Trending Topics on the IRC Website
Stephanie Noel, Queen's IRC Director, 2019
A new and exciting year has begun, and I hope that you are off to a good start. As the Director, it is a good time for me to review what we did in 2018 and where we are going in 2019.
One of the ways I do this is to take a look at the popular articles on our website, and review which topics people are engaging with the most to ensure that these trends are representative of the programming that we are offering.
Last year we introduced a Workplace Restoration program, and I am pleased to see that three of the top four articles we released last year were about workplace restoration. This is clearly a hot topic that many organizations are dealing with right now.
Among the other top articles on our website (new and old) are topics that we cover in our Labour Relations Foundations program – from collective bargaining to fact-finding, to understanding Canadian labour law in the #metoo era.
Rounding out our top new articles list are pieces on conflict resolution and dealing with difficult behaviours in the workplace. These topics are addressed in our Strategies for Workplace Conflicts program.
Below I have highlighted the top 6 new articles we published in 2018.
4 Steps to Fix a Toxic Workplace Cathy Sheldrick, Queen’s IRC Sales and Marketing Coordinator
How do you fix a hostile workplace after a strike, merger or other polarizing event? How do you create a healthy workplace after a harassment or grievance investigation? It can be difficult to rebuild the trust that has been lost between members of a team or in leadership, or both. But, according to Anne Grant, a Queen’s IRC facilitator and workplace restoration specialist, you have to bring people back to a joint vision of what the workplace should be.
Workplace Harassment After #MeToo Deborah Hudson, Lawyer, Turnpenney Milne LLP
On October 5, 2017, the New York Times published an article detailing serious sexual harassment allegations against famous Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein. Three days later, his company’s Board of Directors terminated his employment effective immediately. In this context, actress Alyssa Milano took to Twitter, encouraging all women who have been sexually harassed or assaulted to change their status to “Me Too” (a hashtag originally coined by activist Tarana Burke) in order to give people a sense of the magnitude of the problem. Since then, “Me Too” hashtags spread virally across the world’s social media accounts, having reportedly been posted or commented on millions of times.
Putting Humpty Dumpty Back Together Again – Restoring Teams After Workplace Investigations Ronald Pizzo, Labour Lawyer, Pink Larkin
A workplace investigation will not repair dysfunctional workplace relationships. A workplace investigation neither builds bridges, nor resolves interpersonal conflict. In fact, an investigation may make a difficult work environment even more difficult. So how do we put Humpty Dumpty back together again, if all the King’s horses and all the King’s people could not?
Workplace Restoration Q&A with Anne Grant Cathy Sheldrick, Queen’s IRC Sales and Marketing Coordinator
Queen’s IRC sat down with Anne Grant, the facilitator for our new Workplace Restoration program, to find out more about the topic and the program. In the interview, Anne shares her experience in workplace restorations, including the surprises she’s had along the way. She gives some insight into what makes workplaces toxic and how this program will help organizations that are experiencing disruptions like prolonged conflicts, increased harassment or grievance claims, leadership issues, strikes, investigations or significant organizational changes.
Dealing with Difficult Behaviours (Rather Than Difficult People) Kari Boyle, Queen’s IRC Facilitator
In the Queen’s IRC Strategies for Workplace Conflicts course, we start by asking participants what they would particularly like help with in their workplace. A common response is “difficult / high conflict people”. However you define it, this is a huge challenge in today’s workplace and, unless it is handled well, it takes significant time, energy and expertise away from the work to be done.
3 Bad Habits that Impede Successful Conflict Resolution in the Workplace Joan Sabott, Queen’s IRC Facilitator
A habit can be defined as a “usual manner of behavior.” But what I know about conflict is that there is often nothing “usual” about it. What happens to those of us who support others in conflict is that we tend to reach for the same set of tools each time, although we often are trying to solve very different problems. Even with the best of intentions, these habits can result in frustration, shallow or even bad resolutions, and won’t meet the needs of the people in conflict. Here are some common habits when dealing with conflict and what can be done to overcome them.
If there’s a hot topic that you would like to see an article about, let us know! Contact us at ircresearch@queensu.ca.
Latest News
Queen's University Staff Recognition Award Given to IRC Team
The Queen's IRC Staff was recently recognized with a Queen’s University Special Recognition Staff Award (Team). The awards are given to individuals and teams for consistently providing outstanding contributions to the learning and working environment at Queen’s. Congratulations!
New Queen’s IRC Program Planner Now Available
Our Spring 2019-Spring 2020 Program Planner is now available online. Download it today to learn more!
What's inside?
Detailed program descriptions
Dates, locations, and fees
18-month program calendar
How to earn one of our prestigious Human Resources, Organizational Development or Labour Relations certificates
Custom program options for your organization
Spotlight on Labour Relations Foundations
Our flagship program for over 80 years, Labour Relations Foundations is a buffet program that covers a wide variety of topics including collective bargaining, grievance mediation, fact-finding, and arbitration. You will learn foundational labour relations skills and up-to-date information about Canadian labour law and how it affects your workplace.
This hands-on program features a variety of speakers and experts in their respective fields, including labour lawyers, mediators and union leaders.
This program is ideal for both union and management representatives, as well as HR and labour relations professionals responsible for employee relations.
Our Labour Relations Foundations program is running March 3-8 in Kingston – it's taking place a bit earlier than other years. Register now or contact us to reserve your spot today!
Conference and Trade Show Update
Queen's IRC will be attending a couple of conferences and trade shows in the next few months:
HRPA Annual Conference and Trade Show on January 30-February 1 in Toronto at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre. We will be at booth #114.
CPHRAB HR UNDEFINED Conference and Trade Show on April 10-11 in Edmonton at the Shaw Conference Centre
CPHR British Columbia & Yukon Conference and Trade Show on April 2-3 in Vancouver at the Vancouver Convention Centre.
For an overview of our professional development training, from the perspective of our participants and speakers, please check out our Queen’s IRC Video.
Copyright 2019 Queen's University IRC, Robert Sutherland Hall, 138 Union Street, Kingston, ON K7L 2P1
Call 1-888-858-7838 | Email IRC@QueensU.ca | Visit us online at irc.queensu.ca
A new and exciting year has begun, and I hope that you are off to a good start. As the Director, it is a good time for me to review what we did in 2018 and where we are going in 2019. 
Queen's IRC will be attending a couple of conferences and trade shows in the next few months:
