CLE Online

Day 1: Thursday, May 9, 2013

Welcome and Introduction

Matthew Cooperwilliams — Harris & Company LLP, Vancouver
Simon K. Kent — Kent Employment Law, Vancouver

Bill 14 Changes to Mental Disorder Provisions of the Workers Compensation Act

• background to Bill 14: what led to the changes?
• the Workers Compensation Act amendments and new policies
• review of WorkSafeBC decisions to date
• proposed occupational health and safety policies on bullying and harassment
• the Downs Construction Ltd. v. WCAT decision and jurisdiction over mental health claims arising from the workplace
• employer and employee perspectives on dealing with mental disorder claims

Peter Eastwood — Hamilton Howell Bain & Gould, Vancouver
Marino J. Sveinson — Roper Greyell LLP, Vancouver

Arbitration Clauses in Employment Contracts

• are arbitration clauses in employment contracts enforceable?
• what is the law relating to the enforcement of arbitration clauses
• jurisdictional issues relating to arbitration clauses
• pros and cons of including an arbitration clause in an employment contract
• drafting tips

Jennifer D. Wiegele — Kent Employment Law, Vancouver

Networking Break

Two Roads: The Interface Between Common Law and Employment Standards Claims in British Columbia

• conflicts between contractual versus Employment Standards Act rights
• claims for overtime pay, statutory holiday pay, vacation pay, and expense allowances and related claims
• bonuses
• pre-contractual misrepresentations
• claims in relation to termination of employment; severance pay in lieu of reasonable notice versus compensation for length of service under the Employment Standards Act
• procedural advantages/disadvantages associated with either forum including limitations and enforcement/collections issues
• “class” claims
• res judicata and issue estoppel

Professor Kenneth W. Thornicroft — Peter B. Gustavson School of Business, University of Victoria, Victoria

Employment Issues in the BC Public Sector

• exempt employee compensation under Part 3.1 of the Public Sector Employers Act
• the requirements and nuances of the Employment Terminations Standards Regulation
• case law review
• practice tips

Colin G.M. Gibson — Harris & Company LLP, Vancouver

Lunch with Featured Speaker: "How to Work and Play Nicely with Others"

D. Murray Tevlin — TevlinGleadle Employment Law Strategies, Vancouver

Limitation Periods

• what the new legislation says
• transitional issues
• settlement issues

Carman J. Overholt, QC — Overholt Law Corporation, Vancouver

Reinstatement of Employees in Non-Union Settings

• reinstatement of dismissed employees
• specific employment contracts
• statutory office holders
• due process
• tactical value in asking for reinstatement for the employee
• trends: is the reluctance to order reinstatement softening?

Lawrence L. Robinson — Alexander Holburn Beaudin + Lang LLP, Vancouver

Networking Break

Class Actions

• how to go forward with these types of claims
• conflicts issues
• legal, practical, and financial issues
• settlements

Luciana P. Brasil — Branch MacMaster LLP, Vancouver
R. Charles Gordon — Glavin Gordon Clements, Vancouver
Michael R. Howcroft — Blake, Cassels & Graydon LLP, Vancouver

Closing Questions and Comments

Day 2: Friday, May 10, 2013

Welcome and Introduction

Matthew Cooperwilliams — Harris & Company LLP, Vancouver
Simon K. Kent — Kent Employment Law, Vancouver

Aggravated and Punitive Damages

• review and update on the law
• bringing and defending claims for aggravated and punitive damages
• other claims that may arise in such circumstances, e.g., human rights, certain tort claims
• practical issues in alleging
  • disclosure of medical records
  • no summary trial
  • pros and cons
• ethics of it—legal advice as to defending a claim of bad faith

D. Michael Bain — Hamilton Howell Bain & Gould, Vancouver
Donovan G. Plomp — McCarthy Tetrault LLP, Vancouver

Networking Break

Revisiting the Employee’s Mitigation Duty Where Contractual Severance Clauses Exist

• case law, including ONCA decision in Bowes v. Goss
• drafting tips on clauses
• practice points

Blair W. Curtis — TevlinGleadle Employment Law Strategies, Vancouver

Top 10 Tax tips

• retiring allowances
• role of intention in employee vs. contractor disputes
• employer payments to ex-employee for loss of stock options
• can the sole shareholder of a corporation be its employee?
• services PEs
• Reg. 105/Reg. 102—Withholding
• personal services businesses and partnerships
• when is a stock option agreement not a stock option agreement?
• salary deferral arrangements in union contracts 
• beyond general damages—other ideas for making settlements more tax effective

Joel A. Nitikman — Dentons Canada LLP, Vancouver

Networking Lunch

Drug and Alcohol Testing: Recent Developments in the Law

• dismissal law update: when can you terminate an addict?
• the battle in Alberta: Drug and Alcohol Risk Reduction Pilot Project update 
• Supreme Court of Canada update: impact of Irving Pulp and Paper and R. v. Cole
• industry specific implications: mining, oil & gas, and other "dangerous" workplaces

Eleni Kassaris — Blake, Cassels & Graydon LLP, Vancouver
Claire Marchant — Blake, Cassels & Graydon LLP, Calgary

Potential Claims Against Departing Employees Without Written Agreements

• failure to give reasonable notice of intention to resign in breach of implied term of contract
• wrongful use of confidential information in breach of implied duty of good faith
• tort of breach of confidence
• tort of inducing breach of contract
• tort of unlawful interference with economic interests
• tort of conspiracy to injure
• breach of fiduciary duties

Mark R. Hamilton — Richards Buell Sutton LLP, Vancouver
H. Scott MacDonald — Richards Buell Sutton LLP, Vancouver

Networking Break

Jury Trials: A Panel Discussion

• practically how it works
• advocacy
• how it differs from a regular court case

Christopher R. Forguson — Chris Forguson Employment Law, Vancouver
Gavin A. Marshall — Roper Greyell LLP, Vancouver

ADR in Employment Law

• ADR clauses
• negotiation
• mediation procedures
• what counsel should keep in mind when dealing with clients
• how to deal with the power imbalance in employer/employee mediation

Michael J. Lomax — Milton, Johnson, Victoria

Closing Questions and Comments