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Employment Law Services
Lecker & Associates is one of Toronto’s leading employment law firms serving clients across Ontario. Unlike many other employment law firms, our team of highly experienced Toronto employment lawyers focus on representing the right of employees. We are here to represent you, not your employer.
Our lawyers are experienced negotiators and litigators. We represent employees in restructurings, wrongful dismissals, for-cause termination, workplace investigations, layoffs, constructive dismissals, unjust dismissals, long-term disability, and human rights matters.
We provide employment law services for employees of Ontario.
We have represented thousands of terminated employees to assist them in obtaining the severance packages that they are entitled to. We level the playing field in severance negotiations and litigation by providing you with knowledgeable and fierce advocacy to obtain your fair and lawful entitlements.
We level this playing field
Our results speak for themselves. We are one of the most highly ranked employment law firms in Ontario on Google, receiving hundreds of 5-star reviews from satisfied clients.
Client Testimonials
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I had the fortune of retaining Matthew to deal with a situation at my previous employer. Although we were facing a very large company with a high profile law firm,... read more
Jeff Landis
I was referred to Mathew Fisher at Lecker & Associates by previous co-workers whom I trusted and can say without a doubt it was a great decision to work with... read more
Emile Morrissette
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Thank you for helping me to make the right decision which I believe under the circumstances at the time. It was the right decision for me.
louise quinn
Here is a follow up review by Sean, Anne's husband. I recently used the excellent team of Mathew and Eslita as well. Mathew was very precise on... read more
Anne Costello
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I searched for a labor law firm and choose Lecker & Associates, it was the best decision I ever made. I had the pleasure of working with Ian Hurley... read more
Rohan Anthony
Thank you very much for the service. Very efficient! Sorry to be late!
Robert Singh
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I searched for a labor law firm and choose Lecker & Associates, it was the best decision I ever made. I had the pleasure of working with Ian Hurley and Nathan... read more
Rohan Anthony
Employment matters can be stressful and confusing. I personally had no clue about what my options were or how to navigate forward. Luckily I got in touch with Jordan and Ashley... read more
Raj Gill
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Thank you Matthew and the team for your level of commitment to me through my process. Matthew went above and beyond what he needed to. He was professional, but also... read more
Adam Klasner
It’s hard not to give a great review when you get your desired results so I’ll add some specific details above and beyond that statement. Ian and Nathan were... read more
rosmod
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I believed I had an unjust dismissal case against my previous employer. I reached out to Leckers Law firm and explained my case to Mr. Ian Hurley. Mr. Hurley explained... read more
Z Nasser
I very highly recommend Lecker & Associates for any type of employment disputes. My lawyer was Jared Lecker. From the very beginning he was extremely knowledgeable, professional and efficient.... read more
Vera T
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I had the pleasure of having Ian Hurley represent me with my LTD claim. Ian is experienced and extremely knowledgeable in LTD matters. Ian and Nathan kept me informed throughout... read more
HP
Maria Esmatyar and her Law Clerk Jassanthy Pakirisamy handled my case. The service was outstanding. Maria is very knowledgeable and sharp; her personal approach to my case is what stood... read more
Tali M
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This past year I had the opportunity that required employment legal advise and representation. I contacted Matthew Fisher, we immediately discussed the issue I was facing. Matthew and his assistant... read more
frank fuser
I have been extremely pleased consulting with Matthew Fisher of Lecker & Associates. His review of my situation, experience, and guidance on options was exactly what I was looking... read more
G P
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I recommend Lecker & Associates as the best and only choice for employment matters. From the very first meeting with Matthew and working with Eslita it became clear that they... read more
Robert Bento
Lecker and Associates is by far the premier Employment Law firm in the GTA. Matthew and Eslita are an incredible team. Not only are they experts in their... read more
Steve Delios
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I highly recommend Lecker & Associates if you are dealing with an employment matter. Matthew and Eslita were awesome and handled every step of the process with professionalism. ... read more
Alex Green
Excellent service from Matthew and Eslita. Regular updates were provided to keep me in the loop throughout the process. Thanks again for your assistance.
John Bertram
Our lawyers have argued a number of leading cases that have advanced employee rights in Ontario. Our commentary and cases regularly appear in media across the country including the Globe and Mail, CTV News, CBC News, the Toronto Star, the Financial Post, and CP24, where we regularly appeared on the weekly series “Ask a Lawyer”.
Wrongful Dismissal
If you are terminated from your job, and you did not commit serious wilful misconduct, you are entitled to compensation from your employer. Usually, this comes in the form of a “severance package” where the employer offers you an amount in exchange for your signature. Finding yourself in this circumstance can be one of the most vulnerable and difficult times that an employee can face in their career.
