Final Programme

 

Click here to download the programme.

 

Thursday, 23 May 2019

 

16:00 – 17:00	Hilton Tallinn Park	National representatives meeting	Sydney Room
16:00 – 19:00	Hilton Tallinn Park	Registration open	foyer, 1st floor
17:15 – 19:00	Start from Hilton Tallinn Park	Old Town tour Walking tour to the Tallinn Creative Hub, start from Hilton Tallinn Park	foyer, ground floor
19:00 – 22:00	Tallinn Creative Hub	Welcome coctail Transfers from the venue Hilton Tallinn Park will be provided as of 18:30 Transfers from the Tallinn Creative hub back to the Hilton Tallinn Park, Swissotel, Telegraaf and Radisson Blu will be provided as of 21:45 Dress code: smart casual

 

Friday, 24 May 2019

 

8:00 – 19:00	Hilton Tallinn Park	Registration open	foyer, 1st floor
9:00 – 12:00	Hilton Tallinn Park	Opening session + Plenary sessions	Ballroom
9:00 – 10:15	Hilton Tallinn Park	Welcome and The Negotiation Generation Welcome Welcome by Bartlomiej Raczkowski, Chair of EELA, Raczkowski Paruch, Poland, and welcome and introduction by Pirkko-Liis Harkmaa, Chair of EELA Conference Committee, PLH Legal, Estonia Welcome by Imbi Jürgen, Vice Chairman of the Estonian Bar Association, PWC Legal Estonia Keynote Georg Merilo, The Negotiating Man, Estonia We negotiate every day. And not only in case of such big-time events like conclusion of an important contract or settling a major dispute, but also in our daily life with our family members, friends or colleagues. While we tend to prepare for the big-time events more seriously as we consider the stakes to be higher, the smaller everyday negotiations happen almost automatically when we try to get our kids to do the homework or persuade a colleague to see our view. In those cases we do not even think that we are negotiating. Some of us are persuasive and capable of strategic thinking by nature. But for many of us it does not come naturally and we need guidance and proper skills. Negotiations training is usually provided only to law school or business school students or to higher executives or sales personnel. But the rest has to cope in everyday negotiations without any proper training or preparation. At the same time when automation and AI are reshaping our workplaces, the future generation needs to possess a totally different set of skills to survive in the future world of work and business. These skills are the so-called soft skills that cannot be replaced by AI or machines. According to LinkedIn 2019 Global Talent Trends Report, the soft skills that companies need the most are creativity, persuasion, collaboration, adaptability and time management. A good negotiator possesses all those skills. More specifically – all these skills are like satellites to the discipline of negotiations. Georg’s dream is that the next generation of young people entering the world of work as employees, managers, leaders, freelancers, contractors or business owners will do so equipped with a complete new set of skills as masters of the art of negotiations. He will share his vision with the audience on how teaching young people the art of negotiations already at the secondary school level will prepare the next generations better for the workplaces of the future and what we need to learn to be able to be the worthy partners in negotiating with our next generation.	foyer, 1st floor
10.15 – 10.45	Hilton Tallinn Park	Coffee break	foyer, 1st floor
10.45 – 12.00		General session – #MeToo – impact on employment relations The #metoo phenomenon is a global social movement that has revolutionized awareness on the problem of sexual harassment. This has resulted in an explosion of sexual harassment complaints across all industries and jurisdictions, thus pressuring employers worldwide into revisiting their workplace practices. This session will explore the cultural differences that affect the manner in which the #metoo movement is addressed, including the backlash that has ensued, with a focus on comparisons between North America and the EU/UK. Our panelists will share first hand experiences of their handling of high profile complaints, as well as discuss how employers have responded in the workplace, and why they need to adapt their workplace harassment and investigation policies to better prevent and deal with such complaints.   Session leader Patrick Benaroche, Stikeman Elliott, Canada Panel members Richard Miskella, Lewis Silkin, UK Cara Green, Outten Golden, USA Tracy Owen, Paramount Pictures, USA	Ballroom
12.00 – 13.30	Hilton Tallinn Park	Lunch	foyer, 1st floor
13.30 – 17.00		Parallel sessions I (read table below)
15.00 – 15.30		Coffee break	foyer, 1st floor
15:30 – 17:00		Parallel sessions II (read table below)
19.30 – 02.00	Seaplane Harbour	Gala dinner Transfers from the venue Hilton Tallinn Park will be provided as of 18:30 Transfers from the Seaplane Harbour back to the Hilton Tallinn Park, Swissotel, Telegraaf and Radisson Blue will be provided as of 22:30   Dress code: business attire	Seaplane Harbour

 

Parallel sessions I.

