Thompson Rivers University, Fulton, and the Association of Workplace Investigators proudly present a two-day “Workplace Investigations in Canada: Current Issues and Future Directions” conference on current issues and future directions in workplace investigations in Canada.

Taking place over May 30-31, 2024, at Thompson Rivers University Faculty of Law’s award-winning facility, this event brings together employers, practitioners, employment lawyers, government officials, academics, human resource professionals, and others who are interested in the practice and theory of workplace investigations, providing a unique opportunity to share and gather insights, while networking with other stakeholders.

“In recent years, workplace investigations have become a major tool of employment law and regulation,” says Matt Malone, TRU law faculty member and author of We Have Received a Complaint: The Fraught World of Workplace Justice.

“As workers become more aware of their rights in the workplace, and as more employers use investigations to mitigate and address potential liability, workplace investigations have become an important tool to ensure workplaces meet required legal standards.

“This conference hopes to identify and discuss current issues and future directions in the field, taking up issues like threshold assessments, what constitutes conduct ‘in the workplace,’ appeals of investigations, anonymous complainants and issues of bias and equity, as well as the international perspective and investigations in contexts like sports. The conference will present a first-of-its-kind opportunity for stakeholders in the field. We hope it will become the first in a series of conferences on workplace investigations in Canada.”

Please note, this is a not-for-profit event. Any remaining funds will be used to support TRU Law Students. 

  • Agenda - Thursday, May 30, 2024

    8:00AM – 8:45AM – REGISTRATION AND BREAKFAST BUFFET

    8:45AM – 9:00AM – WELCOME REMARKS

    Monica Jeffrey (JMJ Workplace Investigation Law LLP and AWI President), Ayla Salyn (Fulton, Partner & Workplace Investigator), and Matt Malone (Thompson Rivers University)

    9:00AM – 9:30AM – WORKPLACE INVESTIGATIONS BY THE DATA

    Presenter: William Goldbloom (WG Resolutions)

    9:30AM – 10:30AM – PUTTING THE BRAKES ON WORKPLACE INVESTIGATIONS: FLEXIBLE AND HOLISTIC THRESHOLD ASSESSMENTS

    Presenters: Kristie Cronin (Deputy Minister of Human Resources, Nunavut); Michelle Jones (Partner, Lawson Lundell); Sandra MacKenzie (Partner, Lawson Lundell and Deputy Law Clerk of the Legislative Assembly, NWT)

    10:30AM – 11:00AM – COFFEE BREAK

    11:00AM – 11:45AM – DEFINING BOUNDARIES: NAVIGATING THE CONCEPT OF HARASSMENT “IN THE WORKPLACE”

    Presenters: Aryeh Green (Lawyer and Investigator, Mortimer Khoraych) and Rupa Karyampudi (Lawyer and Investigator, Mortimer Khoraych)

    11:45AM – 12:30PM – NAVIGATING EMERGING FRONTIERS IN WORKPLACE INVESTIGATIONS

    Presenters: Inna Koldorf (Partner, Employment & Labour Law, Miller Thomson LLP) and Asha Rampersad (Partner, Turnpenney Milne)

    12:30PM – 2:00PM – LUNCH & KEYNOTE ON THE TRANSITION FROM WORKPLACE INVESTIGATIONS TO SPORTS INVESTIGATIONS

    Presenter: Jennifer White (SportSafe Investigations Group)

    2:00PM – 3:3OPM – PARTY PERSPECTIVES: FROM ANONYMOUS AND WHISTLEBLOWER COMPLAINANTS TO MOBBING TO THE RESPONDENT EXPERIENCE

    Presenters: Sandeep J. Joshi (Partner, Kushneryk Morgan LLP), Suhaib Ibrahim (Lawyer and Workplace Investigator, Bernardi Human Resource Law LLP), and Cory Boyd (Co-Managing Partner of Rubin Thomlinson LLP)

    3:30PM – 4:00PM – COFFEE BREAK

    4:00PM – 5:00PM – CHALLENGING AN INVESTIGATOR’S DECISION – JUDICIAL REVIEW

    Presenter: Leanne Walsh (Founder, West Coast Workplace Law) 

