Stéphanie Desjardins practises labour and employment law, advising employers on the day-to-day and strategic management of workplace relations. Her practice includes hiring, workforce management, dismissals and layoffs, internal policies, as well as disciplinary and organizational matters, in both unionized and non-unionized environments.
In parallel, Stéphanie has developed a recognized subspecialty in occupational health and safety, which strengthens and complements her employment law practice. She advises employers on prevention, the management of workplace accidents, workers' compensation claims, and issues relating to the financing and cost allocation of the CNESST compensation regime.
Stéphanie's practice is distinguished by the intersection of employment law and occupational health and safety, allowing her to provide employers with a comprehensive and consistent approach to their files, both upstream (workforce management, prevention, internal policies) and downstream (workplace accidents, claims, litigation, and financial impacts). This integrated approach represents a strategic advantage, particularly in complex matters where disciplinary, organizational, and OHS issues overlap.
An experienced litigator, Stéphanie regularly represents employers before the Administrative Labour Tribunal (ALT) in both labour standards and occupational health and safety matters. She has also appeared before the Court of Québec, the Québec Superior Court, arbitration tribunals, the Canada Industrial Relations Board, and the Workers' Compensation Appeals Tribunal of New Brunswick.
In addition, Stéphanie delivers practical training sessions and seminars for management teams, including on the Act to modernize the occupational health and safety regime, helping employers integrate new legislative requirements into their operations in a pragmatic and operationally focused manner.
Experience
- Has managed numerous workers' compensation claims before the CNESST and frequently represented employers before the Administrative Labour Tribunal (ALT) in both labour standards and occupational health and safety matters.
- Has acted in CNESST penal prosecutions heard before the Criminal and Penal Division of the Court of Québec, notably in relation to alleged occupational health and safety violations.
- Delivered a conference and co-authored an article for the Barreau du Québec on 2023 developments in occupational health and safety law, reflecting an ongoing commitment to legal thought leadership and knowledge sharing.
- Has managed numerous workers' compensation claims before the CNESST and frequently represented employers before the Administrative Labour Tribunal (ALT) in both labour standards and occupational health and safety matters.
- Has acted in CNESST penal prosecutions heard before the Criminal and Penal Division of the Court of Québec, notably in relation to alleged occupational health and safety violations.
- Delivered a conference and co-authored an article for the Barreau du Québec on 2023 developments in occupational health and safety law, reflecting an ongoing commitment to legal thought leadership and knowledge sharing.
