Our Community Outreach - Fall/Winter 2018

It has been a busy year for the PooranLaw team. Our lawyers are recognized as authorities on a wide variety of legal topics affecting the disability community. This year we were invited to present to diverse audiences across the province on a variety of important topics.

Employment Law Community Information Sessions

Employment law has been in a state of flux in Ontario over the past 18 months. Last year Bill 148, the Fair Workplaces Better Jobs Act came into effect, which had a big impact on all employers and workers across the province. In community information sessions across the Province, Employment and Labour Partner, Cheryl Wiles Pooran, met with family groups to speak to the changes and their implications for how families engage support workers.

Cheryl continues her community outreach to people, families and community organizations, most recently meeting with families supported by Simcoe Community Services on December 5. The law continues to evolve, most recently with the passing of Bill 47, new legislation affecting wages, leaves of absence, scheduling, and even how families engage support workers from the community. Stay tuned for upcoming information sessions in your area.

Cannabis

With the introduction of the Cannabis Act and the legalization of recreational marijuana this fall in Ontario, the issue of cannabis in the workplace has been an important topic for many employers. To that end, Senior Labour and Employment Lawyer Susan Munn participated in two Lancaster House conferences on the topics of the implications of legalized cannabis for employers, as well as best practices for employers to balance safety, accommodation, and employee rights when faced with issues of employee impairment in the workplace. Jennifer Macko, Senior Litigator, Employment and Privacy Lawyer, also presented at the JOIN Annual Conference to provide a DS-sector specific perspective on the issue of managing employees in the age of medical marijuana and legal cannabis.

9^th Annual Policy Forum on Inclusion

On December 3, PooranLaw Partner Brendon Pooran presented at the 9^th Annual Federal Policy Forum on Inclusion in Ottawa. This forum, hosted by the Canadian Association for Community Living and People First of Canada was designed to explore the importance of inclusion as a measurable goal, and to develop solutions to ensure the full inclusion in our society of individuals with a disability.

Collective Bargaining

Labour and Employment Partner, Cheryl Wiles Pooran was asked to speak at the Lancaster House Broader Public Sector Collective Bargaining Conference in Toronto on December 4. Cheryl discussed recent trends, the implications of recent legislative developments and strategies for addressing precarious working conditions at the bargaining table.

Privacy law

Jennifer Macko, Litigator, Employment and Privacy Lawyer, participated in a series of presentations in Woodstock, Alliston, and Brockville in November. Co-presenting with Louise McConnell of Arthur J. Gallagher Limited and representatives of tech company Nerds on Site, Jennifer presented to non-profit and DS sector leaders on the subject of privacy and consent issues for non-profit employers.

Accessible Canada Act

Partner, Brendon Pooran presented at the JOIN Annual Conference: Future of Work 2018 on December 4 in Toronto, on the subject of the Accessible Canada Act. His presentation focused on the the duties imposed on federally regulated businesses, such as those in the transportation, telecommunications, broadcasting and banking sectors, including compliance with accessibility standards and their implications on employers.

Human Rights

On December 4, Cheryl Wiles Pooran presented a paper which she co-authored with PooranLaw associate Faraz Kourangi entitled “Assessment and Discrimination in Education, Employment and Professional Licensing: Testing the Limits of Accommodation” at the Law Society of Ontario’s 7^th Annual Human Rights Summit. This paper addressed important issues related to the duty to accommodate in education, employment and professional licensing contexts.

PooranLaw Legal Update Webinar Series

This year PooranLaw was pleased to host numerous free webinars for our clients, not-for-profits, and community members on a variety of legal issues. The issues we addressed in our webinars this year include: