cost reduction annually. Its recently approved strategic plan heralds a comprehensive change in the role of HR. In this session, you will obtain vital information on the following issues: strategies and timelines for transforming HR, integrating business process systems across the formerly separate authorities, a new approach to organizational and professional development, addressing occupational health and safety and absenteeism, and the impact of the changing labour environment. Geoffrey Crampton is responsible for providing support services across Fraser Health in the areas of human resources consulting services, compensation and human resource systems, organization development, recruitment and workforce planning, workplace safety and wellness, and professional practice. During 2002, Geoffrey was Acting Vice President, Human Resources at Vancouver Coastal Health Authority. Before that he was Vice President of Human Resources, Organization Development & Information Services with the former South Fraser Health Region and previously served six years as Senior Consultant for the Health Labour Relations Association of BC. Geoffrey’s career also includes senior HR positions in the hotel sector and the retail food industry. Geoffrey is a trustee of the Healthcare Benefit Trust. Serving a five-year appointment as chair of the Employment Standards Tribunal, Crampton was responsible for establishing the Tribunal in 1995, to hear appeals from employers and employees under the Employment Standards Act. He also has an ongoing affiliation with the University of British Columbia. After graduating from UBC with a Bachelor of Commerce degree, he acted as Human Resources/Labour Relations Advisor for the University and later as Executive Director for the UBC Faculty Association. Saint John Half Day Workshop May 6, 2004 Topic: Today's Hot Issues in Employment Law Speaker: Kelly VanBuskirk, LL.B., Partner, Lawson & Creamer, Saint John This most informative half day law session will explore the latest issues and updates in Employment Law. In the first segment, learn why you should know the rationale behind the laws, the corporate mindset that the law won’t accept, simple principles that save time, money and risk and what makes employees sue you. You'll discover the "new" legal landscape in Canada, where the law is going and why you should be on track. The second segment will be a Human Rights update- you'll learn about the law of accommodation after Meiorin , Hiring: the mistakes many companies make, and implementing standards you are allowed to set. Further discussion on absenteeism and proactive strategies for absenteeism resolution will follow. The next segment will feature Privacy Laws- when is the employee entitled to privacy, specific cases to include internet use, medical information and surveillance. Discover the simple secret to minimizing legal problems, learn what you are up against and what your employees really want. Managers of any organization stand to benefit from this session. Register early as the event will sell out quickly! Calgary workshop October 22, 2003 Topic: New Privacy Legislation for Alberta- What Every Organization Needs to Know Speaker: Laurie Robson, LL.B., Partner, Borden Ladner Gervais LLP & Isha Khan, LL.B., Associate, Borden Ladner Gervais LLP, Calgary, AB Laurie M. Robson is a partner in the Calgary office of Borden Ladner Gervais LLP. Ms. Robson articled to a Vancouver firm focusing on intellectual property and was called to the BC Bar in 1995, then called to the Alberta Bar in 1996. Her areas of practice include labour and employment, human rights, workers' compensation, employment contracts, disability and benefits, executive employment, HR policy drafting and privacy. Ms. Robson regularly presents seminars on employment and human resource issues. She is co-author of the Provincial Employment Law Chapter of the BLG employment law publication "Employment Law: Solutions for the Canadian Workplace" published by Specialty Technical Publishers. Isha Khan was admitted to the BC Bar and the Alberta Bar in 2000 after graduating from the University of Victoria in 1999. Ms. Khan is an associate in the Calgary office of Borden Ladner Gervais LLP. She practices almost exclusively in the area of employment litigation, providing counsel to employers and employees on issues including severance packages, benefits issues, progressive discipline, termination, employment contracts and policies, corporate reorganizations and human rights. Ms. Khan is a member of the Canadian Bar Association and the Calgary Bar Association as well as the Canadian Lawyers Association for International Human Rights. There are numerous new developments with the legislative system in Alberta regarding private sector policy. The federal Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA) will apply to Alberta if the province does not pass its own privacy act. The province is currently in the process of doing so. This most informative session will outline the new legislation and how it will impact Alberta employers. You will obtain information about the 10 main principles of the Federal Act to include accountability, identification, consent, limiting collection, limiting use, security, access and challenge- how this affects the workplace and the way your organization conducts business. You will also learn about the differences between the Federal Act and the draft provincial legislation and conducting a privacy audit. What changes do you need to make to comply with the law? You will also learn about the importance of appointing a privacy officer, who do you appoint and how to create and implement privacy policies. Every organization, regardless of size, stands to benefit from this presentation. Ottawa Chapter Meeting: October 15, 2003 Topic: Privacy Legislation- What You Need to Know Speaker: Charles Hofley, LL.B., Partner, Hicks Morley Hamilton Stewart Storie LLP, Ottawa Charles Hofley is a partner with Hicks Morley in its Ottawa office. His practice includes arbitrations, collective bargaining, Labour Board representation, wrongful dismissal defence and employer advice. After receiving his B.A. from Trent University, Hofley attended law school at Dalhousie University in Halifax and was called to the Bar in 1987. Employed by a major law firm until 1993, he went on to establish a labour/employment boutique prior to joining Hicks Morley. He has extensive experience in grievance arbitration in both private and public sectors and trial experience in the Ontario courts. Charles appears regularly before the Ontario Labour Relations Board and other Boards and Tribunals, practising in both official languages. He is well versed in employer requirements for quick preventive action in the face of union certification drives, as well as in the use of legal tools to prevent and minimize conflict and liability arising from the employment relationship. Charles has established expertise in advising and representing clients with respect to plant closures, downsizing, restructuring and sale of business implications. On January 1, 2004 the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA) will apply to personal information held by all provincially regulated private sector organizations in the province. This will have a great impact on how you and your organization conduct your daily business. In this most informative session, you will learn about the Legislative landscape in Ontario and how the Act regulates the collection, use, disclosure and retention of personal information by Human Resources staff. You will learn about the access to information sections of the Act as well as what policies and practices your organization needs to put in place to comply with act. Edmonton Chapter Meeting: October 8, 2003 Topic: New Privacy Legislation for Alberta- What Every