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I launched SpringLaw on April 1, 2017, with the mission to be a fully virtual, tech-forward employment law firm in the cloud. Although this now feels like a thousand years ago, before a global pandemic introduced the world to the ease of online communications and business, our purpose remains to disrupt old-school law in order to provide an amazing client journey. 

We continue to solve workplace law issues through leading-edge, tech-forward collaboration with our virtual-only team, located throughout Ontario. We have built a web of internal communications, frequent team video & chat touchpoints, online-first systems and our data conveyor belt which are all focused on making the client journey as effective, efficient and practical as possible. 

Thank you to all of our amazing clients, our workplace law community, our allies and all the friends and family who have supported us along the way.

SpringLaw’s First 6 Years by the Numbers

  1. We’ve grown from 1 lawyer and an assistant to 9 lawyers, 2 paralegals, and 3 operational gurus. We continue to grow and have just posted for a new Marketing Manager.
  2. We’ve opened over 1300 client matters, serving a mix of employers and employees and the full range of workplace law issues.
  3. We’ve hosted 41 of our free monthly webinars, all posted on our YouTube channel.
  4. We’ve written over 300 weekly blog posts.
  5. We share those posts monthly with our 2500+ newsletter subscribers.
  6. Most importantly, between the 14 people on our team, we have 9 dogs, 1 cat, 2 guinea pigs and 1 rabbit. Critical law firm numbers, I know.

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Continue Reading SpringLaw is 6 years old!!

Come join SpringLaw’s smart, tech-forward team!

We are a busy team of lawyers looking for a marketing whizz to help spread the word to employers and employees who could really use our innovative tech-forward legal solutions. This is the perfect role for a marketing generalist who is passionate about employment law, or law in general. If you are a brand-builder, with a talent for project management, and you’re looking for a high-impact position to grow your career, SpringLaw might be for you!…

Continue Reading SpringLaw is Hiring a Marketing Manager

Black History Month: Equity Diversity and Inclusion in the Workplace

Every February, Canadians across the country celebrate the incredible achievements and honour the legacy of Black Canadians during Black History Month. The official theme of this year’s Black History Month is “Ours to tell”. This theme is all about engaging in an open dialogue and committing to learning more about the stories Black Canadians and Black communities have to tell about their histories, successes, sacrifices and triumphs. With a commitment to open dialogue in mind, let’s talk about creating an equitable, inclusive and safe workplace.

What do Equity, Diversity and Inclusion really mean?

Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) are often talked about, but what do these words really mean when it comes to the workplace? By way of definition, diversity is about a workplace’s composition, inclusion ensures everyone has a voice and is heard, and equity is about making sure everyone has what they need to succeed. This does not mean employees are all treated equally. Employers need to be aware of disadvantaged, vulnerable and marginalized workers and ensure they have fair opportunities at work. …

Continue Reading An Open Dialogue: Black History Month

Duty to Mitigate in Claims of Wrongful Dismissal

The duty to mitigate is one of the few employee obligations in a wrongful dismissal dispute, and it can reduce a defendant employer’s liability significantly. 

What is the Duty to Mitigate?

The duty to mitigate requires an employee to take reasonable steps to secure comparable employment after they have been wrongfully dismissed. When an employer wrongfully dismisses an employee, unless there is enforceable contract language to the contrary, the employee is entitled to damages for pay in lieu of common law reasonable notice. …

Continue Reading Mitigation Part 1: What is the Duty to Mitigate in Claims of Wrongful Dismissal?

When Mental Health Meets Canada’s Favourite Pastime

A human rights claim alleging discriminatory reasons for a termination is sure to get noticed this week as it intersects with Canada’s favourite pastime: hockey. A former video analyst for the Canucks, Rachel Doerrie, filed a claim alleging that she was told she wasn’t “mentally fit” for the job just days before being terminated by the organization. She is now seeking monetary compensation and asking the human rights tribunal to make orders that will address the discrimination.…
Continue Reading Accommodating Mental Health in the Workplace

Tiffany Thomas has joined SpringLaw!Another Amazing Lawyer Has Joined SpringLaw!

We are excited to announce that Tiffany Thomas has joined SpringLaw. Tiffany spent the first 4 years of her legal career at the TDSB, honing her skills in labour negotiations, contract interpretation, hearings and the ever-complicated employer-union workplace dynamics.

Tiffany’s strong labour experience is nicely paired with a feisty …

We are excited to announce our 2 new lawyers, Matt Chapman and Evaleen Hellinga! They have each quickly become an invaluable part of our growing team.

Matt brings to the firm great experience litigating employee claims, advising on complex executive comp matters and helping employers through workplace law crises and legal proceedings from hire…

As employment lawyers, we know that our employer clients can sometimes feel overwhelmed with the volume of documentation they have to prepare and review to sustain a healthy workplace and minimize potential employment-related liabilities. Employment contracts and workplace policies are two of the most common employment-related documents that employers of all sizes often have to deal with in the course of an employment relationship. Many employers, especially newer and smaller ones, often wonder what the differences are between the two, what types of content go into each, and whether they hold the same weight. In this blog, we attempt to provide some insight into this topic.

What Goes in What?

The legal rights and entitlements of an employee, such as the employee’s entitlements to notice on termination or vacation entitlements, should be included in an employment contract. An employer will want to avoid including language about employees’ legal entitlements within the workplace policy; having the policy be found to be unenforceable later on could create problems for the employer. Though an employer may have a general right to make some types of amendments to their policies, altering significant components of a policy may demonstrate the employer’s intention not to be bound by the original agreement.…
Continue Reading Employment Contracts vs. Workplace Policies