Upcoming Webinars:

February 16, 2012 – Age Discrimination in the Canadian Workplace
Speaker: Shana Wolch of Spectrum HR Law LLP, Patricia Brownell, PhD, Associate Professor Emerita of Social Service at Fordham University

In a webinar on Age Discrimination in the Canadian Workplace, Shana Wolch of Spectrum HR Law LLP and Patricia Brownell of of Social Service at Fordham University will discuss the peaks and valleys of managing the aging workforce in an era where mandatory retirement is virtually outlawed.  While Canadian employers will rarely be able to justify the need for mandatory retirement policies in their workplaces, employees are becoming less interested in retirement, particularly where their minds and pocketbooks are still looking for work.  Shana will therefore review the legal risks and considerations associated with promoting a productive workplace without the fear of engaging in conduct that amounts to actual or perceived age-related bias.   Since the law now recognizes that employees over a certain age can still perform up to the expected standards of their jobs, employers and their aging employees should be able to jointly benefit from these valuable years of experience and start looking forward to this stage as the golden days of work.

Date: February 16, 2012
Time: 1pm (EST) / 11am (MST)
Register: Here

Biographies

Patricia Brownell, PhD, is Associate Professor Emerita of Social Service at Fordham University. Dr. Brownell represents INPEA on the CONGO Committee on Ageing.   UN/New York and serves as the focal point on older women. Dr. Brownell also serves on the Board of Directors of the National Committee for the Prevention of Elder Abuse and just completed an edited manuscript with co-editor Dr. James Kelly, President of Menlo College, on ageism in the workplace.

Shana Wolch practices employment and labour law with Spectrum HR Law LLP, a boutique law firm in Western Canada that focuses mainly on human resources related legal issues.  Shana provides advice and representation to employers on issues related to general employment and labour law including, but not limited to, the following: policy implementation and enforcement; hiring, management and termination of employees; human rights; privacy; disability management; occupational health and safety; and, defence of claims, complaints and actions.  Shana is the Vice Chair of the Canadian Bar Association Labour and Employment Section (Alberta Branch) executive committee and is also a member of the Canadian Bar Association Privacy Section (Alberta Branch).  She presents regularly at employment and labour related seminars and has also been a guest lecturer at the University of Calgary Law School on various occasions in the employment and labour law class.  Shana was called to the Alberta Bar in 2004.