Institute of Professional Management

IPM's Associations' regional teams have set up an excellent series of Half Day Workshops for Spring 2003 in six locations, including Halifax, Vancouver, and Calgary. Registrations have already started flowing in, so go to www.workplace.ca (click on Events) and register for the event in your city today!

HALIFAX: MAY 6, 2003

Successfully Managing the Duty to Accommodate
The duty to accommodate continues to pose challenges for employers. What are your responsibilities as an employer? When an employee becomes disabled, what are your obligations? What role do governments take when an employer hires someone with a disability? 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?

You, as managers, will gain vital information on how to ensure that your organization's practices satisfy the duty to accommodate.

Noella Martin, LL.B., is a partner at Merrick Holm, where she practises 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.

Health & Productivity: What's New?
We have all heard about the link between health and individual productivity in the workplace. What are the tried and true methods of improving and preventing workplace health costs? This presentation will cover preventative lead indicators that help resolve failure or reactive costs and various prevention strategies that provide returns. Learn the difference between presenteeism and absenteeism. Discover the recent findings about key components in a health culture, causes of stress, and how to achieve breakthrough results.

Tim Kelly is the Director of Health Services for J.D. Irving Limited, a forest products company business in Eastern Canada for over 100 years. Tim has worked for the Irving Group of Companies since he obtained a business degree from the University of New Brunswick. With over 15 years experience in all areas of HR management, Tim is an expert on health and productivity.

VANCOUVER: MAY 22, 2003

Employment Law Update: Today's Hottest Issues
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 you asked during hiring? 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?

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. Learn about these changes, including hours of work provisions, vacations, statutory holidays, and specific exclusions. The legislation also provides for significant monetary penalties to employers who breach 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.

Michael Weiler, LL.B., is a founding partner of Schiller Coutts Weiler & Pulver, headquartered in Vancouver. He specializes exclusively in labour relations and employment law. As senior counsel, Mike appears regularly before federal and provincial labour relations boards, arbitration boards, employment standards, and human rights tribunals.

CALGARY: MAY 26, 2003

Professionals and Managers: Breaking Through Good to Great
As a manager or administrator, you have already shown your commitment to lifelong learning and continuous improvement. But how do you take yourself to an even more strategic role in your organization? How can you provide even more value to the clients you serve, inside or outside your organization?

Inspired by Jim Collins' bestselling business book, Good to Great, this workshop will provide you with fresh ways of looking at your role and the services you provide. It will help you move from providing good service to being highly valued for your great contribution. You'll learn what you and your organization must do to attract and retain talented employees who want to work in a great organization.

Professionals and teams need to look at themselves strategically with questions like: "What should we be great at?", "What should we be good at?", "What do we need to let go of to free ourselves for higher value work?" and "What do we need to say 'no' to?"

The workshop will be facilitated by Mel Blitzer, Susan Flaherty, Murray Hiebert, and Diane MacDonald — members of the PowerfuLeaders Alliance Inc., a Calgary based consulting firm offering leadership development seminars and events.