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Wrongful Dismissal

We have extensive experience representing employers in wrongful dismissal, constructive dismissal and other related actions, including enforcement of non-competition, non-solicitation and confidentiality covenants and agreements. 

Our team has represented clients at all levels of court when matters proceed to litigation and is also skilled at negotiations and settlement of claims where litigation should be avoided.

Contracts of Employment

We provide proactive advice concerning the management of employees and the implementation of employment contracts and policies as measures to mitigate the risk of litigation.

We also draft independent contractor agreements and advise employers on strategies to limit the risks associated with an independent contractor workforce. We provide direction to assist our clients in managing their independent contractor workforce and develop strategies to ensure that those engaged as contractors are truly independent contractors and not employees.

Termination + Severance

We advise employers with respect to employee terminations at the time of breakdown of the employment relationship and also work with our clients to minimize the time and cost associated with an employee termination by pro-actively drafting termination clauses in employment contracts and giving advice on performance management.

We offer advice in complex situations such as just cause terminations, disability or other leave situations, and situations involving the use of alcohol and drugs.

We advise employers on the elements of proper, fair and defensible severance packages. This includes considerations of working notice or pay in lieu, the appropriate reasonable notice period, continuation of benefits after the termination date, provision of reference letters, and outplacement counselling as well as whether to negotiate with a dissatisfied employee.

Workplace Policies

We help businesses and organizations mitigate risks by preparing, developing, adapting and reviewing workplace rules, policies and procedures and help to ensure our client’s policies are current on employment law developments. We provide legal advice on workplace rules, policies and procedures such as:

