Employment & Labour

Our clients rely on us for practical day-to-day guidance on numerous facets of employment law, including advice on hiring, employee relations, employment standards, outsourcing arrangements and employment terminations, as well as compliance with Canadian privacy law. Clients also call on us for advice on creating, revising, implementing and enforcing personnel and other workplace policies and to provide manager training programs to ensure that they are current on employment and labour law developments. Additionally, we offer strategic guidance to clients to ensure that their Canadian business operations are equipped to respond effectively to union-organizing drives and certification applications.

When workplace disputes result in litigation or complaints to an administrative tribunal, clients feel confident retaining Blakes. Our lawyers are experienced in employment litigation, including enforcement of non-competition and trade secrets agreements, wrongful dismissal litigation and related mediation processes. Our lawyers have defended clients against employment-related claims brought on behalf of province-wide classes of employees or former employees. We regularly litigate matters before courts at all levels throughout Canada as well as appear before provincial and federal human rights tribunals and labour relations boards. Additionally, we attend arbitration hearings on behalf of management and have represented clients in judicial reviews of arbitrators' decisions.