2021 isn’t quite what we hoped for, but we sure have been busy. Here’s a recap of what the Section has recently been up to, what we can look forward to this fall, and how you can (and should) get involved!
Annual Conference
The Section is hard at work planning for this year’s conference program in November. At this stage we are hoping for an in-person conference but planning for all contingencies, including online options. Stay tuned for details!
Advocacy Highlights
Our Law Reform Committee recently made a submission to the Federal Minister of Labour on the Right to Disconnect and Gig work. The Committee highlighted the need for clarity and certainty on the status of gig workers, as well as the appropriate timing for consultation on the right to disconnect in light of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Collaborations
The Section has collaborated with the CBA Privacy and Access Law Section to create the Covid Alert App: What Lawyers Need to Know factsheet to highlight the privacy and employment legal issues that should be considered before use.
We have also collaborated with the CBA Law Students and CBA Young Lawyers Sections to organize a Coffee in the Times of COVID cohort stream titled A Good Lawyer can have a Good Life and be a Good Person. Senior lawyers will lead discussions with law students and young lawyers over 5 biweekly sessions.
Pandemic Preparedness Toolkit
In 2014, our Section produced Pandemics and the Workplace, a resource for lawyers of employers, unions and employees to assist them in advising clients during pandemic. We’ve learned a lot since then, so we’re undertaking a full review and rewrite. This is a big project; so, the Section would be grateful for more volunteers! If you would like to contribute, please contact us.
New member article
We have a new member article to share on Employee whistleblower protections in the time of COVID-19. About the author: Jennifer Del Riccio is a third year Juris Doctor student at Osgoode Hall Law School and is the Student Representative on the Labour and Employment Law Section Executive.
If you have written an article that you think would be of interest to members, please submit it to be published on our webpage, LinkedIn Group and sent out to all CBA members in the quarterly article roundup!
Get Involved
Our Section would not be successful without the hard work and dedication of our Executive and our Section members. So, we ask you to continue your engagement in the following ways:
- Send us your ideas for new activities or initiatives that you would like to see from the Section
- Volunteer and assist with a Section initiative
- Join us to contribute to our submissions.
- Join our LinkedIn group and share information.
Thanks and all the best for a great summer,
Valerie Dixon
Vice-Chair (2020-2021)
CBA Labour & Employment Section