Organization Needs to Know Speaker: Ian L. Wachowicz, Partner, Parlee McLaws LLP, Edmonton Ian Wachowicz obtained his Law Degree from the University of Alberta in 1996 and was called to the Alberta Bar in 1997. Since then, he has practiced exclusively in the area of civil litigation. His fields of expertise at Parlee McLaws LLP include privacy issues, construction law, creditor's rights, administrative law, municipal law and insurance litigation. Ian has appeared before the Alberta Court of Appeal, the Alberta Court of Queen's Bench, the Federal Court of Appeal and the Federal Court-Trial Division. There are numerous new developments with the legislative system in Alberta regarding private sector policy. The federal Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA) will apply to Alberta if the province does not pass its own privacy act. The province is currently in the process of doing so. This most informative session will cover the acts and who they apply to. The 10 main principles of the Federal Act will be discussed to include accountability, identification, consent, limiting collection, limiting use, security, access and challenge- how this affects the workplace and the way your organization conducts business. You will also obtain information pertaining to any differences between the Federal Act and the draft provincial legislation. Halifax Chapter Meeting: May 6, 2003 Topic: Workplace Diversity- Getting to the Heart of the Matter Speaker: Madeline Comeau, President, Workplace Equity Services, Halifax Madeline Comeau founded Workplace Equity Services in 1994 to help organizations implement employment equity and diversity and to achieve respectful work environments. Madeline has a vast range of clients to include government, transportation, communications, oil and gas, manufacturing, sales and service. She has also travelled to Pakistan, Honduras and Brazil providing advice on the integration of women on CIDA projects in the energy sector. Madeline was recently appointed by the Minister of Education to the Provincial Advisory Council for Skills Nova Scotia (PAC). Are you confident that your recruitment methods support your diversity goals? How can you be sure that your selection process is effective at "screening in" a diversity of talent? Do you feel frustrated because you started out making tangible strides but now the whole diversity process seems to have fizzled? Have you established a Diversity Committee and realize its impact? Has responsibility for diversity been assigned to HR but maybe you would like to see your senior managers play a more pivotal role? Getting to the heart of the matter starts with a strong, deeply held belief that an investment in diversity will position your organization as an employer of choice. What challenges are there that can make it difficult for companies to fully integrate diversity principles into their overall approach to doing business? This most informative session will provide you with recent findings and insight to plan and implement diversity and employment equity initiatives. Winnipeg Chapter Meeting: October 1, 2003 Topic: Who Can You Trust-Building Employee Loyalty & Commitment Speaker: Wendy Phaneuf, Managing Director, The Training Source, Winnipeg Wendy Phaneufis Founder and Managing Director of The Training Source. Her diverser career includes directing Management Studies Programs for a Canadian University and leading the training effort for one of the country's largest financial services companies. In 1997, Wendy established her own training and coaching firm. She has assisted a diverse range of organizational leaders to dramatically improve their management effectiveness. She is an energetic speaker, trainer and facilitator with an extensive background in the field of Management and Leadership Development. Changing demographics, competing loyalties and the war for talent are creating great challenges for organizations. Pressure is being placed on every manager to build progressive working environments that encourage and support employee growth and job satisfaction. This interactive presentation will introduce key research that has linked specific management strategies with dramatic organizational results in the areas of staff retention and productivity, customer loyalty and organizational profitability. Participants will be introduced to a simple tool that will help to assess their ability to foster a working environment that ensures high levels of employee engagement. Wendy will also discuss practical techniques to identify and nurture employee ability and to build higher levels of employee commitment and contribution. Ottawa Chapter Meeting: October 15, 2003 Topic: Talent Management- A Critical Issue for Everyone Speaker: Monique Kinnear, Director, Market Development, TalentMap Monique Kinnear is a proven expert on issues of employee satisfaction, retention and productivity. She consults routinely with human resource professionals to provide customized tools to address what motivates and drives knowledge-based workers in today's economy. Monique is a graduate of Carleton University's Management Development Program and has held senior management positions in the telecommunications and computer industries. Her involvement in the consultative sales process at the senior level combined with her background in business development, recruitment, training and customer service provide her with the insight on the many facets of building and leading dynamic teams. In past years, it used to be that the best people who joined a firm would rise to the top, while others would drop out of the race along the way. Not anymore. The best people are the ones most likely to leave and they do. Employing people today is a joint venture between employer and employee and both parties have equal power. Power is shifting in the new world of work. In today's economy, organizations must manage their talent differently, do more with fewer resources, think of creative strategies to keep their talent motivated and manage the change in employee expectations. In this interactive workshop, we will highlight the key drivers for attracting and retaining a satisfied, productive workforce through comprehensive data findings from thousands of knowledge workers. New approaches and strategies will be shared that help organizations measure, manage and benchmark workforce intelligence. What are the Best Practices for 2003? Attend this session and learn about new systematic HR measures and their impact on all levels of the workforce. Edmonton Chapter Meeting: October 8, 2003 Topic: Strategic Recruitment in Today's Workplace Speaker: Richard Stoppler, President, Executrade, Edmonton Richard Stoppler has been President, Owner and General Manager of Executrade for over 27 years. A special achievement for Rich in 2000 was Executrade's winning of the Torch Award for Business Ethics (Better Business Bureau-Central & Northern Alberta). Rich has received the national Leadership Award from ACSESS and holds the CHRP and CPC designations.Rich is a dynamic presenter whose creative mind is constantly seeking out new ways to "raise the bar", challenging his employees as well as his competitors. In today's economy, much has changed in the way we recruit as well as supply and demand. What are the strategies related to filling the request for position? How do you train your managers and supervisors in order to standardize the request? How can you customize interview questions and the interview process? How should you "merchandise" the candidates to the department heads and supervisors? Answers to these issues and more will be explored in this most informative session. You will also obtain the latest updates on timelines, advertising, selling your organization to applicants as well as effective questioning and listening. This session will show you how to turn recruiting into a most positive and rewarding experience instead of agony and anxiety with your managers and supervisors. An excellent presentation not to be missed! Ottawa Spring Half Day Workshop: April 2, 2003 Topic: Thriving on Change- Energizing People to Enhance the Bottom Line Speaker: Ric Kantor, Partner, Cathro Kantor Inc. Ric Kantor and his partner, Susan Cathro, have built a consulting practice that focuses on guiding the development of individuals, teams and entire organizations. Ric has a Master's degree in Industrial and Organizational Psychology and over 20 years' experience facilitating, training and coaching on leadership, change and excellence through the public and private sectors. Ric is particularly effective at facilitating individual and collective learning, skill building and performance improvement. Ric is a seasoned facilitator who has worked with numerous organizations in both the public and private sectors. We have all heard about change management and participation. What's NEW? This session will provide you with the latest findings, new levels of knowledge and a new repertoire of skills and techniques to enhance your performance in both leading and coping with change. This interactive workshop will help you understand the dynamics of change and transition more thoroughly, feel more grounded in your ability to lead and cope with change, and obtain new skills for leading and facilitating change within your own organizations. Components of this workshop include: change and transition--key factors, leading change, coping with change, stress reduction, managing resistance, fostering renewal and vitality and influencing key stakeholders. Learn how to use the "Appreciative Inquiry" process. You'll obtain the most recent updates and techniques as well as practice new skills which you can take back and share with your colleagues. This session will include both plenary discussion and experiential activity--a session not to be missed! Toronto Spring Half Day Workshop: Sponsorship package 2003 Topic: Employment Law- Today's Hottest Issues and "The Stay Interview"- What's New? Speaker: Kristen Lopes, LL.B., Partner, Ogilvy Renault, Toronto, and Marge Watters, Partner, Kenebel Watters & Associates Toronto Kristen Lopes graduated from the University of Windsor in 1993 and was called to the Ontario Bar in 1995. Kristen's expertise lies in labour and employment law. She has represented employers before the Ontario Labour Relations Board, the Grievance Settlement Board, grievance arbitrators, the Ontario Superior Court of Justice and the Ontario Court of Appeal. She has extensive experience in collective bargaining. Kristen is a member of the Canadain Bar Association and the Advocates Society and is also an instructor at the Law Society of Upper Canada's bar admissions course. Marge Watters is a coach, consultant, author and entrepreneur who has spent more than 8 years planning and delivering a wide variety of career transition and professional development programs. She is an active consultant with numerous organizations as they move through organizational change initiatives including restructuring, outsourcing, acquisition integration and downsizing. She also works in the development of strategies and programs that use career management as a retention tool. Marge co-authored "It's Your Move-A Personal and Practical Guide to Career Transition and Job Search for Canadian Managers, Professionals and Executives". Marge's previous experience includes 19 years' senior management positions in the financial services industry. Marge is presently a Partner in Knebel Watters & Associates based in Toronto. Employment Law- Today's Hottest Issues This session will provide you with the latest developments in employment law on issues you encounter on a daily basis. What types of discrimination occur in the hiring practice? What is the status of the law with respect to drug and alcohol testing and substance abuse? How do you avoid workplace discrimination? What is the real definition of "disability" under the Ontario Human Rights Code? How far does the employer have to go in accommodating an employee? What factors will be considered in assssing undue hardship? Is addiction to gambling, pornography or obesity included in the definition of disability? What special challenges apply in dealing with mental illness in the workplace. These and other questions will be addressed in this most informative legal session. "The Stay Interview"- What's New? Retaining valuable employees is a key objective for every organization. Good career management practices on the part of both the organization and its employees can be a powerful means of reaching these goals. "The Stay Interview" is an effective career management technique. In this session, you'll discover how good career management practices relate to retention, what managers need to know about good career management practices, and the "Stay Interview" technique itself. Rather than waiting until valuable employees leave the organization for other opportunities and conducting "exit interviews" to find out why, every manager can incorporate "The Stay Interview" into regular manager/direct report conversations and significantly improve retention, which improves your bottom line. Winnipeg Spring Half Day Workshop: February 26, 2003 Topic: Pizza, Foos Ball and the New Covenant: A Contemporary Understanding of Motivation Speaker: Dr. Leigh Quesnel, Principal, HQS Consulting Services Inc., Winnipeg Dr. Leigh Quesnel has been a leading organizational consultant for well over 20 years. Leigh has worked with small and large organizations in both the public and private sector, nationally and internationally. Dr. Quesnel has served numerous federal and provincial government departments and crown corporations. He had done extensive work in the private sector as well. His current areas of study and interest include the evolution of management practices, managing surprise, workplace wellness, the changing meaning of work, creating corporate community, leadership, and motivation. His work in organizations ranges from hands on consulting with senior management to the development of management and employee training programs. Dr. Quesnel also spends a significant amount of time training and educating in organizations, and he is often engaged as a keynote speaker and workshop facilitator across the country. The recent focus on the number of employees dropping out and leaving our organizations risks minimizing the attention paid to those employees that stay in. Unfortunately, many of those employees are dropping out and staying in. While they don't leave our organizations, they drop out, their commitment and enthusiasm fades and along with that full contribution required to ensure, not only effective organizational process, but the satisfaction of a job well done and the sense of having made a significant contribution. This concern extends to employees of all generations. While the cost of replacing employees that leave is substantial, the cost of living with the employees that stay in and drop out is far greater. How do you avoid the creation of a toxic workplace? What are your employees looking for in the context of the workplace? They want much more than pizza and Foos Ball games in the lounge. Motivation has always required that we hire for what we want while in return providing what the employees want. What is involved in motivating today's workforce? What is the new covenant? This session will explore the concept of the new convenant, strategies for developing it and the leadership required to implement it. Managers of organizations of every size will stand to benefit from this most dynamic presentation. Vancouver Spring Half Day Workshop: May 22, 2003 Topic: Employment Law