Employment and Labour
From pre-hiring to post-dismissal, employers and employees both have benefitted from Gwendoline’s considerable expertise. She is equally adept at advising either side in non-union environments, and employers in unionized environments:
- Drafting and reviewing job postings, job descriptions and workplace policies
- Drafting, reviewing and negotiating employment contracts, including non-competition provisions
- Advising employers and employees on workplace relationships in the union and non-union context
- Advising clients in collective bargaining
- Advising on dismissals in the union and non-union context
- Wrongful dismissal cases and other employment-related disputes
- Proceedings before the Human Rights Tribunal, the Employment Standards Branch and the Employment Standards Tribunal
Strategic Advice
Knowledge of the law is essential, and what is most important is how to favourably apply the law in context. For clients facing complex employment and labour issues, Gwendoline takes the time to listen, discuss, and recommend useful strategies to successfully advance their objectives.
Gwendoline regularly advises her clients on:
- Hiring procedures
- Workplace management
- Workplace reorganizations
- Bonus and compensation policies
- Workplace investigations
- Post employment obligations
- Workplace policies on such topics as respect in the workplace, social media, and reporting abuse of children and vulnerable adults
Litigation
At times, the strategic use of litigation can be most effective for advancing objectives. When parties choose to litigate, Gwendoline is adept at using pre-trial and post-trial tools to obtain the optimal result from litigation. Strategies Gwendoline has used successfully include:
- Choice of the most effective forum
- Pre-trial garnishment and injunctions
- Mediation and settlement conference
- Summary trial
- Enforcement proceedings, including post-judgment garnishment, special costs and contempt of court
- Judicial review and appeal