 

13.30 – 15.00	Ballroom 2+3	Legal Tech for employment lawyers This session aims to discuss developments in AI and other technologies that are enabling the streamlining of legal processes and new models of legal service delivery. The session, interactive and dynamic, is intended to bring together people at the leading edge of these developments within their own organizations to discuss the opportunities and challenges of legaltech as well as showcase new technologies relevant for those working in the Employment and HR fields.   Session leader Inge Vanderreken, Allen & Overy, Belgium Panel members Jeremias Prassl, Associate Professor of Law, University of Oxford Alex Smith, iManage RAVN, UK”
13.30 – 15.00	Ballroom 1	Modern mobility – meeting the challenges of advising on new cross-border working arrangements Traditionally assignments were either short-term or long-term, structured as secondments, expatriations or transfers. Nowadays with dual careers, increased technology and different needs new and hybrid assignment models emerge. Alongside the traditional assignment types we now also have increased frequent travellers, commuters, cross-border teleworkers, satellite employees, cross-border mobile project workers, digital nomads, virtual organisations, etc. During this session we will discuss the challenges of those new global mobility models and address issues such as working time, tracking of whereabouts and its impact on tax and social security, immigration rules, managing minimum terms and conditions and applicable laws, increased compliance obligations, use of technology, etc  Session leader Sophie Maes, Claeys & Engels, Belgium Panel members Rebecca Emmett, Rebecca Emmett Employment, UK Fabienne Arrighi, Barthélémy Avocats, France Marija Gregoric, BABIC & PARTNERS Law Firm LLC, Croatia”
13.30 – 15.00	Las Vegas Room	GDPR today: who is still afraid of the big bad wolf? The General Data Protection Regulation EU 2016/679 (GDPR) came in with bells on. Concerned by the strengthened enforcement mechanisms and further-driven empowerment of data subjects, companies had to rethink how to handle personal data – also, their employee data. Now, one year after the GDPR’s point zero, it is time for a first ‘benefits vs. efforts’ assessment. How are employers handling and not handling their GDPR compliance? Did the supposedly insurmountable threat of data subject claims/requests and administrative fines actually manifested during the first GDPR year? Were employers confronted with a data subject request ‘boom’? The goal of this session is to discuss how employers have addressed (reasonable and less reasonable) data subject requests, how they dealt with data protection in employment litigation, and how they implement(ed) the GDPR in practice. In addition, the panel members of the session will have a closer look at a number of indivertible implementation drawbacks and pitfalls, such as the use of biometric data of employees, employee consent and data retention periods for HR files.   Session leader Dr. Yung Shin Van Der Sype, Timelex, Belgium Panel members Kathryn Dooks, Kemp Little, UK José Miguel Mestre Vázquez, Sagardoy Abogados, Spain”

 

Parallel sessions II.

 