Fortunately, as an employee in Ontario, you have substantial rights to income protection following a termination of employment. The key is to both understand your rights, and
What is meant by “wrongful dismissal” is that the employer failed to advise you that you are about to lose your job, not that the job loss was wrong. The employer legally must notify you that your job is going to end and if they fail to do that, pay you out the equivalent sum including all of its components of your remuneration. If your employer has not fulfilled these obligations or provides a lowball offer, they can be sued for wrongful dismissal. Our Toronto employment lawyers are on the cutting-edge of employment law litigation and will masterfully advocate for you from start to finish.
Pregnancy, Maternity and Parental Leave
If you want to pause your career and take time to care for a new family, employment laws guarantee job security. These types of leaves away from work for mothers, fathers and adoptive parents occur during and after pregnancy. As a result, you are entitled to have your original job back and any benefits previously owed. If your job has been made redundant, you are entitled to a similar position with the same salary. If your employers do not return you to your role, make negative comments or even dismiss you from your job because of pregnancy or parental leave, hire an employment lawyer immediately. We will help decide what legal avenue is best for your case via a human rights claim, the Ministry of Labour or a wrongful dismissal suit.
Workplace Harassment
Workplace harassment is illegal in Ontario. We introduced legislation specifically to address and eradicate it in 2009. You have the right to work in a safe and healthy workplace. When left unchecked, workplace harassment can escalate to violence. It can cause mental or physical health problems and lead to staff absences. At its peak, it can result in a toxic workplace and constructive dismissal. This type of behaviour benefits nobody and there is no reason whatsoever for your employer to stand by and do nothing about it. If you are in this situation, then you need our employment lawyers to step in to educate your employer.
Job Layoffs
Job layoffs can be temporary, consecutive or shams. It is normally illegal to tell a worker “don’t come into work for a few weeks” without pay. Frequently, employers do not comply with the governing law on layoffs. They will let employees go hoping they will forget about their job and their severance. Temporary job layoffs must be communicated with a return date. When this is not done, we call it a sham layoff because it can be grounds for a wrongful dismissal lawsuit. Sham or bogus layoffs are when employers keep employees in a cycle of ‘hired’ or ‘temporarily fired’ to avoid severance payouts. If this sounds like your situation, call us as soon as possible at 416-223-5391 or complete our online contact form to schedule a consultation to discuss your case. The longer the delay in protesting this job layoff, the more difficult it comes.
Denied Disability Benefit Claims
After years of working for an employer, you may suffer from an injury or illness brought on by physical or mental strain. You cannot work anymore, so you apply for income replacement benefits via the employer’s group insurance benefits while you try to recover. Insurance companies then decide your application as to whether you are actually disabled. They will game the system by denying you benefits because of the profit incentives from the premiums they charge. If this happens to you, we know it is an extremely frustrating and confusing system to navigate alone. Our lawyers will bring insurance companies to the negotiating table, greatly ease the stress involved and allow you to focus on your recovery.
Constructive Dismissal
Also known as “Quiet firing/quitting”, or a ‘toxic’ workplace, constructive dismissal is when your employer makes major changes to the terms and conditions of your employment. The intent is to get a worker to quit or resign as employees who quit in Canada are not entitled to income protection. This is precipitated by some material change in employment terms or the development of an unbearable working environment. Bully bosses, removal of sales territory or demotion to a humiliating role fall into this category. Other conditions like unilateral changes to aspects of compensation with little to no warning or workplace harassment are grounds for alleging constructive dismissal. The variables of these changes and types of workplaces are endless, but it requires a court to find it impossible for you to work under those changed conditions. If this sounds like your situation, contact the employment lawyers at Lecker & Associates before quitting or sending a nasty e-mail to your boss. We work hard to resolve your legal problems, which require a delicate approach we have great familiarity with.
Contract Workers’ Rights
The law imposes a multitude of obligations on employers in the event they have an employee. To avoid those obligations, employers will purposely misclassify, contract and pay you like an independent contractor (who do not receive any employment benefits). A misclassification of employment status is unlawful and your employer can be fined or sued for misclassifying your role, regardless of what the paper you signed (or did not sign) says your relationship is. Our law firm has been critical in establishing a middle contractor or what is called “Dependent contractors” who rely heavily on an employer for approximately 45% of their income. Our team of legal specialists will simplify the law here and counsel you to get the compensation you deserve.
Severance Negotiations
C-level employees, executives and managers have components to their remuneration including incentives, equities and bonuses that companies are loathed to pay in a dismissal. Our employment lawyers are masters in maximizing your severance package and litigating where negotiated settlement falls short. We offer highly competitive rates and unparalleled litigators.
We Can Help
Awareness of Your Rights Offers You The Power to Level The Playing Field With Your Employer.
Employment Law Services in Toronto
The expert employment lawyers at Lecker & Associates have over 35 years of experience advocating for employee rights and denied disability benefits.
Call us at 416-223-5391 or complete our online contact form to schedule a consultation to discuss your case.