  • Performance evaluations
  • Hours of Work
  • Overtime
  • Vacation
  • Holidays
  • Personal leave
  • Sick leave
  • Compassionate leave
  • Maternity and parental leave
  • Other leaves of absence
  • Employee bonuses and benefits
  • Professional development
  • Electronics and Internet
  • Harassment and sexual harassment
  • Progressive discipline
  • Dress codes and uniforms
February 2024
2023 - A Year in Review: Labour + Employment (Part 2)
Seminars + Webinar
Join members of our Labour + Employment Group for our annual Year in Review, which focuses on legal updates for management and employee groups.Part 2 of this series covered Employment, Privacy and Human Rights. To view Part 1, ...
August 2023 - 4 min read
Human Rights Claims After Termination of Employment: A Valid Release Puts the Past in the Past
Workwise Newsletter
Signing a release – or requiring an employee to sign one – should never be taken lightly. Nearly 25 years ago, the Alberta courts clarified that while an employee cannot contract out of their human rights protections, an em...
June 13, 2023
Coffee + Counsel: Common Pitfalls to Avoid with Employment Contracts
Q+A Session
Join us for Coffee + Counsel, a complimentary webinar series where you can connect with our lawyers for an unscripted discussion about legal issues relevant to organizations operating in Alberta and the Northwest Territories. We'll be sharing our l...
February 2023
2022 - A Year in Review: Labour + Employment (Part 2)
Seminar + Webinar
Join members of our Labour + Employment Group for our annual Year in Review, which focuses on legal updates for management and employee groups.Part 2 of this series will cover Privacy, Employment and Human Rights. To view the recording for Part 1, whic...
October 2022 - 3 min read
Two Words Too Many? Drafting Termination Provisions in an Employment Contract is Delicate Work
Workwise Newsletter
A recent decision from the Alberta Court of Appeal offers a good reminder of the care employers need to take when drafting termination provisions. In Bryant, three employees whose employment was terminated on 60 days’ notice argued they had...
June 2022 - 5 min read
Employment Contracts: Leave No Room for Interpretation!
Workwise Newsletter
What You Need To Know In the case of Rice v Shell Global Solutions Canada Inc, the majority of the Alberta Court of Appeal emphasized the importance of clearly identifying the term of an employment contract and the parties’ obligations and e...
April 2022 - 3 min read
Back to the Office: Legal Considerations for Employers
Workwise Newsletter
On March 1, 2022, the Province of Alberta entered stage 2 of the Government’s three-stage process for easing COVID-19 restrictions, which resulted in the lifting of nearly all remaining public health restrictions, including Alberta’s mandat...
April 7, 2022
Coffee + Counsel: Employer Considerations for the Removal of Vaccination Policies
Q+A Session
Join us for another edition of Coffee + Counsel, a complimentary series that brings you together with a few of our lawyers for an unscripted chat about legal issues pertinent to organizations in Alberta. Your questions guide the discussion, and we prov...
February 24, 2022
2021 - A Year in Review: Labour + Employment (Part 2)
Webinar
Join members of our Labour + Employment Group for our annual Year in Review webinar, which focuses on legal updates for management and employee groups.Part 2 of this series will cover Privacy, Human Rights and Employment. To view the recordin...
December 7, 2021
Mandatory Vaccination Policies: What Case Law is Telling Us So Far
As we all learn to live with COVID-19 and as workers move back into the workplace, many employers have implemented various types of policies regarding COVID-19 vaccination. A few months have passed, some specific legal cases have started to slowly...
November 2021
Case Law Update: Are Mandatory Vaccination Policies Allowed in the Workplace?
Workwise Newsletter
Various questions arise from the competing interests of employees and employers when dealing with mandatory vaccination policies. While there were labour arbitration decisions relating to influenza and other vaccines, until very recently, there were ...
November 17, 2021
Coffee + Counsel: Family Status Accommodation - Where Are We Now?
Q+A Session
Join us for another edition of Coffee + Counsel, a complimentary series that brings you together with a few of our lawyers for an unscripted chat about legal issues pertinent to organizations in Alberta. Your questions guide the discussion, and we prov...
May 19, 2021
Coffee + Counsel: Employers, Are You Ready for the COVID-19 Vaccine?
Q+A Session
Join us for another edition of Coffee + Counsel, a complimentary series that brings you together with a few of our lawyers for an unscripted chat about legal issues pertinent to organizations in Alberta. Your questions guide the discussion, and we prov...
February 24 + March 10
2020 - A Year in Review Webinar Series
Did you miss the Field Law Labour + Employment Group's annual Year in Review? The recordings are now available! Is employer-friendly OHS legislation coming to a worksite near you? What are the impacts of COVID-19 on employment legislation a...
June 2020 - 2 min read
What to do When an Employee Resigns after Being Recalled to Return to Work
Employers Asked, We Answered
As restrictions begin to lift, many employers are recalling employees from temporary layoff. In some cases, employees are responding to the request to return to work by resigning. As a result, many employers are wondering whether they are complicit in ...
April 2020
The Nuts + Bolts of the CEWS for Employers
As the Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy (“CEWS”) was made official on April 14, 2020, employers potentially eligible for this subsidy should now be considering what proactive steps they can take to support the intent of the new legislation, sp...
April 2020
Eight Things to Know About the Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy
The Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy (the “Subsidy”) is a measure announced by the Government of Canada providing a 75-per-cent wage subsidy to eligible employers for up to 12 weeks, retroactive to March 15, 2020.   On April 11, 202...
April 2020
Temporary Changes to Alberta Employment Standards Legislation
On April 6, 2020, the Alberta Government announced temporary changes to the Employment Standards Code and Employment Standards Regulation to assist employers and employees in this difficult time. What we know about the changes so far, and their po...
April 1, 2020
UPDATE: What Does the 75% Wage Subsidy Mean for Employers?
The Government of Canada continues to announce details of the Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy (the “Subsidy”). On April 1, 2020, the following details were provided: The Subsidy is available to companies (including partnerships and sole p...
March 27, 2020
What Does the 75% Wage Subsidy Mean for Employers?  
On March 27, 2020, the Government of Canada announced that it would be increasing a previously announced wage subsidy for small and medium businesses from 10% to 75%. The stated goal is to help employers keep employees on the payroll. The wag...
March 25, 2020
Your Guide to the Federal COVID-19 Aid Legislation
Bill C-13 today received royal assent, bringing into force many of the initiatives first announced by the federal government on March 18, 2020 in response to the challenges employees and employers are facing due to COVID-19. Part of Bill C-13 brou...
March 19, 2020
New Federal Support for Employees + Employers
As part of a new $82 billion spending package, the federal government today announced that approximately $27 billion would be directed to support for employers and employees affected by the COVID-19 situation. Parliament could be recalled as early as n...
March 18, 2020
UPDATE: Alberta Government Announces Details of COVID-19 Leave
On March 16, 2020, Field Law reported on the Alberta government’s plans to amend the Employment Standards Code to allow employees who are required to self-isolate or care for a family member with COVID-19 to take 14 days of paid leave to cover th...
February 2020
Just Horsing Around: When Off-Duty Conduct Becomes Cause to Terminate
Workwise Newsletter
The ever pertinent question of when off-duty conduct will constitute just cause dismissal was recently considered by an arbitration board in Prince Edward Island (Canadian Union of Public Employees v A Nursing Home Inc.). An individual was termina...
Winter 2020
2019 - A Year in Review Seminar Series
Seminars
Join the Field Law Labour + Employment Group for our annual seminars featuring legal updates and practical challenges for management and employee groups.Part 1 has been approved for 1.75 CPD hours and Part 2 has been approved for 2.25 CPD hou...
September 26, 2019
Must Have Policies for Employers: Why, What + How
Seminars
Join Field Law in Edmonton and Calgary and learn tips and tricks to assist with the implementation and enforcement of three workplace policies Employers should have in place in today’s market.We will explore how changes in legislation and culture...
February 6, 2019
2018 Year in Review for Northern Employers
Seminars
Join Field Law for a review of the most important legal cases from 2018. Topics covered will include: Labour Employment Human Rights Occupational Health + Safety Privacy Immigration Cannabis This seminar will be broadcast live via ...
Winter 2019
2018 A Year in Review Seminar Series
Seminars
The Field Law Labour and Employment Group presents the annual Year in Review seminars in Calgary and Edmonton. Join us for legal updates and practical challenges for management and employee groups in the areas of:  Part 1: Human Rights ...