2019 Annual Labour & Employment Seminar
Learn about recent developments and topical issues that may impact your business as our seasoned lawyers host interactive presentations in the areas of employment, labour relations, and workplace privacy and technology.
This seminar qualifies for 2.5 hours of CLE credits. This seminar may be eligible for CHRP credits.
Seminar Topics
1. Employment Law: Latest Developments in the Law & Changes to Employment Standards Legislation
Presented by: Rob Sider, Nicole Skuggedal and Deborah Cushing
In this session, we will review recent developments in the case law and how that law impacts the enforceability of written employment agreements, including termination clauses and restrictive covenants such as non-competition provisions. In doing so, we will touch on key topics like just cause and aggravated damages. We will also provide a summary of tabled amendments to the BC Employment Standards Act and discuss how they may impact your business.
2. Know your Management Rights: Employer Policies in Unionized Workplaces
Presented by: Ritu Mahil and Jim Boyle
Although collective agreements establish many of the terms and conditions of employment for bargaining unit employees, unionized employers retain management rights to establish and enforce policies and procedures where the collective agreement is silent. This session provides a refresher on the exercise of management rights in the unionized workplace, highlighting the "KVP factors" applied by arbitrators in assesing whether to uphold the employer's reliance on policies.
This session will also address the British Columbia government's recently tabled bill proposing changes to the Labour Relations Code and the possible impact of those changes on unionized employers.
3. Workplace Privacy & Technology in the Age of AI and Big Data
Presented by: Ryan Berger and Cory Sully
New and evolving technologies are transforming the modern workplace. Employers now have a broad range of choices extending far beyond conventional video surveillance, including: GPS technology, key stroke monitoring, biometrics and AI solutions. In recent years, labour arbitrators, courts and privacy regulators have also made clear that employers who incorporate these technologies in the workplace without considering the privacy implication may find themselves in peril.
In this session, we will use case studies and scenarios to discuss the practical aspects of various technologies in the workplace and how employers can integrate it in a useful way that takes account of privacy obligations. We will also explore new developments in the world of privacy and data protection, such as key foreign laws, mandatory breach notification requirements and cross-border transmission of personal information.