HRPA Law Conference: Essential HR Law Updates for Today’s Workplace

8:15 a.m. Networking Breakfast

Connect with peers before the day begins in a relaxed, informal setting.

9:00 a.m. Opening Remarks

Opening remarks setting the tone for the day, outlining key themes and expectations.

9:15 a.m. Primer Ideas: What’s Actually Keeping HR Up at Night

HR professionals are navigating increasingly complex workplace issues; often with limited time, resources, and support. These fast-paced sessions takes a practical look at the HR legal issues that are showing up most frequently in today’s workplaces.

Through short, focused segments, speakers will explore common scenarios where performance, conduct, accommodation, and policy issues intersect with legal risk. Participants will gain clarity on early warning signs, common missteps, and how to assess risk before issues escalate.

1. The AI Hiring Trap: Navigating Bias and Automated Disclosure Rules
   With new requirements around disclosing the use of AI in recruitment now in full swing, this session looks at the legal risks of “algorithmic bias.” We’ll discuss how to audit your vendor’s tech to ensure your automated screening isn’t creating a human rights nightmare.
   Speaker: Brittany Taylor, Partner, Rudner Law
2. Pay Transparency Fallout: Handling Internal Salary Conflict
   Now that salary ranges are public on job postings, “salary compression” and internal equity are causing friction. We’ll look at the legal risks of “equal pay for equal work” claims sparked by employees seeing higher ranges for new hires.
   Speaker: Alejandro Munoz, Partner, Sherrard Kuzz LLP
3. Ahead of the Gavel: Preparing for Litigation
   Equip yourself with essential knowledge and actionable steps to effectively prepare for potential litigation. In today’s complex workplace environment, legal disputes can arise unexpectedly, making proactive preparation a critical aspect of risk management. Attendees will learn how to minimize legal exposure and strengthen their organization’s position should litigation occur.
   Speaker: Alastair McNish, Commercial Litigation Partner, Chitiz Pathak LLP
4. The “RTO” Tug-of-War: When Mandates Conflict with the Duty to Accommodate
   SPONSORED
   As more organizations solidify Return-to-Office (RTO) mandates, duty to accommodate requests are surging. This session covers the latest case law on whether “desire” for hybrid work can legally be elevated to a “need” under the Human Rights Code.
   Speaker: Natasha Savoline, Partner, Bernardi Human Resource Law
5. Performance Managing the “Quiet Quitter”
   By 2026, “Quiet Quitting” isn’t a trend — it’s a legal liability. When an employee does the bare minimum, treating their disengagement as a “voluntary resignation” is a fast track to a wrongful dismissal claim. This high-speed primer draws a hard line between performance issues and job abandonment. Learn how to manage the “minimum effort” employee, document the decline, and re-establish the bar without accidentally triggering a constructive dismissal suit.
   Speaker: Michelle Small, Founder / Employment Lawyer, Small HR Law P.C.

10:00 a.m. How to Effectively Prepare for Mediation so you can Efficiently Reach Resolution

Mediation is a powerful tool for resolving workplace disputes efficiently—but outcomes depend on how well you prepare. In the HR and employment law context, thoughtful preparation can mean the difference between prolonged conflict and timely, effective resolution.

Join this panel of experienced practitioners for a practical discussion on how to approach mediation with a clear strategy. Panellists will share insights on assessing risk, preparing key materials, aligning stakeholders, and navigating the human dynamics that often shape outcomes.

Key Takeaways:

• How to practically prepare for a mediation as an HR professional
• Practical tips for preparing briefs, evidence, and stakeholders
• What to expect from the process
• How to work effectively with mediators to reach resolution

Moderator: Hena Singh, Partner, Singh Lamarche LLP & Singh Investigations and Mediations

Panelists: édric Lamarche, Mediator, CPL Resolutions; Joy Noonan, Principal, Neutral Solutions

10:30 Stretch Break 

10:50 a.m. Case Study: Managing Mental Health Absences and Accommodation

Disability claims related to mental illness are the fastest-growing disability type. Already, 30-40% of short-term disability claims and 30% of long-term disability claims are related to mental health issues. The workplace itself is a significant factor in mental health and mental illness. According to a recent worldwide survey, 60% of employees say their job is the biggest factor influencing their mental health, and more than two thirds of employees say their managers have as much impact on their mental health as their spouses and more of an impact than their doctors or therapists!

Through interactive, case-based learning participants will learn to:

• Request information from healthcare providers that identifies cognitive limitations
• Understand the procedural and substantive duty to accommodate
• Plan appropriate accommodations based on precisely identified cognitive limitations
• Move beyond vague notes about “stress” to obtain information that actually helps to manage absences
• Identify the appropriate role for physicians and other health care providers to play in the accommodation process.

