Pandemic Pandemonium: The Workplace Challenges of COVID-19

Date: March 25, 2020

Time: 9am – 10:15am PST

The Panel of Experts: Paul D. McLean, Kyle MacIsaac, Natasha Lakhani, Jeremy Warning of Mathews Dinsdale & Clark LLP, covering British Columbia, Alberta, Ontario, and Nova Scotia Jurisdiction.

Download the Slides: Here

About the Webinar

Self-isolation, social distancing, and respiratory hygiene. These phrases that have rapidly entered our collective discussions and workplaces as a result of the rapid spread of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19). From travel to public institutions, sporting events, schools, grocery stores, and coffee shops, the impact has been historic and, unquestionably, profound for every Canadian workplace. Circumstances are very fluid and evolving and recommendations from public health agencies and government measures develop and evolve almost daily. In this webinar, experienced lawyers from Canada’s only national labour and employment law firm will provide practical commentary on many of the key workplace issues arising from the global pandemic including:

• Prevention in the workplace – from exclusions to vulnerable employees
• Employees who shouldn’t, can’t, don’t want to, or refuse work
• Employee comings and goings: travel and immigration
• Workplace screening
• Layoffs, terminations and compensating absent employees

About the Speakers

Paul D. McLean, A Partner in the Vancouver office of Mathews, Dinsdale & Clark, Paul has been helping employers across Western Canada resolve workplace law problems for over two decades. He has significant experience in the mining, education, hospitality and financial sectors. Recognized as a leading practitioner by Best Lawyers and Lexpert, Paul provides strategic counsel to clients concerning workplace litigation, occupational health and safety, workers’ compensation, human rights and related matters. Like many lawyers, he frequently finds himself in court or before administrative tribunals and arbitrators. When not attempting to stop pucks as a beer league goalie, Paul lectures as an Adjunct Professor at the UBC Faculty of Law, where he teaches employment law.

Kyle MacIsaac, Kyle is a partner in the Halifax office of Mathews, Dinsdale & Clark who advises employers in all areas of workplace law. Kyle represents provincially and federally regulated employers concerning both labour and employment matters, including those concerning human rights issues, employment standards and employment contracts, wrongful dismissal, occupational health and safety, union organizing, collective agreement interpretation, grievance handling, progressive discipline and investigations into employee misconduct. He has appeared before various courts and tribunals throughout Canada.

Natasha Lakhani, Natasha is an Associate in the Mathews, Dinsdale & Clark’s Calgary office, focusing on assisting clients with their cross-border immigration needs. Natasha regularly supports employers in obtaining work permits for their employees using both the temporary foreign worker and international mobility streams. Once in Canada, Natasha assists and advises clients in obtaining permanent residence and citizenship. Natasha provides guidance to employers when preparing for immigration compliance audits and inspections. She also specializes in preparing spousal sponsorship applications. Natasha is highly experienced in all facets of business immigration law.

Jeremy Warning, Jeremy is a partner in the Toronto office of Mathews, Dinsdale & Clark. He is a former health and safety prosecutor who has represented employers and management numerous times before the provincial and federal courts, administrative tribunals, boards of arbitration, and at Coroner’s inquests. His practice with a particular emphasis on occupational health and safety and, in that regard, he provides proactive and strategic advice and representation following serious workplace accidents and in relation to sensitive workplace safety matters. Jeremy is a co-author of the Annotated Occupational Health and Safety Act, a leading health and safety text. He is listed as a “consistently recommended” occupational health and safety lawyer in The Canadian Legal Lexpert Directory and as a leading occupational health and safety lawyer in Best Lawyers in Canada.