Original Broadcast Date: September 24, 2026

Summary: Employment agreements, workplace harassment complaints, and employee terminations are among the most common HR challenges nonprofits face—and among the most likely to result in costly disputes when handled incorrectly. Join Darcy Michaud, Chief Services Officer at HR Covered, and host Kim Allen, Director of Account Management at HR Covered, as they explore three of the costliest HR mistakes nonprofits make and the practical steps organizations can take to avoid them. Drawing on real-world examples and decades of experience supporting Canadian employers, Darcy shares common pitfalls, employer obligations, and best practices related to employment agreements, workplace harassment and investigations, and employee terminations. The presentation was followed by a live Q&A session. Whether you’re an Executive Director, HR professional, manager, or board member, this webinar will help you identify potential risks before they become expensive problems. 

Learning objectives   

By the end of this webinar, participants will be able to: 

• Recognize common employment agreement issues that can expose nonprofit organizations to liability. 
• Understand employer obligations when responding to workplace harassment complaints and conducting workplace investigations. 
• Apply key principles for conducting fair, effective, and defensible workplace investigations. 
• Identify termination practices that commonly lead to disputes and employment-related claims. 
• Implement practical strategies to improve compliance and reduce HR-related risk. 
• Evaluate potential areas of concern within their organization and take proactive steps to address them. 

Webinar recording

Webinar Resources

• • • Download the slide deck
    • Book a consultation to receive a tailored HR Policy Manual at no cost
    • Further info on past and upcoming HR Covered Webinars
    • Contact HR Covered

Webinar speakers

Darcy Michaud, CHRL, MA – Chief Services Officer, HR Covered Inc.

With over 30 years of experience, Darcy Michaud is one of Canada’s most respected HR professionals, often called a “compliance whisperer” for his ability to simplify complex HR and employment law issues for organizations of all sizes. 

Darcy holds a Master’s degree from the University of Western Ontario and the Certified Human Resources Leader (CHRL) designation. Before joining HR Covered, he spent a decade as Director of Human Resources for a large city government, where he led negotiations for nine bargaining units and non-union staff. He also contributed his expertise on several municipal and provincial boards. 

Following his public sector success, Darcy became a senior consultant and trusted advisor at Canada’s largest on-call HR consulting firm, later founding his own firm, HR Primed Inc. After six successful years, HR Primed merged with HR Covered, where Darcy now serves as Chief Services Officer. 

In this role, he leads a national team of consultants supporting over 1,500 businesses and not-for-profits, helping them stay compliant, confident, and future-ready. 

Kim Allen, Director of Account Management, HR Covered Inc.

Kim Allen is a dedicated small business owner and HR strategist with a strong passion for empowering the success of small but mighty, mission-driven organizations. With firsthand experience managing the day-to-day challenges that small business and nonprofit leaders face, Kim understands how vital it is to have practical, reliable HR guidance that protects both the organization and its powerful, dedicated people. 

Driven by the belief that HR should empower leaders rather than overwhelm them, Kim focuses on helping small teams stay compliant, build healthy workplace cultures, and navigate complex employee situations with confidence. Kim’s work is rooted in clarity, empathy, and deep respect for the unique realities of lean teams achieving massive impact. 

Whether developing policies, advising on tricky employee issues, or building sustainable HR practices from the ground up, Kim’s goal is simple: protect smaller organizations and support the people who run them. 

 

“Really appreciate CharityVillage continuing to offer these webinars – they are a great resource for our sector!“

– Past CharityVillage Webinar Participant