What are you looking forward to in 2025?

While working collaboratively with employers and fellow lawyers is at the top of my list here are a few other things I am looking forward to:

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1. Great conversations with employers about human rights in the workplace

A lot of workplace investigations occur because of allegations that employee A has made derogatory and humiliating comments about employee B’s personal characteristics, or allegations that employee A has been sexual harassing other employees. If these allegations are true, then employee A has breached the BC Human Rights Code.  This is where I can help by providing advice to the employer about vicarious liability, and I can conduct a workplace investigation.  

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What I like doing more though is advising and updating workplace policies that set out the minimum expectations for behaviour in the workplace.  This is where great conversations about diversity, equity and inclusion occur, and employers can develop policies and a culture that goes beyond their minimum legal obligations.  

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2. Great conversations with employers about fairness in workplace investigations

It is recognized in the courts, and amongst the lawyers I know that conduct workplace investigations, that a fair process when fact-finding is paramount.  For me this means a conversation with the employer about what triggered the need for an investigation, what the scope of work should be, and I discuss how my process is confidential, time-sensitive, proportionate, and culturally and trauma informed.  At the end of the fact finding, I document in my report what I did when so that in the very unlikely event there are legal proceedings and the investigation report is relevant, there is transparency around what steps I took and when.  

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On a more personal note, I am also looking forward to having great conversations about human rights with the teens I volunteer with. These teens, part of Generation Z (born between 1997 and 2012), are educated about human rights and diversity, and are able to articulate what is going right for them and what is going wrong for them in a way that impresses me. The conversations and insights I gain from them gives me hope that when they rule the world there might be less need for workplace investigations.  

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To learn more about KSW Lawyers, how we help clients, and how I can assist you with your workplace investigation, workplace policies or human rights matter, call (604) 591-7321 or visit kswlawyers.ca or email to [email protected]

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