The course list for the 2009-2010 'training season' at the Manitoba Human Rights Commission has just been finalized. As usual, there is a terrific line-up of courses that you can take taught by Commission staff, the Commission's legal counsel and, yours truly. On tap this year for me are my usual courses on "How to Investigate a Human Rights Complaint" and "Reasonable Accommodation in the Workplace." These courses fill up fast so if you haven't had a chance to attend yet, I'd encourage you to call the Commission as soon as you can to sign up. Download Education brochure 2009 2010.
For those of you who have been asking about other courses I might be teaching at the Commission I'm happy to announce that I've spent my summer putting together a brand new course that I think will be a great addition to the Commission's current line-up. Called "Workplace Human Rights Complaints: myths, fears & realities", I'm going to be covering a whole range of common topics that I come across in the work I do on a daily basis and which I find that human resource specialists, managers and employers struggle regularly with. My goal is to dispel the myths and fears associated with workplace human rights complaints, and let you in on the real truths. Here's what we'll be discussing:
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legal liabilities of employers for human rights-related misconduct in the workplace
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ways in which a human rights complaint can come to your attention in the workplace (some obvious, some not so!)
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what to do if you become aware of what you think is a human rights complaint (learn what you need to do to help prevent legal liability)
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how to decide whether a human rights complaint needs to be investigated (the questions you need to ask yourself before jumping head-first into or avoiding an investigation)
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essential elements of a good investigation
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liability issues relating to the poor handling of investigations
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the top 8 fatal mistakes employers make when faced with a workplace human rights complaint
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what to expect when the Human Rights Commission gets involved (what really happens)
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my top 5 tips for dealing with the Commission.
The course has been structured to be an open dialogue with quick quizzes and test-your-knowledge scenarios to ensure you leave with a solid understanding of the material. I'll also save time for those "I've always wanted to ask this about the Commission but didn't know who to ask" questions that may have been plaguing you for years! I hope you join me as I embark on this new course. I'm only teaching it three times this session so if you're interested, please contact the Commission and sign up soon.
I know there are those of you who live outside of Manitoba or you otherwise can't make it to my courses but have been asking for access to my materials anyway. Please note that I am currently working at getting my content together to start making my courses available online. I'm still in the early stages of development but will keep you updated so you know when this becomes reality.