Update- Today's Hottest Issues Speaker: Michael J. Weiler, LL.B., Partner, Schiller Coutts Weiler & Pulver, Vancouver, BC Michael Weiler is a founding partner of Schiller Coutts Weiler & Pulver headquartered in Vancouver. Mike obtained his B.A. (Honours) from the University of Toronto and his LL.B. from Osgoode Hall in 1976. He was called to the British Columbia Bar in 1977. Mike specializes exclusively in labour relations and employment law. He represents a wide variety of employers and employees in wrongful dismissal and other employment-related actions. A significant part of Mike's practice involves providing proactive, strategic advice to employers in both unionized and non-union environments, to assist them in anticipating, avoiding, and solving workplace problems. As senior counsel, he appears regularly before federal and provincial labour relations boards, arbitration boards, employment standards tribunals and human rights tribunals. Mike is also Chair, Labour & Employment Committee, BC Chamber of Commerce, Assistant Editor of Canadian Cases on Employment Law, Member, Labour Law Section, Canadian Bar Association (BC Branch), in addition to being a well-known personality speaking on legal issues for radio, television as well as numerous conferences, symposiums and seminars. Part 1: Human Rights - Drug and Alcohol Testing and Substance Abuse Learn about the recent changes made to British Columbia's Human Rights Code. What restrictions apply to an employer regarding implementation of drug and alcohol testing? What questions can be asked during hiring regarding these issues? What disciplinary action may be taken against an employee with a drug or alcohol problem? What remedies are available to an employee who is improperly disciplined or terminated as a result of a drug or alcohol testing program? Part 2: Employment Standards Act Update As part of its legislative reform program, the Liberal government enacted substantial changes to the Employment Standards Act and Regulation in 2002. The purpose of these changes is to modernize employment standards legislation and provide the appropriate amount of flexibility within the workplace. Learn about these changes, to include hours of work provisions, vacations, statutory holidays and specific exclusions. The legislation also provides for significant monetary penalties as a deterrent to employers who are subject to determinations made by the Employment Standards Tribunal for breaches of the Act. What are these penalties and how do you avoid them? You will also gain vital information about the new procedures incorporated into the Act for the filing, processing and adjudication of complaints. Halifax Spring Half Day Workshop: May 6, 2003 Topic: Successfully Managing the Duty to Accommodate Health & Productivity- What's New? Speaker: Noella Martin, LL.B., Partner, Merrick Holm Tim Kelly, Director of Health Services, J.D.Irving Limited Noella Martin is a partner at Merrick Holm, where she practices Labour and Employment Law. Noella regularly provides advice on all aspects of labour and employment law including human rights matters. She has successfully represented employers before arbitrators, the Labour Relations Board, Labour Standards Tribunal, Nova Scotia Supreme Court and other forums. She has also acted as Chief Spokesperson at many collective bargaining tables. Noella has presented at provincial and national conferences, particularly on human rights issues. Tim Kelly is the Director of Health Services for J.D.Irving Limited, a forest products company business for over 100 years. The company owns and operates sawmills in Eastern Canada along with pulp and paper mills, retail stores and also has an integrated rail, sea and road transportation network with interests in shipbuilding and construction. Tim has worked for the Irving Group of Companies since he obtained a Business Degree from the University of New Brunswick. He now works with the Head Office Human Resources Group servicing all divisions. With over 15 years experience in all areas of human resource management, Tim is now the Director of Irving Health Services and an expert on health and productivity. Successfully Managing the Duty to Accommodate The duty to accommodate continues to pose challenges for employers. Do you know what your responsibilities are as an employer? When an existing employee becomes disabled, do you know what obligations are placed on you the employer? Do you know what role the governments take when an employer hires someone with a disability? Have you ever heard that once you hire one person with a disability then you will be required to hire more disabled people? Are you locked-in so that you can't terminate their services? Will you have to spend a lot of money modifying your work site to accommodate them? This presentation will help you meet the challenges and get straight answers to these issues including the most recent legal developments. You, as managers, will gain vital information and an appreciation of how to ensure that your organization's practices satisfy the duty to accommodate. Health & Productivity- What's New? We have all heard about the link to health and individual productivity in the workplace. What are the tried and true methods of improving and preventing the health costs we are dealing with at work? This presentation will cover preventative lead indicators that help to resolve failure or reactive costs. Various prevention strategies that provide returns will also be covered. Tim will share the difference between presenteeism and absenteeism. Is it costing you more to have your employees absent from work or present? Discover the recent findings about key components in a health culture, causes of stress and how to achieve breakthrough results. Healthier people come with improved attitudes, higher energy level and a real commitment to perform well. Calgary Spring Half Day Workshop: January 29, 2003 Topic: Professionals and Managers: Breaking Through Good to Great Speaker: Mel Blitzer, Susan Flaherty, Murray Hiebert, Diane MacDonald, PowerfuLeaders Alliance Inc., Calgary AB Mel Blitzer specializes in organizational design and strategic alliances. For over 25 years, he has acted as a change agent, management consultant, project manager and teacher. Mel worked for a number of organizations including the University of Alberta, Petro-Canada and PricewaterhouseCoopers. He does consulting for both public and private sectors. Mel is also on the faculty of Cardean University delivering Columbia University's courses in Leading and Managing Organizations and Stanford University's Principles of Great Enduring Companies. Susan Flaherty is a facilitator, instructional designer and organizational development practitioner. Her consulting firm, Development Matters Inc., is known for collaborative relationships and innovative strategies. Areas of focus include leadership, team development, organizational and individual performance improvement and strategic planning. Clients include CPR, TransCanada Pipelines, Bethany Care Society, Suncor Energy and Husky Energy. Murray Hiebert is co-author of The Encyclopedia of Leadership, and author of Powerful Professionals: Getting Your Expertise Used Inside Your Organization, Murray also designs workshops including "Consulting Skills for Professionals". Clients include 3M, Hallmark Cards, Eli-Lilly, TELUS, the Government of Alberta, TransCanada PipeLines and Imperial Oil. He is a recognized expert on professional productivity. Diane MacDonald is a contributor to The Encyclopedia of Leadership and a leadership coach, strategist and change agent. Her consulting firm, Diane MacDonald & Associates Inc., specializes in leadership development, strategic planning and cultural change. Prior to starting her firm, Diane held senior roles at TELUS including Director, Organization