15:30 – 17.00	Las Vegas Room	Workshop on presentation skills – “Knowing yourself, being yourself and showing yourself” There is a lot to be said about improving presentation skills and one can easily spend days of hard work to become a better public speaker. In this short interactive workshop we will concentrate under the guidance of a well-known television and radio presenter and specialist in presentation and media training for all kinds of professionals on the fundamental idea of knowing yourself, being yourself and showing yourself. Speaker Roeland Kooijmans, Vostokmedia, the Netherlands
15.30 – 17.00	Ballroom 1	Mental health issues at workplace Mental ill health costs the EU billions every year and the equivalent individual, community, and societal costs are immeasurable. On average people spend a third of their lives working. It is estimated that the proportion of the workforce in Europe that may be living with a mental health problem at any one time is up to two in five. In the EU it has been found that 15% of citizens have sought help for a psychological or emotional problem, with 72% having taken antidepressants. Mental health poses a number of difficult challenges for employers, policymakers and individuals. It cannot be considered at the workplace in isolation, nor be addressed with a broad-brush response as issues vary with each individual. Moreover, mental well-being receives varying degrees of attention by both employers and at national government level, affected by culture, knowledge and resources among other factors. The potential to enhance mental health in the workplace is, however, increasingly being emphasised, and the relationship between employment law and mental health issues is developing. Delegates will consider current initiatives, examine innovative approaches to promote mental health in the modern workplace and consider the relationship between mental well health issues and employment law. It promises to provide topical and thought-provoking debate. Delegates will: Gain an insight into current initiatives, research and proposals Increase awareness about the relationship of mental health and well-being to the workplace Examine innovative programmes for promoting mental health and well-being at work Discuss the interaction between employment law and mental health   Session leader Jonathan Simpson, A&L Goodbody, Northern Ireland Panel members Fiona Scullion, WorkWise lead at MindWise NV Bernard Jacob, Project manager and national coordinator of the mental health care, Belgian Federal Public Health Service” Panel members Rebecca Emmett, Rebecca Emmett Employment, UK Fabienne Arrighi, Barthélémy Avocats, France Marija Gregoric, BABIC & PARTNERS Law Firm LLC, Croatia”
15.30 – 17.00	Ballroom 2+3	Whistleblowing and investigation – changing law and practical tips This session will cover the new EU directive on whistleblower protection providing background to the directive and a presentation on the new rules, including commentary on how easy it will be to implement across member states. A short update on developments in whistleblowing regulation in Germany, France, Norway and UK will follow. The majority of the session will be spent on practical points to have regard to in running a whistleblowing investigation through the use of a case study which will be multi-jurisdictional and will involve discussion of topics including notifications to regulators, whistleblowing hotlines, preservation of anonymity, in-house approaches to whistleblowing investigations, the impact of GDPR and how to deal with retaliation.     Session leader Caroline Stroud, Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer, UK Panel members Dr. Timon Grau, Linklaters, Germany Christel Mercade-Piqueras, European Commission, Belgium Marit Berger Røsland, Equinor (former minister of European Affairs), Norway”

 

Saturday, 25 May 2019

 

07.00 – 08.00	Start from Hilton Tallinn Park	Morning jogging	foyer, ground floor
		Start from Hilton Tallinn Park hotel foyer, ground floor
08.00 – 15.00	Hilton Tallinn Park	Registration open	foyer, 1st floor
09.00 – 14.00	Hilton Tallinn Park	Plenary sessions & General assembly
	09.00 – 10.00	Update on the latest ECJ court practice Speaker Professor Catherine Barnard, Trinity College Cambridge	Ballroom
	10.00 – 10.15	Break
	10.15 – 11.30	Brexit – impact on employment relations This session considers Brexit and its impact on business and organisations. What are the key strategies employers have developed in anticipation of the disruption to their business planning? What existing contractual and policy solutions have been identified to facilitate the maximum flexibility for global organisations in deploying resources cross border. Practical immigration law solutions with existing deployment of employees between EU and non-EU countries. The application of EU law and principles pre and post Brexit and the harmonising of terms and conditions of employment.	Ballroom
		Session leader John Cronin, President of the British Irish Chamber of Commerce Panel members Professor Catherine Barnard, Trinity College Cambridge Christine Sullivan, Fragomen, Belgium Dr. Björn Otto, CMS Hasche Sigle, Germany Tijmen Noordoven, Rutgers & Posch, the Netherlands
11.30 – 12.00		Coffee break	foyer, 1st floor
12.00 – 14.00		General assembly AGENDA I. WELCOME AND OPENING II. BOARD ELECTIONS IN 2019 Belgium; Bulgaria; Czech Republic; Estonia; Finland; Hungary; Ireland; Slovakia; Switzerland; Croatia III. REPORT OF THE BOARD 2018/2019 IV. PARTNERSHIP WITH EELC V. NEXT EELA/ERA ANNUAL SEMINAR ON EUROPEAN LABOUR LAW VI. APPROVAL OF THE EELA 2018 ACCOUNTS VII. ANY OTHER ISSUES VIII. CLOSING IX. PRESENTATION OF HAMBURG 2020 CONFERENCE	Ballroom
14.00 – 14.45	Hilton Tallinn Park	Conference over + Lunch to go	foyer, 1st floor