Advancing Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (“EDI”) is to the benefit of society as a whole, including within both public and private organizations. However, the advancement of EDI is not without legal pitfalls and practical implications. On the one hand, organizations have legal and moral obligations related to advancing EDI. On the other, well-intentioned EDI initiatives may still lead to potential liability for organizations as gaps in EDI best practices go unaddressed. In this presentation, you will hear three perspectives relating to EDI within organizations:
- The perspective of an EDI practitioner, Nadia Mallay, SFU’s EDI Director for Staff/Human Resources, who asks us to consider the following:
- What do we mean when we talk about EDI and its importance?
- The opportunities and challenges in implementing effective EDI initiatives
- How the law can unintentionally get in the way of advancing EDI;
- The perspective of in-house counsel, Tara Hammer, Vice President Legal & General Counsel for Lordco Auto Parts, who will discuss the opportunities and challenges for organizations in implementing EDI initiatives, the internal friction that organizations can face when seeking to introduce EDI initiatives, and the practical challenges that can arise for organizations when actually implementing EDI initiatives; and
- The perspective of outside counsel, David G Wong, Leader of Fasken’s National Human Rights Practice, who will go over the legal obligations on organizations to take steps to address systemic discrimination, the risks and potential liabilities that can arise from the introduction and application of policies relating to EDI, and the relationship between EDI initiatives, prima facie discrimination, and special programs.
Event contact
Justin Mui Marketing Events Specialist +1 604 631 3296jmui@fasken.com
