Employee Legal Rights During COVID-19

Wednesday, March 17^th at 10:00 AM PT, 11:00 AM MT

As the COVID-19 pandemic continues into 2021, many workplaces are navigating the sometimes tricky task of creating policies and practices for unprecedented events. At a time when some businesses are continuing to work from home while others are beginning to transition back into the workplace, it is important to know what legal rights you and your employees have. This webinar aims to provide you and your workplace with guidance to keep your employees safe during COVID-19, as well as opening up the opportunity to ask questions to our experts in employment law.

Learning Outcomes:

Legal rights of employees during COVID19 – what to do when feeling unsafe at work, your rights, and responsibilities as an employee.
How to develop a policy that keeps your employees safe during COVID-19
How to accommodate employee discomfort and illness during the pandemic

Hosted by

DR. KELLY WILLIAMS-WHITT

Dr. Kelly Williams-Whitt is a Professor and Associate Dean of the Dhillon School of Business at the University of Lethbridge. She is a Labour Arbitrator and former registered nurse, with an MBA and a PhD in human resource management and labour relations. Prior to taking on her role as Associate Dean, Dr. Williams-Whitt taught courses in labour relations, labour and employment law, human resources management and workplace health management. She is an active researcher in occupational health and return-to-work after illness or injury. Her work is published in peer-reviewed scientific journals and she has authored numerous books and book chapters on work disability and labour and employment law. Dr. Williams-Whitt is the chair of the Canadian Industrial Relations Association (CIRA) Southern Alberta chapter and former president of CIRA national. She also holds an appointment with the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service as an adjudicator for cases falling the Canada Labour Code. She sits on the editorial board of the Journal of Occupational Rehabilitation, and is a member of the Board of Directors of the Workplace Wellness Institute.

SIMON KENT

With over 20 years of hands-on legal experience and a bold entrepreneurial spirit, Simon Kent is a visionary committed to redefining the practice of employment law. He is a keen advocate for legal innovation, working to reimagine the employment relationship as a reciprocal rather than binary arrangement that benefits all workplace stakeholders. A veteran practitioner, Simon advises senior executives and company leaders. He is a creative and strategic thinker with a unique skill for solving the most complicated workplace puzzles and is the counsel of choice for employers and employees looking for cutting-edge solutions to complex legal problems. In 2019, he directed his energy to exploring alternative pricing strategies as one way to provide value to his clients. You can read more about this value-focus here. The founder, heart, and soul of Kent Employment Law, Simon led his team to break ground and become the first B Corp certified law firm in Canada in 2015 (learn more here). He is a thought leader in the employment law space, as an event organizer, author, media commentator, and public speaker. Simon has also been recognized by Three Best Rated as one of the Top 3 Employment Lawyers in Vancouver and recently shared his thoughts on the challenges facing law firm managing partners with CBA National Magazine.

Moderated by

MAUREEN HAAN

Maureen has been the President & CEO of CCRW since 2012. CCRW is the only national organization with the sole vision of equitable and meaningful employment for people with disabilities, in operation for over 40 years. Under Maureen’s leadership, CCRW has seen an increase in direct program service throughout Canada, as well as a more transparent, streamlining of understanding the business case of hiring a person with a disability. Maureen has been very active in the cross-disability sector, currently focusing on employment issues. She has been involved with numerous committees and groups that increase awareness of and access for the disability sector and the Deaf community, including involvement with Civil Society on the UN Convention of Rights for Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) as the lead for employment for persons with disabilities – specifically Article 27; leadership with the Conference on Work and Disability in Canada; co-development and leadership of the pan-Canadian Strategy on Disability and Work; and as a Board member on the Accessibility Standards Canada. Maureen was appointed to the COVID-19 Disability Advisory Group (CDAG) during the COVID-19 pandemic and remains on the Minister Disability Advisory Group (MDAG). Maureen started her career in the Deaf community and is fluent in American Sign Language (ASL). Maureen lives in Thornhill with her two sons and her partner, Mike.

Additional Resources:

The Work Wellness Institute is recognized by SHRM to offer Professional Development Credits (PDCs) for the SHRM-CP® or SHRM-SCP®. This program is valid for 1 PDC for the SHRM-CP® or SHRM-SCP®. For more information about certification or recertification, please visit www.shrmcertification.org.