Austria
Belgium
Brazil
Colombia
Costa Rica
Denmark
Dominican Republic
El Salvador
France
Germany
Guatemala
Honduras
Ireland
Italy
Mexico
Netherlands
Nicaragua
Norway
Panama
Poland
Portugal
Puerto Rico
Singapore
Spain
Switzerland
United Kingdom
United States
Venezuela
Littler Canada provides clients with prompt, timely advice on the full range of employment and human resource legal issues that companies face on a daily basis. Whether working with management, human resources personnel, or in-house counsel, Littler makes it a priority to be available to our clients whenever they need guidance or consultation. Our depth of experience allows us to provide strategic advice to both private and public sector clients in a variety of industries. We provide employers with the full range of services needed to address emerging employment law issues regarding employment contracts; recruiting, hiring and terminations; employment standards; policy and procedures development and implementation; downsizing and restructuring; human rights; privacy issues; and workplace investigations, among others.
About Littler Canada
Situated in the heart of Toronto, Littler’s Toronto office provides a single source solution for local and multinational employers. We act for many prominent public and private sector employers, working with clients to help evaluate and deal effectively with complicated employment and labour law situations.
The Toronto office is comprised of local attorneys with strong ties to the Canadian business and legal community. A presence in the financial and legal capital of Canada complements our existing capabilities in a country with close ties to the United States, and allows us to serve Canadian investors and companies who are increasingly interested in Canadian business opportunities. The firm is consistently recognized in the industry as a leading and innovative law practice, litigating, mediating, and negotiating some of the most influential employment law cases and labour contracts on record.
People
Practice Areas
A centerpiece of Littler Canada’s practice is our ability to help employers take preventive measures to avoid costly litigation and administrative penalties, while improving productivity and helping to build a workplace of mutual respect and high ethical standards. At Littler, we understand that mitigating workplace risks includes not only compliance with labour and employment laws, but also maintaining a culture of compliance, respect, and strong ethical values. Littler provides services designed to address the increasing government pressures to maintain compliance and ethics programs, and help our clients comply with the various legal requirements under the ever-expanding body of labour and employment laws, regulations, and legislation.
Our Global Mobility and Immigration team advises employers and companies of various sizes on all aspects of immigration matters including work permits, visas, study permits, permanent residence, and citizenship. Littler Canada provides comprehensive Canada, U.S., and international immigration services. Our relationships with the embassies have enabled us to achieve expedited approvals in emergency situations.
A signature aspect of Littler Canada’s practice is our ability to help employers comply with the entire spectrum of human rights obligations mandated by human rights legislation, including among others, the Ontario Human Rights Code and the Canadian Human Rights Act, and take precautionary measures to maintain compliance and deter violations. We have significant experience in providing focused, proactive counselling to assist employers in meeting their obligations. Additionally, we regularly counsel clients regarding legal questions involved in the formulation and implementation of workplace diversity initiatives. Littler monitors Human Rights Commission and Tribunal developments around the country, and reviews, analyzes, and reports on significant legislative developments and Human Rights Tribunal decisions.
Littler Canada represents management in its dealings with organized employees and their union representatives, serving as counterpoint to the world’s most powerful labour organizations. As business partners, Littler takes a strategic approach to every engagement, helping employers quickly and effectively respond to union organizing drives and certification applications, manage representation votes, negotiate contracts, prepare for and respond to strikes, arbitrate grievances, and minimize the effectiveness of union-driven, corporate campaigns. Littler lawyers have represented employers across a wide range of industry sectors and in all aspects of the Ontario Labour Relations Act and Canada Labour Code.
Littler Canada represents nearly 400 employers in Canada, from small companies to large corporations, in virtually every major industry in provincial and federal courts. Because of our exclusive focus on workplace issues, we have anticipated trends over the years that have helped our clients navigate the fluid changes in employment law. We help employers avoid needless legal action, minimize their risks, and successfully resolve matters in arbitration and in court. Above all, we are always aware of our clients’ business needs, working with management to create innovative solutions that accommodate their overall operations.
At a time of ever-changing laws, and enforcement of those laws, employers must be proactive in their compliance efforts to avoid costly penalties. Littler Canada works with employers at every stage to assess their corporate policies and help them implement state-of-the-art procedures, and provide comprehensive audit services to assess and promote ongoing compliance. Our work encompasses every aspect of employee relations, from hours of work and overtime pay issues, to safety concerns and employee conduct expectations. We also assist employers on a broader scope, helping them define their company values, culture, and philosophy and seeing that their policies and procedures and code of conduct carry out these elements, which are central to a company’s identity.
Littler Canada provides a broad spectrum of services specific to the staffing industry in Canada, taking into account the specific legislation affecting staffing companies, especially in Ontario. We represent the unique interests of staffing companies with government bodies, including in relation to legislative changes that have affected the temporary staffing industry over the years. We provide legal consultation and legal implementation of the initial workforce design, including legal risk assessments of business staffing options, drafting and revising associated contracts, onboarding procedures, forms, and policies. Additionally, we provide legal risk assessments and audits of existing staffing and temporary worker relationships prior to the receipt of an audit or claim.
Littler is committed to providing engaging and educational programs tailored to identify and discuss emerging trends and developments in the fields of labour and employment. Our programs enhance employer efforts to reduce the risk of employment-related problems while improving employee performance and potential. We work with our clients to ensure compliance with legally required training requirements while delivering a training experience that matches the organization’s objectives, core values, culture, and working environment. Our training services focus on practical issues that resonate with management and employees, in order to improve communications, leadership, conflict avoidance, and deal effectively with diversity and differences that arise. With backgrounds in leadership and performance management and instructional design, our course leaders have built a full curriculum of compliance, ethics, and leadership courses for every level of an organization.
Littler Canada helps employers comply with the many requirements, legislative amendments, regulations, and policies under the Occupational Health and Safety Act (OHSA), and Part II of the Canada Labour Code. Our lawyers provide employers with the full range of services needed to address emerging workplace health and safety (OHSA) issues, while protecting them from potentially hefty penalties. We also handle workers’ compensation claims swiftly, economically, and with our clients’ best interests in mind. We provide counselling and representation before the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board (WSIB), and the Workplace Safety and Insurance Appeals Tribunal. Additionally, Littler helps employers navigate the interplay between workers’ compensation and numerous other overlapping employment laws, such as OHSA, ESA, and the Human Rights Code. We also advise employers on the rights and responsibilities of employers and workers regarding workplace injuries, disability accommodation, and return to work requirements for employees on workers’ compensation leave.
In an era of advanced background checks, centralized electronic storage of information, instant transfers of sensitive personnel information, and pervasive social media activity by employees, Littler Canada advises a wide range of employers on successfully navigating the intersection of a privacy, data protection, and technology-driven workplace. We help clients avoid costly litigation and government enforcement actions—not to mention the negative publicity and loss of goodwill that often accompany privacy-based disputes. We provide employers with strategies for avoiding complaints with the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada and the Offices of the Information and Privacy Commissioners of those provincial jurisdictions where they do business, and provide clarification on the changes to various legislative acts including, among others, the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA).