Straight-talking counsel for employees and employers across Canada — from wrongful dismissal and severance to human rights and day-to-day workplace advice.
A short, confidential conversation is often all it takes to understand your options. The first consultation is free.
Start with a free consultationWhichever side of the table you're on, get advice shaped by real experience on both.
Facing a dismissal, a difficult exit, or unfair treatment at work? We help you understand your rights and pursue what you're owed.
Need practical legal support to manage risk and build a compliant, well-run workplace? We act as an extension of your team.
Simon Pelsmakher is an employment and labour lawyer who acts for both employees and employers — advising on wrongful and constructive dismissal, severance, human rights, and complex workplace disputes for clients across Canada.
His advocacy has taken him before nearly every court and tribunal with jurisdiction over employment matters in the country. Before founding the firm, he served as Director, Senior Legal Counsel at a major multinational retail and e-commerce corporation — partnering directly with HR leadership to resolve disputes while protecting the business.
Because we act for both employees and employers, we can usually see how the other side is likely to think before they do — and we put that perspective to work in sharper strategy and clearer advice from the very first conversation.
Tell us what's happening at work. We'll help you understand your options and the path forward — clearly, and without pressure.
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A properly drafted contract is one of the cheapest ways to limit liability — and one of the most commonly skipped. Here's what's actually at stake.
You don't need to be fired to have been dismissed. Here's how Ontario law treats a job that changed too much to still be the one you agreed to.
Practical, Canadian-law guidance for employees and employers navigating change at work. See more employee FAQs or employer FAQs.
Wrongful dismissal happens when you're let go without proper notice or cause. Constructive dismissal happens when your employer unilaterally changes a fundamental term of your job — pay, role, or location — significantly enough that it amounts to ending the employment relationship, even though you were never formally fired.
The Employment Standards Act sets minimum notice and severance requirements — a floor, not a ceiling. Common law "reasonable notice," determined by a court based on factors like age, position, and length of service, is often considerably higher than the ESA minimums, unless a valid, enforceable contract limits you to the statutory minimums.
Yes — a properly drafted contract is one of the most effective ways to limit liability on termination and set clear expectations from day one. Without one, an employer may owe significantly more than expected under the common law.
Deadlines vary by claim type — wrongful dismissal claims generally fall under a two-year limitation period, but other claims, like Human Rights Tribunal applications, have shorter windows. Speak with a lawyer as soon as possible after a dismissal to avoid missing a deadline.
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