Practice Areas & Industries: Lawson Lundell LLP

Practice/Industry Group Overview

The Labour and Employment Group advises employers in all aspects of labour law and employment law in both the provincial and federal sectors, including labour relations, collective bargaining, wrongful dismissal advice, pension and benefits litigation, human rights, employment standards, employment equity, workers' compensation, privacy issues and business immigration.

We ensure a familiarity with our client's operations and, because labour and employment issues often require immediate attention, we ensure that clients can promptly reach a fully informed lawyer whenever necessary.

Our group is proactive in resolving labour relations and employment issues and providing practical, sound and economic advice and developing strategies that will provide solutions consistent with the client’s business needs.

Our labour relations clients include mining, construction, forestry and forest products, technology, manufacturing, service and distribution, retail sales, engineering, transportation, entertainment, health care and social service employers.  

Services Available

Labor and Employment

• Advise clients in the interpretation and application of applicable labour and employment legislation in BC, Alberta, the NWT and federally, including employment standards and labour relations, privacy and human rights legislations
• Act as counsel before judicial and decision-making tribunals such as provincial and federal labour relations boards, arbitration boards, employment standards tribunals, human rights tribunals, workers' compensation boards and the courts
• Provide collective bargaining advice and act as chief spokespersons for companies who do not have in-house bargaining personnel
• Negotiate collective agreements in a wide variety of industries, including the manufacturing, retail, transportation, forestry, film, credit union, security, child care and service industries
• Lead clients through strikes, lockouts, picketing and other labour disruptions and unrest
• Represent clients in the alternative dispute resolution process as well as act as mediators
• Assist clients in workers' compensation assessments and appeals

Business Immigration

• Assist with business immigration matters, including obtaining work permits and applying for permanent resident status

Human Rights

• Provide advice on identifying human rights issues in the workplace such as the duty to accommodate and the application of human rights legislation
• Assist with the investigation process of both formal and informal complaints and intra-employee misconduct 
• Help clients establish and implement harassment, alcohol and drug testing and absenteeism policies and procedures
• Train investigators, supervisors and managers on how to investigate and manage human rights claims

Occupational Health and Safety (OHS)

• Conduct OHS audits and supervisory training for our clients
• Represent employers, owners and prime contractors in responding to claims of discrimination relating to OHS matters, refusals to work because of alleged unsafe conditions and Board orders following workplace inspections
• Assist employers, owners and prime contractors during investigations following serious or fatal workplace accidents and represent them in appeals of Board orders, penalty assessments and coroner inquests

Privacy & Freedom of Information

• Prepare privacy policies for clients and are prepared to assist with privacy audits and all aspects of compliance with privacy laws

For more information, please contact:

Patricia Gallivan, Q.C. at pgallivan@lawsonlundell.com or (604) 631.6718

Robert Sider at rsider@lawsonlundell.com or (604) 631.6722

Paul Smith at psmith@lawsonlundell.com (867) 669.5532