Employment Contracts & Policies
Offer letters, employment agreements, and workplace policies drafted to protect your business when it matters.
Learn more For Employers
Practical legal support, built for business.
From hiring to termination, we help employers across Canada manage employment risk with clear, practical advice — not just legal theory. That guidance is grounded in firsthand experience inside a corporate legal department, working through the operational realities behind every decision.
Advising businesses from small teams to national operations
How We Help
Legal support at every stage of the employment relationship.
From hiring through termination, here's where employers typically need us.
Terminations Done Right
Guidance on structuring individual dismissals and severance packages to minimize legal exposure.
Learn moreRestrictive Covenants
Drafting and enforcing non-competition, non-solicitation, and confidentiality provisions that actually hold up if challenged.
Learn moreEmployment Standards Compliance
Practical guidance to meet your obligations under the Employment Standards Act, 2000 and related workplace legislation.
Learn moreRestructuring & Workforce Changes
Legal support through layoffs, reorganizations, and business transitions affecting multiple employees at once — before decisions become disputes.
Learn moreOngoing HR Advisory
Acting as an extension of your team for day-to-day workplace questions, without the overhead of in-house counsel.
Learn more Why Pelsmakher Law
In-house experience, applied to your business.
We've sat where you sit — inside a corporate legal department, balancing legal risk against real business considerations. That perspective means advice that's not just legally sound, but practical to act on.
Learn more about our approach Employer FAQs
Plain answers to common employer questions.
Practical, Canadian-law guidance for employers managing risk across their workforce.
Yes — a properly drafted contract is one of the most effective ways to limit an employer's liability on termination and clarify expectations from day one.
Without an employment agreement, a court will typically award common law reasonable notice of dismissal, which can vastly exceed Employment Standards minimums. Based on factors like the employee's age, role, and length of service, courts have recently awarded 24-26 months of total compensation to terminated employees.
Ontario employers are required to investigate workplace harassment complaints. A timely, independent, and well-documented investigation protects both your employees and your business.
Employers must provide a workplace free from discrimination and harassment, and must accommodate certain employee needs — such as a disability — up to the point of undue hardship. Failure to do so can result in a human rights complaint, and a public order to pay human rights damages.
Yes. Careful planning around selection criteria, notice, and documentation can significantly reduce the risk of claims arising from a restructuring, workforce reductions, or temporary layoffs.
It's one of the most cost-effective ways to reduce risk. Outdated or poorly drafted policies are a common source of disputes, and can undermine your position if a termination is ever challenged.
Free consultation
Let's talk about protecting your business.
Whether you're drafting a new policy or navigating a difficult termination, we can help you make the right call — before it becomes a legal problem.
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