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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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! 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!"