The Importance of Having an Employment Lawyer

The Importance of Having an Employment Lawyer
By Daniel Sorensen & Lawrence Smith

Recently, the National Post ran an article about the case of Fredrickson v. Newtech Dental Laboratory Inc., 2014 BCSC 335. The article provides details on the Newtech Dental case, which dealt largely with the issue of whether an employee has a legal duty to minimize their loss by accepting employment with their former employer.

The article goes on to list a number of lessons from the case, and it stresses the importance of having proper legal counsel. The article states:

Invest in an employment lawyer The B.C. court noted that Newtech had initially and inappropriately relied on advice from officials at the Ministry of Labour who are not equipped to deal with all of the dimensions of the employment relationship. All they can advise upon are the minimum standards.

Interestingly enough, the lawyer referred to in the article is actually Lawrence Smith of Sorensen Smith LLP.

It cannot be underscored how important it can be for employers to get proper legal counsel.

Without proper legal counsel and advice, employers potentially open themselves up to claims in how they deal with employees. Such claims may lead to a substantial amount being paid to an employee or a former employee. Additionally, defending and responding to such claims can also result in employers incurring significant legal fees.

While getting proper legal advice can be important when a claim arises, many employers do not realize that it can be even more important to get legal advice even before a claim arises.

By obtaining legal advice before a claim arises, an employer can actually avoid claims. Employers are often surprised to learn that there are steps they can take to reduce their risk when dealing with employees. Further, with legal advice, employers can save significant sums of time and money down the line by avoiding disputes with employees and former employees.

If you are an employer with a claim to defend, or an employer hoping to avoid a claim, contact us today for an appointment.