Stephen Hammond

Profile

Stephen Hammond is a keynote speaker, author, and educator in the field of workplace and community human rights. Since 1992 Stephen has rescued organizations from human rights disasters and enhanced businesses by encouraging them to change with the times. While Stephen is a lawyer by trade and still a member of the Law Society of British Columbia, he no longer practices law. He holds a professional designation with the Canadian Association of Professional Speakers and is past-President of the Vancouver chapter. Stephen's goal is to support welcoming workplaces.

At a relatively young age, Stephen's life experiences shaped his views and passions regarding human rights. Yes, his Bachelor of Arts in political studies from the University of Manitoba, and his Bachelor of Laws from Osgoode Hall, gave him a good base. However, his education of “hard knocks” likely came from intense discussions with his feminist and politician mother Gerrie Hammond, as well as his experience of being arrested in communist Poland before being thrown out of the country for being a “spy”.  Stephen was called to the Bar in British Columbia in 1988 and proceeded to work in the field of labour and employee relations both in the private and public sectors.

Stephen regularly appears on radio and television programs to discuss Harassment and human rights issues. He doesn't shy away from issues just because they are sensationally reported or misunderstood. Instead, Stephen tries to get to the heart of complex and often difficult cases.

Stephen is a two time author - Managing Human RIGHTS at Work and Steps in the RIGHTS direction.  Born in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Stephen has called Vancouver and Victoria, British Columbia home since 1990. His volunteer time has included Big Brothers, the Western Institute for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing, the Clean Air Coalition, Amnesty International, and the West End Residents Association. In his spare time, Stephen is on the steep and deep slopes of winter, while in the summer (in his words) he makes futile attempts to get a decent handicap on British Columbia's beautiful golf courses.

Clients Comments

It is very rare to find someone with the right combination of knowledge and experience and that something extra that makes people want to listen, learn and participate. We feel very lucky to have found Stephen, who makes Harassment Awareness training informative, useful, and yes...fun!

Stephen consistently gets rave reviews from all of the participants and is a pleasure to work with. We wouldn’t think of using anyone else.
- Anna Grolle BA, CGA, Director of Corporate Operations & HR, Cactus Club Café

Thank you for doing a great job!

Your presentation style and skills ensured the audience was engaged and your message was powerful, relevant and contemporary. Using current and provocative examples, you were able to address issues of stereotyping and discrimination that left people realizing there is so much to do. You also succeeded in taking the complexities of human rights and making them understandable. What was especially enjoyable was your humour. Using humour and irony, you were able to make points that are sometimes hard to make; yet when it came to the tough issues, you didn’t sugar coat your message. Conference participants truly appreciated your message.
- David Reid, Chairman, Saskatoon Chapter, Interprovincial Association on Native Employment

Our Fire Officer candidates have continually commented to me about your ability to provide clear and concise information in a meaningful and enlightened manner. They have also commented on your entertaining method of keeping them interested and engaged during lectures and your overall commitment to their learning and understanding of the topic under discussion.
- Robert Chapman,Division Chief, Training a Development, Vancouver Fire & Rescue Services

Your session was pivotal in allowing our employees to think about creating an inclusive workplace and environment for our academic community. It is a subject matter that can be emotional and even provocative and yet you were able to get people thinking about new and better ways to treat people. You challenged our staff to think more inclusively by the case examples you used. It was obvious from your presentation the in-depth knowledge and passion you have for human rights topics. At the end of your session, our employees went back to work with tools to either treat all people in the work environment and those they provide serve to appropriately, or to ask for advice if they encounter problems.

I appreciate your approach to the issues of workplace human rights. You are able to integrate current events, understandable laws and common sense. You also created an atmosphere of fun which increases the level of audience engagement and participation.
- Shailoo Bedi, Director, University of Victoria, University Libraries, Access & Branch Services

It is often difficult to discuss the issues of bullying and respect in an academic environment when there is a need to have free speech. However, your approach was great because it allowed for freedoms, yet talked about the desire and need to be respectful and within the law. Our department heads and administrators left your session with a better understanding of each person’s roles and responsibilities. Not an easy task.

We also liked your style. You were informal, friendly and fun. For this subject matter, that’s often hard to do. At the same time, you were direct and that is something we wanted and needed.
- Susan Todd-Morris, Executive Officer, Faculty of Social Science, McMaster University

When I read your book, Managing Human Rights at Work: 101 practical tips to prevent human rights disasters, I knew I had to purchase the book and use it as a resource for everyone in our program. The language and insights provided some excellent tips for many of our managers to use with their respective operations.

Your informal style with all the sessions was such a hit that other divisions of the company wanted you to give similar training. The feedback we have received on our evaluation forms has identified you as a strong knowledgeable speaker. I especially like the fact that some of our senior managers and HR department have subsequently sought out your advice to help with problems they encountered. Your experience and expertise has been very well received here at Cameco Corporation.
- Kelly Howey, Training and Development Department, Cameco Corporation

“Brilliant. Superb. It was amazing.”
- Catherine Peltier Mavin, Aboriginal Policy and Promotion Advisor, Government of Canada

Who would have thought we could have a session about human rights related issues and still have a good time? Your session was very well received by our employees in our desire to know more about our obligations and responsibilities.

Your presentation was very creative and that helped people to take in your message and apply it back at work. Thank you for helping us get a better understanding of this issue.
- Francine DiMambro, Senior Advisor, Human Resources, Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation