Are there many employment & labour lawyers in Ontario?

There are many employment & labour lawyers working in Ontario – especially in large urban centers like Toronto. I go to a Christmas party each year that is attended by about 150 employment & labour lawyers and it is always sold out. Every employment and labour lawyer, however, is unique. Your challenge is to find the lawyer that best suits your needs.

What does an employment lawyer do?

Some lawyers practice a subspecialty within employment law like workers compensation or pay equity. The lawyers at the MacLeod Law Firm are not specialists; we are employment law generalists.

What kind of services does an employment law generalist provide?

Most employment law generalists draft employment contracts and employment related policies and can make sure employee handbooks comply with Ontario’s employment laws.

It will come as no surprise that most employment lawyers advise on employee terminations and draft severance packages. If necessary our lawyers appear in court or at administrative tribunals like the Ontario Human Rights Tribunal on behalf of our clients.

Helping employers comply with new employment laws has been increasingly important in recent years as the provincial government imposes more and more statutory obligations on employers. The MacLeod Law Firm has a fixed fee service to help employers comply with these new obligations.

Employee protection under the Ontario Human Rights Code and the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act has been extended in recent years so most employment lawyers have a good understanding of the province’s human rights laws. We provide human rights advice to a myriad of clients each year – especially on an employer’s obligation to accommodate a disabled employee.

Employee protection under the Ontario Health & Safety Act has also been extended in recent years so most employment lawyers can advise on an employer’s obligations under this law. The MacLeod Law Firm  represents employers who have been charged under OHSA.

What is a labour lawyer?

A labour lawyer provides advice and representations to unionized employers.

What kind of services does a labour lawyer provide?

A labour lawyer can recommend that an employer adopt certain practices and policies that will make employees less inclined to want to join a union.

If a union tries to unionize a workforce then a labour lawyer can respond to the Union’s certification application at the Ontario Labour Relations Board on behalf of the employer.

If a union is certified to represent an employer’s workforce then a labour lawyer can negotiate a collective agreement with the Union on behalf of the employer.

If a union files a grievance under a collective agreement then a labour lawyer can represent the employer at an arbitration hearing.

The MacLeod Law Firm provides all of these services to our unionized clients.

The MacLeod Law Firm – Our Value Proposition

We give an employer confidence and peace of mind on employment law and labour law issues because we quickly and competently deal with workplace issues in a way that makes business sense.

We understand that every client has unique legal needs and each client has a different legal risk tolerance. We get to know our clients and their businesses so the advice we give makes business sense.

If you require the services of an employment and labour lawyer and want to see whether the MacLeod Law Firm is a good fit for your organization, please contact our Managing Partner, Doug MacLeod. For over 30 years he has been advising employers on all aspects of the employment relationship. You can contact Doug directly at 416 317-9894 or at [email protected]