Corporate social responsibility goes with workers’ rights, says speaker

Corporations that are socially responsible and respect the rights of workers are more likely to comply with existing laws and regulations than those that aren’t. That’s what lawyer and Osgoode Hall Law School PhD candidate Vanisha Sukdeo will argue at an upcoming talk as part of the Osgoode-York Seminar Series in Policy Research.

“Corporate Social Responsibility and the Intersection of Workers’ Rights” will take place Thursday, Feb. 11, from 12:30 to 2pm in 902 York Research Tower, Keele campus.

Right: Vanisha Sukdeo

The term “corporate social responsibility”, says Sukdeo (BA ’03, LLM ’09), is used to differentiate from an alternate model which suggests that corporations exist solely for the benefit of shareholders and increased profits. Socially responsible corporations usually have duties to other stakeholders beyond shareholders.

Sukdeo will also examine the differences between “soft law” and “hard law”, specifically with regard to how the former can be used to help develop the rights of workers and increase enforcement and compliance with those rights.

A Fellow of the Nathanson Centre on Transnational Human Rights, Crime & Security, Sukdeo was called to the Ontario Bar in 2007. She is actively involved with the Federation of Asian Canadian Lawyers and the Graduate Law Students’ Association at Osgoode.

The seminar series is sponsored by the York Centre for Public Policy & Law (YCPPL).

A light lunch will be served. To confirm your attendance, e-mail Jennifer Dalton, YCPPL research fellow and seminar series coordinator, at jedalton@yorku.ca.