Lunch & Learn: Workplace Policies with Purpose
Workplace Policies with Purpose: Align, Protect, and Prepare for Growth
Join us for a practical and engaging conversation on how to build and apply workplace policies that reflect your company values, promote fairness, and protect your business.
As a small business owner or leader, you want flexibility—but without clear policies, it’s easy for decisions to feel inconsistent, expectations to be unclear, and trust to be eroded (even with the best of intentions).
Led by Catherine Phelps from Filion Wakely Thorup Angeletti LLP, and Emma Marriott from Iris HR.
In this session, we’ll cover:
What policies are legally required vs. what’s simply good practice
Using policies as a boundary-setting tool to support values-based leadership
The top policy mistakes small businesses make—and how to fix them
You’ll leave with practical insights, actionable steps, and a policy checklist to help you create aligned, sustainable, and compliant workplace policies.
Lunch will be provided.
Meet the presenters
Catherine Phelps is a labour & employment lawyer at Filion Wakely Thorup Angeletti LLP. She provides practical advice and representation to employers of all shapes and sizes on the full spectrum of workplace issues.
Emma Marriott is the owner of Iris HR, providing fractional HR support to small businesses across Ontario. With a Bachelor of Management (HR) and her CHRL designation, she brings over a decade of practical, people-first HR experience.
Real-life examples make it real:
“The real-world examples brought the concepts to life. Our group especially appreciated the clarity around what’s legally required versus what’s just good HR practice. The discussion on how to make policies feel more human—and less like red tape—was a standout.” —Elizabeth Dobkin, York Entrepreneurship Development Institute