Development. She is a seasoned facilitator and prides herself on turning cutting edge theories into practical solutions for her clients. Session Outline: As a manager or administrator, you have already shown your commitment to lifelong learning and continuous improvement. How do you take yourself to an even more strategic role in your organization? How can you provide more value to the clients you serve, whether they are inside or outside your organization? Inspired by Jim Collins' bestselling business book, "Good to Great", this learning event will provide you with fresh ways of looking at your role and the services you provide. The tools and skills you learn will also help you understand what you and your organization must do to attract and retain talented employees who want to work in a great organization. Session One: Standing Out From the Crowd: Strategies To Move from Good to Great Most organizations, business units and professional groups are being asked (sometimes forced) to look at themselves strategically. This session will give you the opportunity to take a fresh perspective on your role and create a plan to help you move from providing good service to being highly valued for your great contribution. Session Two: How to Ask Great Questions That Set Up Great Roles Most professionals and managers desire roles with more influence and impact, yet they often use behaviors that do not match these desires. As well, many professionals wish their clients and others were more responsive to ferreting out the real problem, not just addressing symptoms. One of the most powerful tools for dealing with these concerns is the skill of asking powerful questions. Narrow questions lead to narrow roles and fewer options. "Big picture" questions lead to big picture roles and more options. This session gives you a chance to practice powerful questioning skills in a problem-solving context. Edmonton Chapter Meeting: October 8, 2003 Topic: Human Resources- A Necessary Evil or Valued Partner? Speaker: Jim Sanderson, CHRP, Vice President, Human Resources, Mistahia Health Region, Northwestern Alberta Jim Sanderson Prior to becoming Vice President, HR for the Mistahia Health Region based in Grande Prairie, Jim was actively involved as President of James A. Sanderson and Associates Inc., a western Canadian based consulting company. He is a recognized national expert in quantitative human performance measurement, assessment methodologies and human asset management training. He has over 30 years' business and management experience in all aspects of human resources in the private, public and non-profit sectors. Jim served two consecutive terms as President of the Human Resources Institute of Alberta (HRIA) and sat on the Board of the Canadian Council of Human Resources Associations (CCHRA). What is the strategic perception of the HR profession? Often executives and managers within organizations feel they are not getting the value they need from their HR departments. Many traditional practices were designed to run the HR department, not the business at hand. Some executives now question the relevance of continuing to have an HR department as they plan for an ever changing future. Separating fad from fiction and reality, this presentation will examine the emerging role of human resources practices in modern organizations. This will include a snapshot of where the profession has come from, the nature of challenges it faces today, and some recipes for success in the future. Never content to maintain the status quo, this speaker will challenge all those interested to move to the forefront, seize control over their own destiny, and make a meaningful difference to the organization they serve. Every manager and administrator will benefit from this most dynamic presentation! Halifax Chapter Meeting: February 19, 2003 Topic: Privacy Protection of Personal Information- What You Must Know Speaker: Bob Doherty, Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Coordinator, Nova Scotia Government, Halifax Bob Doherty is the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Coordinator for the Nova Scotia Government. He has held the position since December 1996 and is responsible for providing technical advice on the Act to departments, agencies, boards, and commissions of the NS Government. He also is charged with the training, and general FOIPOP information / education of 60-plus FOIPOP Administrators, as well as ensuring the front line staff in the NS Government is aware of the implications and obligations of FOIPOP relative to their daily work. In recent months a substantial amount of this work involves advising the government on its obligations with respect to privacy protection of personal information. He also processes and responds to 100-plus Freedom of Information applications that are now received by the NS Department of Justice. During his 20-plus year's experience in the NS Public Service he has worked at the executive level as a director of policy and served as an advisor on the Canada/U.S. Free Trade Negotiations, and Workers Compensation and the Canadian Constitution. As well, he has negotiated numerous federal/provincial economic agreements. He holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree from St. Francis Xavier University, a Master of Science in Communications from Boston University, and a Bachelor of Laws from Dalhousie University. This presentation will provide an overview of current legislation governing the privacy protection of personal information. The focus will be on the principles of "Fair Information" practices generally embodied in the legislation, and the applicability of those principles to the obligations and rights of employers and employees. Specific reference will be made to the privacy protection provisions of N.S. Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act. Managers of every organization regardless of size will benefit tremendously from this session. Register early as seats will go quickly! Toronto Spring Half Day Workshop: 8, Toronto 2002 Topic: Retaining Employees in Today's Economic Climate - What has Changed? Speaker: Brian W. Pascal, Publisher/Editor of Workplace Today® Journal, Howard A. Levitt, Employment and Labour Law Specialist, Lang Michener Brian W. Pascal B. Comm, R.P.R, is Publisher/Editor of Workplace Today® Journal and President of IPM - Institute of Professional Management. Pascal is founder of the Association of Professional Recruiters of Canada and has designed, developed and delivered training programs in recruitment, management and supervision since 1984. Pascal has extensive experience in both training and consulting in both the private and public sectors and is a leading national expert on recruitment. Pascal has also been featured as a keynote speaker and facilitator for numerous corporate and association conferences across Canada. Howard A. Levitt received his B.A and then LL.B from the University of Toronto, called to the Ontario Bar in 1979. Levitt has also received calls to the Alberta, BC, Manitoba, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia Bars. He is considered a leader in Employment and Labour Law, presently counsel to the firm Lang Michener and member of the Employment and Labour Law Group. Levitt has acted as counsel on numberous grievance and interest arbitrations, human rights tribunals, employment standards fact findings and adjudications as well as occupational health and safety matters. Levitt is labour employment counsel for many of Canada's largest corporations. He is a leading expert in employment law, featured commentator on radio and television and has written hundres of articles in numerous publications and professional journals as well as having spoken at numerous conferences across the country. Levitt is a member of the Canadian Bar Association and practices exclusively in labour and employment law. It has become much easier today to recruit top candidates as compared to a year ago due to the economic downturn and the vast number of highly qualified people being laid off. How will organizations retain their top employees? Most companies have had experience in some level of downsizing and budget cuts which means that people are doing more than ever in their jobs. How are these employees being treated? This session will explore the latest changes and what companies can do to keep these top performers when the economy rebounds. The top performers are willing to stay at their present jobs now and weather the storm, but most perks and programs that we have seen enter the workforce within the past couple of years have been cut or reduced. Are you doing the right thing to keep these top performers? The latest revisions to the Employment Standards Act affect every single organization, regardless of size. With the Employment Standards Update, the session will focus on the hot issues including: how to deal with the emergency leave provision, the extension of maternity leave and dealing with absent employees, increasing the workweek, flexibility in overtime and new penalties to be assessed. We all have copies of the Act in our workplace, but do we fully understand all the new implications? Every manager will benefit from this session which will present the latest developments and help your organization avoid hefty litigation costs! Edmonton Chapter Meeting: January 29, 2003 Topic: Did You Know? -A Personal Information Legal Update Speaker: Michelle Simpson, B.A., LL.B., Partner, Trevoy Simpson LLP, Edmonton Michelle Simpson, B.A., LL.B. was called to the Alberta Bar in 1982. Michelle is an active member of the Edmonton Bar Association, the Canadian Bar Association, the American Bar Association and the International Bar Association. Michelle's area of expertise includes practice management, the new privacy legislation, offshore aspects of doing business internationally and other international legal issues. Although Michelle's practice history has been with larger firms, she now enjoys practicing law in a small firm setting having set up her own in conjunction with her business partner Andrew J. Trevoy since 1998. Michelle's clients include large institutional clients, publicly traded corporations as well as owner-managed businesses. Michelle is an accomplished speaker and has been the featured presenter at numerous national and international conferences. Any "personal information" about an identifiable person (be it that of your employees or your customers) that is moving across the Alberta boundary must be protected in the manner set out in the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act ("PIPED"). Did you know, for example, that a member of your staff may now have the right to see minutes of even your most private management meetings if they contain "personal information" about that staff member? If you were thinking of not keeping minutes of these meetings, think again. What does this Act entail? What impact does it have on routine activities in the workplace? How does this affect your role as a senior manager? Do you realize that you now have a duty to accurately record the "personal information" your business collects? You'll definitely want to hear more about this new legislation so don't miss this event! Winnipeg Chapter Meeting: May 16, 2002 Topic: Cultural Mismatch: How to Improve Hiring Success Rates Speaker: Randy Oler, Vice President, Business Development, DBM Canada Randy Oler started his career as a consultant and hands-on manager in the aerospace, publishing, telemarketing, computer and automotive industries. His diversified 25+ year career service includes senior management positions in human resources, sales and marketing. Oler holds a Bachelor of Science degree from Brigham Young University in Utah and is a graduate of the University of Calgary's Executive Development Program. He served as co-chair of a successful industry/government trades training initiative and has been advisor for several skill-training committees. Having lived across Canada, the U.S. and Australia, he brings an international wealth of knowledge and experience to his present practice. Work pace. Decision-making. Responsibility. Authority. Relationships. Communication. These are just some of the components that are key to a job's culture. If your human resources and management team know how to identify and recognize these elements, your organization will be able to make better matches between candidates and jobs. You will learn to use eight criteria to define cultural fit and apply this knowledge to improve hiring success rates as well as increase employee satisfaction and retention, and reduce turnover and staff. Every organization regardless of size or number of employees will benefit from this most informative session! Vancouver Spring Half Day Workshop: May 13, 2002 Topic: How to Conduct Investigations - What You Need to Know, BC Human Rights - An Update Speaker: Giselle E. Stonehouse, Labour Relations Consultant, Fraser Health Authority, Vancouver, BC, Chris L. Finding, Executive Director, BC Human Rights Commission Gisele Stonehouse has over 22 years' Labour Relations experience in the healthcare field as well as private sector organizations, including expertise in collective agreements and a full range of labour relations issues. Stonehouse has investigated over 30 Human Rights complaints and provides training for management staff on Grievances, Misconduct and Corrective Action for Non-culpable Behaviour. Stonehouse has participated in numerous Third Party hearings and is presently Labour Relations Consultant for Fraser Health Authority. Chris Finding has a Master of Industrial Relations degree from Queen's University and BA from the University of Victoria in Economics. Finding has worked as a human rights investigator for 10 years and as the Lower Mainland Manager of Investigation and Mediation for 4 years. Finding is currently the Executive Director of the BC Human Rights Commission. Why bother conducting a proper investigation? What sorts of situations require this process? What is involved? The effectiveness of managers and supervisors is based on their credibility with their staff, peers and unions. Credibility must be earned based on making decisions and taking action that is based on factual information about a subject. Credibility that is lost is even harder to regain.This session will explore situations that may require an investigation in the workplace, how to properly conduct an investigation, the process itself and the final decision and review as well as the latest information on the legal issues pertaining to corporate investigations. In today's workplace, Human Rights is one of the most vital issues. We are all familiar with the legislation as it applies to employment. What are the hot topics and latest developments which affect us? This session will explore the latest findings and things to watch for in Human Rights issues with respect to the duty to accommodate and where it ends, terms of physical and mental disability, essential elements of a corporate anti-discrimination policy and the new early mediation process, to name a few. Winnipeg Spring Half Day Workshop: May 16, 2002 Topic: How to Motivate Your Employees Without Increasing Existing Budgets, Marketing and Managing Your Disability Management Services Speaker: Kevin McFadden, Partner, Sigurdson, McFadden & Associates, Winnipeg. Jeff Curtis, Director of Human Resources, MTS Communications, Winnipeg Kevin McFadden, B. Comm, CLU, graduated from the University of Manitoba with a Bachelor of Commerce degree in 1990. McFadden has spent eleven years in the benefit and pension marketplace specializing