    6:00PM – COCKTAILS AND DINNER

  • Agenda - Friday, May 31, 2024

    8:00AM – 8:45AM – BREAKFAST BUFFET

    8:45AM – 9:30AM – UNCONSCIOUS BIAS AND POWER IMBALANCES

    Presenters: Bonnie-Louise Lussier (Associate Lawyer, Kane Shannon Weiler LLP) and Ale Henao (Lidstone & Co)

    9:30AM – 10:15AM – COGNITIVE BIAS AND WORKPLACE INVESTIGATIONS

    Presenter: Carla L. MacLean, Ph.D. (Kwantlen Polytechnic University)

    10:15AM – 10:45AM – COFFEE BREAK

    10:45AM – 12:15PM – EQUITY IN FOCUS: THE INTERSECTION OF RACE, DISABILITY AND OTHER GROUNDS IN WORKPLACE INVESTIGATIONS

    Presenters: Shannon Sproule (Lawyer and Workplace Investigator, Turnpenney Milne LLP); Cereise Ross (Lawyer and Workplace Investigator, Turnpenney Milne LLP); and Jessica Vliegenthart (Partner, Fulton)

    Moderator: Angela Tensici, Associate, Fulton

    12:15PM – 1:00PM – LUNCH

    1:00PM – 1:45PM – THE LIFECYCLE OF INTERNAL INVESTIGATIONS & THEIR COMMON PITFALLS

    Presenter: Andre Goh and Jeanette MacLean (Ontario Power Generation) and Shannon Anthony (City of Toronto)

    Moderator: Charlene Cleary, Principal Lawyer, Westshore Law

    1:45PM – 2:30PM – INTERNATIONAL PERSPECTIVES ON WORKPLACE INVESTIGATIONS (THE UNITED STATES, AUSTRALIA, AND NEW ZEALAND)

    Presenters: Eli Makus (Van Dermyden Makus), Monica Jeffrey (JMJ Workplace Investigation Law LLP and AWI President), Paula Hoctor (Brisbane, Australia) and Andrew Scott-Howman (Wellington, New Zealand)

    2:30PM – 3:00PM – COFFEE BREAK

    3:00PM – 3:45PM – PRIVILEGED OR NOT?

    Presenters: Jessica Thomson and Leigh Stansfield (Pulver Crawford Munroe LLP)

    3:45PM – 4:45PM – ALTERNATIVES TO FORMAL WORKPLACE INVESTIGATIONS

    Presenters: Jacqueline Beltgens (Beltgens Law), Cherolyn Knapp (Knapp Resolutions), Marcia McNeil (Pulver Crawford Munroe LLP)

    4:45PM – 5:00PM – CONCLUDING REMARKS

    Monica Jeffrey (JMJ Workplace Investigation Law LLP and AWI President), Ayla Salyn (Fulton, Partner & Workplace Investigator), and Matt Malone (Thompson Rivers University)

    6:00PM – COCKTAILS AND DINNER

  • Download Agenda PDF
  • Sponsorships

    Thank you to our sponsors, your support made this possible.

    • Dinner & Signature Cocktail ($5000) Day 1 – Sponsored by Association of Workplace Investigators
    • Lunch ($3000) Day 1 – Sponsored by Lawson Lundell LLP
    • Breakfast ($1500) Day 1 – Mortimer Khoraych PC
    • Breakfast ($1500) Day 2 – JMJ Workplace Investigation Law LLP
    • Coffee ($500) Day 1 – High Conflict Institute
    • Coffee ($500) Day 2 – Van Dermyden Makus Law Corporation

    Please note, this is a not-for-profit event. Any remaining funds will be used to support TRU Law Students. 

    Interested in Sponsoring? Contact: jlaplaca@fultonco.com

  • Local Perks & Activities

    There wasn’t sufficient demand or interest in Saturday activities. For suggestions on things to do in Kamloops, please visit Tourism Kamloops HERE.

  • Call for Speakers - Closed March 1, 2024

    Check back in mid-February 2025 for the next call for speakers!

  • Questions? Contact Us!

    Matt Malone (Thompson Rivers University) – mmalone@tru.ca

    Ayla Salyn (Fulton, Partner & Workplace Investigator) – asalyn@fultonco.com

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