We asked Gowling WLG’s many Canadian employment and labour lawyers to complete one sentence:

"One thing I would like employers to learn is…."  

« Une chose que j’aimerais que les employeurs retiennent… »

This is what some of them said:

"in order to benefit from the terms of an employment contract, the contract needs to be signed before the employee commences employment.
          - Katelyn Weller, Waterloo

"…to consult with their employment and/or labour lawyer early and on a more regular basis to avoid legal issues rather than defending them in court."
          - David Corry, Calgary

"never let things fester."
          - Neena Gupta, Waterloo

"don’t extend the probationary period of a marginal employee: if the engagement leaves much to be desired, so will the marriage. There is no point in prolonging the inevitable!"
          - Lucie Guimond, Montréal

"Spending money on updating contracts is not a waste. Good contracts with up to date clauses can save your organization tens of thousands of dollars in the long run."
          - Sheena Owens, Calgary

« Une chose que j’aimerais que les employeurs retiennent…il faut souvent se placer dans la peau du salarié pour solutionner un litige. »
"To help resolve a dispute, put yourselves in the shoes of the employee"
          - Luc Deshaies, Montréal

«Une chose que j’aimerais que les employeurs retiennent…ne jamais sous-estimer le courage et la détermination d’un salarié en cas de conflit. »
"Never underestimate the determination and courage of an employee in a dispute"
          - Luc Deshaies, Montréal

…"set it, and forget it!" is not an effective workplace strategy – employment agreements and workplace policies should be reviewed and updated regularly."
          - Craig Stehr, Ottawa

"an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure – starting an employment relationship with a good employment agreement means you set the terms instead of leaving it in the hands of a third party decision maker to decide what you intended when the relationship is over."
          - Jennifer Koschinsky, Calgary

« c’est qu’en cas de doute sur les mesures à prendre lors d’un incident grave impliquant un employé, une suspension avec solde est souvent appropriée afin de permettre à l’employeur d’effectuer son enquête, analyser la preuve recueillie, tirer des conclusions et consulter un procureur au besoin avant de sanctionner l’employé fautif. »
"Where there has been a very serious incident, before taking action place an employee on paid leave while completing a proper investigation of the facts."               
        - Patrick Glaude, Montréal

“… Seeking legal advice before the termination, even a routine one, is worth it. Being challenged on the decision and any proposal may only validate them or may avoid a costly mistake.”
“… Written employment agreements are the easiest and cheapest method of creating certainty and minimizing future liability.”
          - Chris Andree, Waterloo

“…that it is almost always a better idea to spend money on the front end…”
          - Mark Josselyn, Ottawa