Hiring, Accommodating and Exiting Employees: Managing Workforce Risk in Agricultural Manufacturing

Labour shortages and increasing production costs are a challenge to operations. The need to recruit and retain a skilled workforce, coupled with increased scrutiny around accommodating employee disabilities and termination of employment can present a number of legal risks and expenses for employers. In this session we will discuss important legal considerations regarding recruitment, the duty to accommodate and termination of employment. Attendees will receive practical takeaways to reduce risk and respond confidently to employment challenges.

Facilitator: Ashton Butler, Associate, MLT Aikins

About the Facilitator:

Ashton Butler is an associate in the Regina office of MLT Aikins, where her practice focuses on labour and employment law. She advises employers and management teams across a range of industries on workplace matters including hiring, the drafting and implementation of employment contracts, independent consulting contracts and workplace policies, disciplinary matters, employment standards and defending employers facing litigation.

Ashton regularly supports clients in navigating complex workplace issues including terminations and layoff strategy, wrongful and constructive dismissal claims and advising on human rights, harassment and accommodation situations. She also conducts workplace investigations, including harassment investigations and works with clients to develop practical, effective solutions to evolving employment challenges.

Recognized for her strong leadership and engagement in the legal community, Ashton has been recognized as One to Watch by Best Lawyers in Canada in the areas of Labour and Employment Law and Alternative Dispute Resolution and has held roles with the Canadian Bar Association’s administrative and labour and employment law sections. She is also an active member of several professional organizations.

AI Adoption: Frameworks for Success

Artificial intelligence is already reshaping how Canadian ag manufacturers compete on a global scale - from predictive maintenance and quality control to autonomous machinery and precision robotics. But adopting AI effectively demands structured frameworks that address governance, risk, and practical implementation together.

This session brings together legal insight and real-world experience to give attendees a comprehensive view of successful AI adoption in an agricultural manufacturing environment. We will cover the legal dimensions of AI deployment, including governance structures, contracting risks with AI vendors, and accountability and data integrity issues, before shifting to the factory floor, where attendees will share their own experiences rolling out AI tools to improve efficiency and drive innovation. A key theme is physical AI: autonomous systems, robotics, and intelligent machinery that is transforming industrial work in the same way generative AI has transformed knowledge-based work.

This Momentum Series session is designed to be interactive and practitioner-focused, grounded in the legal and operational realities facing AMC members as they move from AI curiosity to AI implementation.

Speaker: Danielle Graff, Partner, MLT Aikins

About the Speaker:

Danielle co-leads the MLT Aikins Agribusiness and Food practice and is a technology, privacy, and intellectual property lawyer. She advises organizations on complex, high-impact initiatives at the intersection of innovation, technology, data, and regulation, helping clients navigate strategic opportunities while managing risk. Danielle is recognized in the 2025 edition (and since 2023) of the Best Lawyers in Canada for Information Technology Law and Technology Law.

In her agribusiness and food practice, Danielle works with clients across the agricultural value chain, including crop input providers, grain handlers, processors, manufacturers, and emerging agtech ventures. She advises on digital agriculture platforms, data governance, technology commercialization, and regulatory compliance, with a particular focus on how data and emerging technologies are transforming the sector. Danielle also advises clients on the legal and governance challenges of artificial intelligence, including AI-related contracting risks, responsible deployment, and integration into existing operational frameworks.