Paul J. Willetts

Partner | Employment and Labour Lawyer

 

Prior to founding Vey Willetts LLP, Paul worked at one of Canada’s leading labour and employment law firms and at a large energy corporation. Paul is dedicated to achieving the best possible result for his clients through exhaustive preparation, persuasive negotiation and staunch advocacy.

He has represented clients at the Court of Appeal for Ontario, the Ontario Divisional Court, the Superior Court of Justice, the Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario, the Ontario Labour Relations Board, and the Canada Industrial Relations Board, in addition to attending at numerous private arbitrations and mediations.

In addition to completing his law degree at the University of Ottawa, Paul holds degrees in political science from the University of Winnipeg (B.A. Hons.) and the University of Calgary (M.A.). He also acts as a legal editor for First Reference’s Human Resources Policy-Pro (Ontario Edition) and has published research on a number of employment law topics, including employee privacy, workplace accommodation and severance packages. He has further been quoted in the media on workplace issues by CBC, CTV News Channel, Global National News, 580 CFRA Ottawa, Yahoo! Finance Canada, Ottawa Metro, Canadian Employment Law Today, Canadian Underwriter, Canadian HR Reporter and The Lawyer's Daily.

Paul co-edited, and authored a chapter in, the legal reference text “Mitigation in Ontario Employment Law” which was published by LexisNexis Canada in 2023.

Paul was previously Vice-President of the Board of Directors for Big Brothers Big Sisters of Ottawa (2017-2021), and served as Chair of the organization's Human Resources Committee. He currently teaches employment law at the University of Ottawa Faculty of Law (Common Law Section) and is a member of the County of Carleton Law Association East Region Solicitors Conference Planning Committee.

In his spare time, Paul enjoys spending time with his family and watching “football.” For more than 30 years, he has been a stalwart supporter of Wolverhampton Wanderers FC.

Professional Associations and Memberships

  • Law Society of Ontario

  • County of Carleton Law Association

  • Employment Lawyers Association of Ontario

Pro Bono Activities

  • Big Brothers Big Sisters of Ottawa: Member, Board of Directors and Chair of Human Resources Committee (2017-2021)

  • Riverside Park Community Association: Member, Board of Directors (2018-2021)

  • County of Carleton Law Association: Member, East Region Solicitors Conference Planning Committee (2021-present)

Recent Court Cases

Publications & Presentations

  • Speaker, “Employment Law Tips for Solicitors", CCLA 29th East Region Solicitors Conference, May 2023

  • Speaker, “Recent Top Employment Law Cases", Ontario Bar Association 21st Annual Current Issues in Employment Law, April 2023

  • Speaker, “The Right to Disconnect and Employee Electronic Monitoring – What Ontario Employers Need to Know”, Hire Immigrants Ottawa: Employer Learning Forum , November 2022

  • Speaker, “Update on Constructive Dismissal in the Poisoned Work Environment”, CCLA 8-Minute Employment Lawyer, September 2022

  • Speaker, “Absenteeism and Attendance Management", Ontario Bar Association 20th Annual Current Issues in Employment Law, April 2022

  • Speaker, “The State of Employment Law in a Post-Covid World", Telfer Law Society, February 2022

  • Speaker, “Considerations for Remote Work Arrangements", Hire Immigrants Ottawa: Employer Learning Forum, November 2021

  • Speaker, “Employment Law Issues into 2022”, Kanata Central BIA, November 2021

  • Speaker, “Vaccination Policies in the Workplace", Sandbox Network: Employment Webinar, September 2021

  • Speaker, “Advising Clients During the Pandemic: Common Issues in the Workplace", CCLA 27th East Region Solicitors Conference, May 2021

  • Speaker, “Liability, Duty of Care and Senior Leader Responsibilities", Humanitarian Response Network of Canada, August 2020

  • Speaker, “What Earnings Count? Considering the Duty to Mitigate After Brake", Law Society of Ontario: The 6-Minute Employment Lawyer, June 2020

  • Speaker, "Diversity, Inclusion & Employee Recruitment”, Employment Accessibility Resource Network, January 2020

  • Speaker, "Managing Risk in Employee Recruitment”, Hire Immigrants Ottawa, December 2019

  • Speaker, "Constructive Dismissal: An Update", CCLA 6-Minute Employment Lawyer, September 2019

  • Speaker, "Personal Insights on Running a Law Firm", Ontario Bar Association (Student Section), May 2019

  • Author, "Tagg Industries v. Rieder: Is Storing Pornography on a Work-Issued Laptop Cause for Dismissal?" The Advocates' Quarterly, Vol. 49, no, 4 (April 2019)

  • Speaker, "Helpful Strategies for Growing Your Practice", Ontario Bar Association Professionalism and Practice Management Strategies for Labour & Employment Lawyers, November 2017

  • Speaker, "Probationary Employment: New Obligations and Lost Rights", CCLA 37th East Region Litigation Conference, November 2017

  • Speaker, "Liability and Letters of Reference", CCLA 6-Minute Employment Lawyer, September 2017

  • Speaker, "Advising on Employee Bonus Entitlement: 'Active Employment' post-Paquette" CCLA 23rd East Region Solicitors Conference, May 2017

  • Speaker, "Legal Blogging - On Your Site and Others”, CCLA Social Media Social, April 2017

  • Author, "Punitive Damages in Morison v. Ergo-Industrial Seating: The New 'Wallace Bump'?" The Advocates' Quarterly, Vol. 46, no, 4 (March 2017)

  • Author, "Human Rights Law Today: Guidance for Individuals and Employers" HR Update, Ottawa Business Journal (May 2016)

  • Speaker, "Organizing Your Workplace: A Guide for Small Businesses”, Downtown Windsor Business Accelerator, September 2015

  • Speaker, "Navigating Policies and Regulations in the Workplace”, Hire Immigrants Ottawa, January 2015

What People Are Saying

“I highly recommend Paul for his ability to deal with me while I was in complete shock and most importantly, to be able to gather additional, pertinent and helpful facts for my case. I would not hesitate to recommend Paul to family and friends if they required legal assistance in employment matters.”
— Client Review
 
“In very short order Paul understood my situation, proposed immediate recommendations, conducted relevant research, then implemented a brilliant and just solution which proved to be 100% successful!”
— Client Review