By Peter Small, AdvocateDaily.com Contributor
MacLeod Law Firm has redesigned its website to better reflect its open and responsive approach to employees and employers, says its principal, Doug MacLeod.
The Toronto firm has been nominated for the second straight year in the Canadian HR Reporter’s annual Readers’ Choice Awards as a top labour and employment law boutique, and the web redesign is part of a continual effort to improve, MacLeod, an employment lawyer, tells AdvocateDaily.com.
“We wanted to give people an idea of what to expect when they come and see us,” he says.
The home page is dominated by the image of a partially submerged glacier and the phrase: “Navigating the employment law waters.” It’s an apt metaphor for the complex world of employment law, MacLeod believes.
“There are many things below the surface,” he says. “What you see is not always what you get in employment law. And it is dangerous. You can inadvertently get into a great deal of trouble.”
Two of the main goals in the redesign were to make it simpler for people to quickly find the services they want, and for it to be more mobile-device friendly, MacLeod says.
Whether on a smartphone or computer, the site is easy to navigate, he says.
It is divided into two main sections — one for employers, the other for employees. Clicking on either option brings up a list of headings, including “What We Do” and “What to Expect.”
An employee browsing the “What to Expect” section learns exactly what will happen when they contact the firm, beginning with a phone call with a staff member to determine the nature of the problem. They learn that they will be quoted a fixed fee for an initial consultation with one of the firm’s lawyers, should they choose to book one.
Using the catchphrase “All we do is Work!,” the firm offers a host of blogs on a variety of employment matters. Tagged with various headings such as “Wrongful Dismissal,” “Employment Contract,” and “Severance Package,” the topics are easy to search. A pop-up makes it simple to subscribe to the blogs.
The site avoids legalese, explaining even complex issues in plain English, MacLeod says. It is so content-rich that it is usually featured among the top results in web searches on a variety of employment subjects, he adds.
Notably, MacLeod Law Firm has earned five out of five stars on Google’s consumer ratings.
For employees concerned about terminations, the firm also offers a PDF with answers to 20 frequently asked questions.
“It provides them with some information and maybe gives them a bit of peace of mind when they’re pretty upset,” MacLeod says.