in consulting for companies on efficient plan design and operation. McFadden is co-founder and Partner with Sigurdson, McFadden & Associates and has worked with organizations of all sizes pertaining to benefits and pension consulting as well as internal communications. Jeff Curtis has over 20 years of experience in the field of disability management, case management, vocational rehabilitation, claims adjudication and administration, and end-to-end human resources management. Curtis is currently the Director of Human Resources for MTS Communications, leading the delivery of human resources or "people" management for the MTS family of companies. Curtis has an undergraduate degree in psychology from the University of Manitoba as well as certificates in counselling skills, vocational evaluation and social research from the Universities of Manitoba, Winnipeg and Stout-Wisconsin. Prior to joining MTS, Curtis held positions with the Workers Compensation Board of Manitoba and has co-authored several books and publications in the field of disability management. Thinking about providing a disability management program in your organization? Do you want to ensure that you are utilizing best practices for your existing program? This session will provide you with the an overview of all the key areas to examine from selling the idea to executive management, how disability or return to work coordination aligns with overall wellness and the "employee satisfaction-customer loyalty-profitability" chain. You will also learn the values, policies, processes and procedures from a program already in place with Manitoba Telecom Services that has developed a "Return to Work for Ill or Injured Employees Program" which embodies accepted best practices and has received provincial and national recognition. In today's economic times, it is becoming most difficult to attract, retain and motivate top performers. How could your organization create value in your employees' eyes? This session will explore ways in which to enhance the appreciation of existing company benefits without increasing existing expenditures. We will look at Canada's Top 100 Employers and share ideas on how those successful companies attract and retain the best people. Every organization regardless of size will benefit from this most informative session! Toronto Chapter Meeting: 13, Special 2002 Topic: Employment References = Informed Hiring Decisions Speaker: Elaine Cruise Smith, Partner, Janus Integration, Toronto Elaine Cruise Smith is a Partner at Janus Integration, a consulting firm providing human resources services and corporate organizational solutions. Her expertise in these areas has developed from numerous years' experience in various Human Resource Management roles in retail, manufacturing and banking in both Canada and the U.S. Elaine also holds a B.A. in Law. For most organizations, reference checking is a standard practice in the recruitment process. Are organizations getting what they need from utilizing this "standard operating procedure"? This session will explore how to identify and retain top performers, reduce the risk of bad hires and avoid messy legal situations. Get the latest information and tips on why to bother checking references, who should be involved, when to check, what to ask and what to do with the information. You'll get to hear about counter intelligence for "fishy" situations and providing references for former employees. We have all heard about the legal aspects of reference checking in relation to Human Rights and the Privacy Act. This session will enlighten you on other issues to help you get the job done right the first time! Ottawa Chapter Meeting: October 9, 2002 Topic: Outstanding Leaders- What Makes Them Exceptional? Speaker: Steve Jones, President and CEO of The People Bank Steve Jones is President and CEO of The People Bank as well as Vice President of Herzing Colleges. He is a past recipient of the staffing industry's "Bill Coke Award", Chairman of Government Labour Relations for the Association of Canadian Search, Employment and Staffing Services (ACSESS) and he is a member of the Corrections Canada Board of Advisors. With over 18 years' experience in the Canadian staffing industry, Steve has a wide array of insightful anecdotes that have made him a sought after speaker in recent years. Exceptional leadership extends beyond great management. In this highly energized presentation, Steve Jones describes how great leaders inspire others to achieve grand visions. This entertaining and educational presentation focuses on the 12 most common characteristics and 5 common behaviours of highly effective leaders. Best of all, we'll explore how to recognize these characteristics in ourselves and how to integrate these behaviours into our personal style. Ottawa Spring Half Day Workshop: October 9, 2002 Topic: Conflict Diagnostics for the Workplace: What You Need to Know Speaker: Gayle Wiebe Oudeh, Vice President, Centre for Conflict Resolution International Gayle Wiebe Oudeh is Vice President and Senior Consultant of the Centre for Conflict Resolution International. Gayle has over 15 years of experience in organizational leadership and is a seasoned mediator. Using her expertise in interpersonal dynamics, team building, leadership development and organizational systems, Gayle has helped hundreds of organizations address issues of conflict in the workplace. Gayle is certified in the use and administration of the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI). She is frequently involved in conflict interventions and executive coaching and is also a sessional lecturer in Conflict Resolution Studies at the University of Winnipeg. This workshop will provide participants with diagnostic indicators to properly select an appropriate response or responses to resolving a particular conflict, including: introducing the "Spectrum of Appropriate Responses to Conflict", applying MBTI theory in understanding conflict dynamics within the workplace, and reviewing the various Conflict Management Styles - matching the appropriate style with the situation. This highly interactive workshop will include presentations of the various indicators and their possible applications. Every manager in any organization can benefit from this most informative session! Ottawa Chapter Meeting: Feb 6, 2002 Topic: Mining the Hidden Talent Speaker: David Perry, Managing Partner of Perry-Martel, Ottawa David Perry has over 15 years of experience in executive search, recruiting and strategic human resources planning, including 11 as Managing Partner of Perry-Martel. Perry sits on several high tech Boards of Directors, including the Software Human Resources Council. He graduated from McGill in 1982 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics and Industrial Relations. Perry has given "expert" testimony to the Federal Standing Committee on Finance as well as several federal task force panels on taxation and employment. In 1999, Perry was honoured by the Ottawa Business Journal as one of the "Top Forty under Forty" outstanding young entrepreneurs. The fast-changing world of high technology is the first place where new roles and new activities are defined. High tech is the birthing ground of the new Knowledge Worker. It has been consistently found that the positions clients want filled push the envelope of career titles and job requirements. Over the years, Perry-Martel developed a unique three-dimensional value based search system because their clients needed to go beyond traditional executive search practices. Learn how to locate, identify and evaluate someone who hasn't raised their hand and said, "Here I am!" Vancouver Chapter Meeting: May 13, 2002 Topic: Mind the Gap - Gen X'ers, Boomers and Veterans at Work Speaker: Cindy McKinley, Manager, Human Resources Planning and