Speaker: Krista Siedlak, Partner, Turnpenney Milne LLP

11:30 a.m. The Sidebar: Peer-to-Peer Problem Solving

This high-speed session uses a “Case File” approach to solve your toughest 2026 legal hurdles. Gather around with your peers and discuss possible solutions to the Case File presented to you. We are using real cases – is there a problem you want to solve? Submit your Case File idea here:

The Format:
Case File: Go over the burning legal HR situations.
Connect: Huddle for multi-perspective feedback with your HR Law Team.
Results: Find out how everyone else answered.
Connect: Swap LinkedIn QR codes to keep the conversation going.

12:10 Networking Lunch

Networking lunch for attendees.

1:10 p.m. Family Feud – but with your HR Law family

An interactive panel tackling real HR scenarios submitted by attendees, focusing on judgment and risk trade-offs.

2:15 p.m. Immigration Risk and Retention in 2026: What HR Leaders are Getting Wrong

Hiring and supporting foreign-trained talent brings opportunity — and risk. This session explores the HR implications of immigration policy changes and shifting political direction, plus strategies retain talent who are not yet permanent residents of Canada.

Participants will gain practical guidance on managing these risks while supporting inclusive and compliant practices.

Speaker: Cassandra Fultz, RCIC-IRB, Founder and Principal Consultant, Doherty Fultz Immigration; Evan Green, Managing Partner, Green & Spiegel

2:45 p.m. Energy Break

Recharge and connect with peers.

3:15 p.m. Retaining Global Talent Without the Legal Guesswork 

Sponsored
International employees are among the hardest to retain and the easiest to lose to administrative friction. Work permits expire, compliance deadlines get missed, and HR teams are left managing complex immigration timelines with tools that were never built for the job. This session explores how forward-thinking employers are using technology to take a proactive approach to workforce compliance, reducing risk, cutting costs, and giving their international talent the stability they need to stay and grow.

Speaker: Sally Daub, Co-Founder, BorderPass

3:35 p.m. Primer Ideas: Final Sprint

Closing the day with another set of lightning-fast legal primers designed for the high-pressure HR environment. These rapid-fire segments focus on the most frequent “fire drills” hitting your desk in 2026. Get the essential playbooks you need to assess risk and act with confidence when time is short. No filler. Just the facts you need to protect your organization.

1. Watched at Work: Digital Monitoring
   In today’s digital-first workplace, monitoring employee activity—from email and internet usage to productivity software and remote work tracking—is both a powerful management tool and a legal minefield. This rapid-fire session will provide HR professionals with a clear, concise framework for understanding, implementing, and communicating digital monitoring policies that balance organizational security with employee trust and privacy rights.
   Speaker: Alex Van Kralingen , Partner, Israel Foulon Wong LLP
2. Managing Employees on Extended Leaves: Navigating Contractual Limits and Employer Frustration
   Extended employee leaves create complex legal and operational challenges, particularly when assessing whether the employment contract has been frustrated. This session explores key legal principles, recent case law, and practical strategies to support sound decision-making and mitigate organizational risk.
   Speaker: Elisa Scali, Partner, Gowling WLG
3. Maintained Status: Points on Work Authorization HR Can’t Afford to Miss
   This primer will cover key recent changes in Canadian immigration affecting employers and foreign workers, with a focus on practical workplace impact. We will clarify maintained status: what it is, when it applies, how it works, and how HR can properly document and verify it, as well as unpack what “must leave Canada” truly means in practice. The session will also review work permit best practices, including auditing expiry dates, understanding government-imposed conditions, and proactively planning for renewals to reduce organizational risk.
   Speaker: Cassandra Fultz, RCIC-IRB, Founder and Senior Consultant, Doherty Fultz Immigration
4. Commas, Clauses, and Consequences: Why Punctuation Matters in Employment
   Termination clauses remain one of the most litigated, and least settled, areas of employment law, with courts continuing to scrutinize even minor drafting details. This session looks at the current state of the law and why seemingly small issues, including punctuation, can determine whether a termination clause is enforceable or void.

Speaker: Nicole Simes, Founder, Simes Law

4:10 p.m. Stretch Break

4:15 p.m. Keynote: The Credibility Gap — Why Employees Trust HR… or Don’t 

HR professionals often navigate competing expectations from employees, leaders, and the organization. This closing keynote explores how credibility is built, or quietly eroded, during moments of conflict and change. Drawing on real-world examples and Shannon’s experience mentoring men in a medium-security prison, participants will explore the leadership behaviours that strengthen trust, build credibility, and increase influence.

Speaker: Shannon Talbot, Human Connection Expert & Author

4:45 p.m. Closing Reflections & What HR Needs Next

Wrap-up and key takeaways from the day.

4:55 p.m. Mix & Mingle Reception