So ….. not gonna lie. When I read the headline in an Ontario lawyer paper that two law firms I frequently have employment litigation files with are fighting it out at the OLRB about whether paralegals are entitled to vacation pay, I had to dive in and learn more.
My personal feeling is that paralegals are definitely entitled to vacation pay. The only people whose vacation is not paid in a law firm are lawyers and articling students – hell, we can make them work on Christmas if we want. I’ve never wanted to do that, by the way.
Anyway, getting back to watching the fight. From a strictly optics point of view, neither firm can afford the loss reputationally. If you lose, your employment firm loses credibility and presumably clients.
As a business law firm, when clients ask us about litigation, the optics and impact on business is always a topic for discussion. Of course, if you’re simply an employment mill, law firm, then you may have a blind spot.
Can’t wait to see how this turns out and I will be very disappointed if it settles with a gag order. Not surprised, just disappointed.
If you need me, I’ll be eating popcorn and refreshing OLRB decisions on canlii.org .
Inga B. Andriessen, JD Senior Lawyer