Development, BC Hydro and Alison King, Human Resource Planner-Analyst, BC Hydro, Vancouver Cindy McKinley, like a majority of employees at BC Hydro, is a baby boomer. She is the Manager of Human Resources Planning and Development, which includes the corporate HR functions of strategic workforce planning, training and development and employment equity/diversity. Cindy joined BC Hydro in 1995, and prior to that, worked in several departments and agencies within the federal government. Alison King is a definite Gen X'er in a sea of Baby Boomers as Human Resource Planner-Analyst at BC Hydro. Since joining BC Hydro in 1996, Alison has worked in a variety of HR related areas, including training and development, change management and management development. How do you manage the changing demographics in today's workforce? What motivates and retains Gen X'ers is not the same as what motivates and retains Baby Boomers or Veterans. This presentation will explore the demographic shift and its impact on strategic attraction and retention. What is the theory behind generational research? How might the generation you are born in define who you are, what you value and how you show up for work? BC Hydro has done extensive research on demographics and recruiting and is a national leader in addressing these emerging issues. This session will provide you with vital information to assist you in attracting, motivating and retaining members of each generation and how they can work well together. Calgary Chapter Meeting: Feb 6, 2002 Topic: Resolving Conflicts in the Workplace - What do you do? Speaker: Joanne Morgan, Manager, Staff Development, Scotiabank, Calgary Joanne Morgan is Manager, Staff Development for the Scotiabank Electronic Banking Contact Centre based in Calgary. She is responsible for the delivery of skills development training to over 300 staff members. Certified to deliver programs on behalf of both the Hay Group and Forum Corporation, Joanne is an active member of the International Coaching Federation and is actively involved in community activities such as Partnering for Mentoring Abilities and $ Matters for Seniors. Wherever there are people, there will be conflict. Unresolved conflicts in the workplace can feed absenteeism, lower productivity, stifle communication, impact customer service, erode trust among people and create a tense work environment. Each conflict is unique due to the people involved and can have serious repercussions if allowed to escalate. Each unresolved conflict increases tension between people and that tension impacts future communications and performance. In this interactive workshop, we'll look at Conflict Styles, the roles we project when confronted with conflict situations and the techniques we can utilize for effective resolution. The model used in this session will provide you with a simple, effective 5-step process that will allow you to skillfully work through conflict situations. Every manager in any organization will benefit from this informative session and will leave with new communication tools which can be used immediately. Halifax Spring Half Day Workshop: October 16, 2002 Topic: Communicating Bad News - Are You Doing It Right? Speaker: Deborah Rossouw, Managing Partner, The Essential LifeSkills Company Deborah Rossouw is co-founder and Managing Partner of The Essential Lifeskills Company based in Halifax. Rossouw has an Honours B.Sc. degree in Organizational Psychology and Higher Diploma in Education from the University of Cape Town and is a qualified facilitator, trainer, teacher and coach. She draws on 13 years of international experience in the field of adult learning. Rossouw specializes in a variety of inter- and intra-personal skills development workshops that help managers and employees take charge of their personal and professional interactions. She also facilitates one-on-one coaching, customized teambuilding and organizational development interventions in both the private and public sectors. Every manager and supervisor knows that delivering bad news is never comfortable or easy, yet our positions require that we do it. In the workplace, the news may entail telling someone that their job is redundant and they are now laid off, their expected salary increase was not approved, they did not get the position or promotion to which they applied, as well as project, performance and finance-related issues. Does YOUR organization have the tools to deal with this professionally and confidently? In recognition that both parties in the interaction are affected, this workshop will provide the vital information in how to deliver the news in a professional manner, the context for understanding emotions, three stages of preparation to include before, during and after, techniques and skills for managers and an actual coaching demonstration. Not only will you learn how to properly deliver the news, but also how to handle the anticipated emotional reactions of the recipient to include followup. Any organization, regardless of size, can benefit from this truly informative session! Halifax Chapter Meeting: 13, Special 2002 Topic: Managing for Customer Service - What Everyone Needs to Know! Speaker: Janice MacInnis, Program Officer for Human Resource Development, Dalhousie University Janice MacInnis is an experienced training facilitator and administrator. She holds a Bachelor of Commerce degree and a Certificate in Adult Education from Dalhousie University and has worked with a diverse group of public and private organizations as a trainer and consultant. MacInnis specializes in identifying the organization's needs by both formal and informal methods and designing programs to meet these needs. Her background in administration of service offices has made Customer Service one of her key areas of expertise. Every employee, manager and supervisor has customers including the colleagues they have to work with to get their objectives met and tasks completed. We know that serving customers is important, but we seldom have an opportunity to think about who our customers are, what they need from us and our staff, and whether or not we are giving it to them. This interactive, highly practical session will give you a chance to explore your views and definitions of effective customer service. Issues covered will include: Who are your customers? The Value of complaints, Behaviours guaranteed to lose customers and establishing customer service standards. Calgary Spring Half Day Workshop: May 15, 2002 Topic: Alberta Human Rights - What's New? Speaker: Carol Daw, B.A., M.S.W., R.S.W Carol Daw spent more than ten years at the Human Rights Commission as an investigator and mediator and was instrumental in bringing the conciliation process into the Human Rights Complaint process. Daw is a Social Worker and Family and Divorce Mediator. She is currently the Coordinator of a Multicultural Therapy Program for a non-profit agency, and has a private practice as an individual, couple and family therapist. In her spare time, she provides consultation and education services for the Alberta Human Rights Commission. In today's workplace, Human Rights is one of the most vital issues. We are all familiar with the legislation as it applies to employment. What are the hot topics and latest developments which affect us? This session will provide an overview of Human Rights Law and Application to Albertans as well as explore the latest findings and things to watch for with respect to Discrimination and Harrassment, Duty to Accommodate, Pre-Employment and the Employment Process and Maternity, to name a few. You will gain valuable insight on how to create and maintain a respectful work environment and avoid huge needless litigation costs! Every manager in any organization, regardless of size, will benefit greatly from this most informative update.