Jean Torrens has extensive experience acting for management in drafting personnel policies and employment contracts, conducting collective bargaining and collective agreement administration, advising on discipline and terminations, and defending wrongful dismissal claims, human rights and labour board complaints, and grievance arbitrations. She also assists companies to respond to serious occupational health and safety incidents.
Jean has appeared as counsel before Courts, arbitration boards, federal and provincial labour relations boards, human rights tribunals and occupational and safety tribunals.
Jean is a regular presenter at conferences and seminars on drug and alcohol testing, duty to accommodate issues, collective bargaining trends, violence and harassment in the workplace, and workplace safety. She was a sessional lecturer in Civil Procedure at the College of Law, University of Saskatchewan for three years.
Representative Work
· Represented mining company in OH&S hearing and appeals.
· Represented several companies, including industrial, retail, oil and gas, and transportation, in wrongful dismissal trials and appeals.
· Represented several medium to large-sized businesses in grievance arbitrations and human rights complaints.
· Conducted collective bargaining on behalf of large mineral production company and several non-profit corporations.
Leadership
· Canadian Bar Association, Labour and Employment (AB South) Section - Chair
· Human Resource Association of Calgary - Director; Chair, Legal Affairs Committee
· Canadian Bar Association, Administrative and Labour Law (SK North) Section - Former Chair
· Saskatoon Bar Association - Former President
Papers & Presentations
· "Due Diligence and Discipline for Safety Violations", Occupational Health & Safety Law Fundamentals for In-House Counsel Seminar, (LESA, Calgary, 2011).
· "Accommodating Family Status and Marital Status", HRAC Legal Conference (2010).
· "Practical Strategies for Drafting Termination Documents", Business Immigration Conference (Canadian Institute, 2009).
· "New Frontiers in Accommodation Requests", Duty to Accommodate Conference (Insight, 2009).
· "Wrongful Dismissal and Constructive Dismissal", Employment Law Conference (Lorman, 2009).
· "Terminations in a Slowing Economy", HRAC Legal Conference (2009).
· "New Boundaries in Workplace Privacy", Annual Alberta Labour Law Review (Centre for Labour Management Development, 2008).
· "Long Term Absences: New Directives from Arbitrators and Courts", Annual Alberta Labour Law Review (Centre for Labour Management Development, 2008).
· "2008 Alberta Labour Relations Board Update", Annual Alberta Labour Law Review (Centre for Labour Management Development, 2008).
· "Drug and Alcohol Testing in the Workplace", HRAC Legal Conference (2008).