The National Capital Region’s only employee-driven awards –Don’t miss The Employees’ Choice Awards (ECA) at the Eastern Ontario HR Conference & Trade Show. This unique awards program honours local organizations that use innovative HR practices to create employee-friendly workplaces and drive business results.

Members - $55
Non-Members - $65

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Session 1 - 10:15 - 11:15 am
HR Law Update – Panel Discussion

Dan Palayew will chair a panel discussion on the latest employment law, including just cause terminations and topics related to the current economy—downsizing, employer rights and obligations

Caroline Richard will discuss Bill 168—the Occupational Health and Safety Amendment Act (Violence and Harassment in the Workplace), 2009.

Speaker Biographies:

Dan Palayew,
Partner, Heenan Blaikie
Dan Palayew regularly advises employers on a number of HR law issues including grievances, arbitrations,
union organizing and certification, collective bargaining and employment contracts.

Caroline Richard,
Partner, Bird Richard
Caroline Richard is a founding partner at Bird Richard, an employment law firm representing management and employers in all labour and employment law matters. Caroline assists her private and public sector employers in achieving their operational goals while complying with their legal obligations.

Melanie Polowin
Partner, Gowlings’ Kanata Technology
Melanie Polowin is a partner with Gowlings’ Kanata Technology Law Office. Melanie advises Canadian and international employers, from start-ups to well established companies, on how to effectively manage all aspects of their employment relationships, from recruitment and hiring to termination. She works collaboratively with employers to implement effective employment documentation and risk-reduction strategies, and has considerable experience in managing and resolving employment disputes. She also assists businesses and investors with the employment aspects of corporate life-cycle events, from starting up to winding down, financing, mergers and acquisitions, and IPOs.

Steven Williams
Partner, Emond Harnden LLP
Steve Williams advises both Ontario and federal jurisdiction employers in labour and employment law. Steve has the pleasure of working with a diverse local and national clientele ranging from business and professional service firms, public sector agencies, aviation and transportation companies, high-tech and non-profit corporations.

Steve is the past President of the Board of Directors of the Ottawa Human Resources Professionals Association as well as past chair of the Federal Government Affairs Committee of the Human Resources Professionals Association of Ontario Ottawa Chapter where he assisted with government relations matters.

Session 2 - 11:25 am - 12:15 pm
Analyzing Internet Behaviour to Determine HR Best Practices: “Leveraging Internet Trends and Social Media for Corporate Advantage”

Chris Skerrett, sales director for CareerBuilder Canada, provides an in-depth look at changes in Internet behaviour as users shift towards a Web 2.0 platform. Learn how cutting-edge organizations are using social media networks and alternative advertising to better attract and engage talent.

Speaker Biography:

Chris Skerrett,
Director of Sales, CareerBuilder.ca

As sales director of CareerBuilder Canada, Chris Skerrett directs the company’s strategy for becoming the Canadian leader in online recruitment advertising. He is responsible for developing and delivering the strategic vision for CareerBuilder Canada, managing daily operations and driving new growth opportunities. Skerrett also conducts in-depth research of hiring trends, candidate behaviour and social media best practices to develop unique solutions to effectively meet client needs and market demand.

Session 3 - 1:00 - 1:45 pm
Service Canada Programs to Aid Employers in the Economic Downturn

Evelyne Power Reid, director, Eastern Ontario/Directrice, L'est de l'Ontario Citizen Service Branch / Direction générale de service aux citoyens, will provide an overview on work sharing—an adjustment program to avert temporary layoffs. Explore ways Service Canada assists employers and workers facing economic difficulties, along with information on how the Province of Ontario and Service Canada’s Joint Rapid Response Plan support our citizens during these difficult times.‪ ‪

Speaker Biography:

Evelyne Power Reid,
Director, Eastern Ontario/Directrice, L'est de l'Ontario
Citizen Service Branch / Direction générale de service aux citoyens

Evelyne Power Reid took on the role of Service Canada Director of Citizen and Community Services for Eastern Ontario in August 2007. EP is responsible for ensuring that Canadians in Eastern Ontario receive the highest level of quality service in support of Service Canada programs & services through a network of 15 Service Canada Centres, scheduled and mobile outreach sites, and through community participation by staff.

She began her Public Service career in 1989 as a labour market analyst in the former Canada Employment and Immigration Commission, in rural Nova Scotia. Following this position, EP took on a variety of roles in Nova Scotia including responsibilities for regional communications and regional programs and partnerships for Human Resources Development Canada.

In 2005, she took on the role of national director of partnership development, building many of the federal partnerships leading to the current complement of Service Canada services.

Session 4 - 1:50 - 2:35 pm
Workforce Analytics – Enabling HR Transformation

The transformation of the HR function from off-line service provider to strategic business partner is well under way in many organizations, and an enhanced workforce analytics capability is a critical part of the agenda.

This session explores how to leverage existing HR information to play a more strategic role in realizing business objectives.

The session is based on lessons learned from the IBM Institute for Business Value study, “A New Approach, A New Capability: The Strategic Side of Human Resources”.

Speaker Biography:

Bert Pereboom,
Senior Managing Consultant, IBM Global Business Services

Bert Pereboom is a senior managing consultant in the Human Capital Management practice of IBM Global Business Services. He has nearly 20 years of experience in workforce planning, demographics, labour relations and change management. Pereboom has contributed to the development and delivery of workforce management and workforce analytics solutions for IBM since joining in 2004. He holds a master’s degree in economics from Harvard University, with specializations in industrial organization and labour economics.

Keynote Presentation - 3:00 - 4:00 pm
Personalities at Work during an Economic Crisis: Free Traits and Third Natures

Personalities at Work during Economic Crisis: Free Traits and Third Natures

Join personality psychologist and Harvard professor Dr. Brian Little for a provocative afternoon keynote exploring how HR professionals can help employees find “restorative niches” to sustain themselves and their organization’s employees in challenging times. Dr. Little illustrates the effect personality has on communication, memory, learning styles and decision-making and argues that in our professional work, we are not always what we appear to be.

Speaker Biography:

Dr. Brian Little, PhD

Dr. Brian R. Little is a personality psychologist who has significantly changed the direction of his field by developing the concept and ways of studying “personal projects.” He makes the convincing case that our well-being depends on the sustainable pursuit of our core personal projects, an idea that has enormous impact for organizations of all kinds and for individuals as we attempt to manage the strategic (im)balance between work and life.

Dr. Little has taught with distinction at Oxford, Carleton and Harvard universities. He was awarded the 3M Fellowship, referred to by Maclean’s magazine as the Nobel Prize of university teaching, and was the first recipient of the Royal Bank Faculty Fellowship in University Teaching at McGill University. For three consecutive years he was elected by the graduating classes of Harvard as one of their favourite lecturers and his “perfect teaching evaluations” resulted in considerable media attention.

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