Legal Assistant
- Meaghan Nouwens
- Phone:(506) 453-9638
- Fax:(506) 453-9600
- Email:
PRACTICE AREAS
BIO
Jessica is a Partner in the Fredericton office of Cox & Palmer, practicing in the areas of employment, labour, human rights and administrative law. She is also the Chair of Cox & Palmer’s Regional Employment & Labour Group.
Adept at handling delicate situations, Jessica helps clients solve workplace issues, while also anticipating potential future issues and establishing a plan to mitigate risks. Whether it’s issues relating to day-to-day operations or complex litigation, with questions ranging from contractual obligations to discipline and termination, Jessica works with her clients to develop strategies to reach the best possible outcome.
Among a small number of lawyers in New Brunswick handling a variety of complex workplace legal matters, Jessica has extensive experience addressing issues in both unionized and non-unionized workplaces. Through understanding the legal issues and the business of her clients, Jessica is able to develop solutions that solve the problems they face.
Experience
Jessica provides advice to both provincially and federally regulated employers. She has extensive experience in employment, labour, human rights and administrative law including:
- Union certification/decertification applications
- Unfair labour practice complaints
- Grievance arbitrations
- Attendance management
- Labour injunctions
- Collective bargaining
- Occupational health and safety matters
- Pensions
- Human rights complaints
- Wrongful dismissal actions
- Disability claims
- Drafting and reviewing employment policies
BACKGROUND
Bar Admission
- New Brunswick (2011)
Law School
- University of New Brunswick
Education
- Mount Saint Vincent University (B.Sc., 2005)
- University of New Brunswick (LL.B., 2010)
Professional Activities & Affiliations
- Board – Canadian Association of Counsel to Employers
- Member – Chartered Professionals in Human Resources New Brunswick
Activities Within Firm
- Chair – Regional Employment & Labour Practice Group
- Member – Diversity & Inclusion Committee
Community & Volunteer Activities
Board – New Maryland Soccer – 2023
Lectures & Presentations
- Get Off My Cloud: Multi-Jurisdictional Issues – 2022 CACE Conference
- Trending Legal Hot Topics – 2022 CPHRNB Conference
- This Year Has 90 Minutes – Lancaster House Webinar
- It Just Isn’t Working – Lancaster House Webinar
- Post-Pandemic Workforce Management – Advocates for Employers of Canada
- Employment Law –NBCC Human Resources Management Program
- Employment Law – UNB Human Resources Management Program
- Labour Law – Guest Lecturer – UNB
- Employment Law 101 – Bobby’s Hospice (March 2013)
- When Grey Hair Leads to Good-bye: Termination Older Employees – Cox & Palmer Continuing Legal Education Seminar (August 2012)
- Top 10 Most Influential Decision of 2011/2012 – Contact NB (March 2012)
Law Society Memberships
- York-Sunbury Law Society
- Law Society of New Brunswick
- Canadian Bar Association
Languages
- English
ARTICLES
- Political Friend or Foe: Human Rights Act applies to Termination of Head of Government Entity
- “Lawful and Reasonable” Enforcement of Mandatory Vaccine Policy is Not Constructive Dismissal, Court Rules
- Employers May Terminate for a Single Incident of Sexual Harassment
- Secretly Recording Workplace Conversations Can Result in Termination
- COVID 19 – Mandatory Vaccine Policies Legally Challenged through Grievance Arbitrations
- Labour Arbitrators, not Human Rights Tribunals, have exclusive jurisdiction over alleged human rights disputes arising from Collective Agreements
- Wrongful Dismissal Damages – Are CERB, EI, STD, LTD and other government benefits deductible?
- Breach of COVID-19 Policy Justifies Termination
- A Word of Caution for Employers: When Terminating Employees Say What you Mean and Mean What you Say
- Employee Refusals to Work: Employer Rights and Obligations under OHS Legislation
- COVID-19 Public Health Measures and Essential Services in Atlantic Canada
- COVID-19 – How Employers Can Manage the Workplace in These Uncertain Times
- How to Prepare for Coronavirus in the Workplace
- Breaking Glass Ceilings – Federal Pay Equity Legislation Seeks Equal Pay for Equal Value
- Workplace Investigations: Navigating Respectful Workplace Policies
- Signing your Name on the Dotted Line is Not Always Enough: A Signed Employment Contract May Not Be Enforceable
- New Occupational Health and Safety Regulations in New Brunswick: Addressing Workplace Harassment and Violence
- Revised Labour Standards for Federal Employers
- Update: An Overview of Parental and Maternity Leave in Atlantic Canada
- New Employment Leave Introduced in New Brunswick: Domestic Violence Leave, Intimate Partner Violence Leave or Sexual Violence Leave
- The Interplay between Workers' Compensation and the Duty to Accommodate
- Recent Changes Affect Parental and Maternity Leave in Atlantic Canada
- Will Legalization Cause Workplace Safety To Go Up in Smoke?
- What Happens to Employment When an Employer Sells its Assets?
- Can Employers Require Mandatory Unpaid Standby Duty?
- Employer Misconduct Results in Moral Damages
- Mitigation Income: What’s In and What’s Out?
- SCC Declares Termination for Impairment in the Workplace Not Discriminatory
- Employer Permitted To Terminate Employees Receiving LTD Benefits
- New Brunswick Employers Now Need to Accommodate Family Status
- Casual Worker Permitted to Sue Employer for Injuries Resulting from Workplace Accident
- No Obligation to Pay Long Term Incentive Bonus Upon Termination
- Pregnancy Quips Perpetuate Gender Discrimination
- Substantial Changes to Employment for Employee Returning from Maternity Leave = Significant Damage Award
- Employers Appealing EI Decisions: Do So At Your Own Risk
- Workplace Accident: Manager Sentenced to 3 ½ Years in Jail
- New Brunswick Police Officer Terminated for Misconduct
- Unprecedented Damage Award for Violation of Human Rights
- Termination For Drug Impairment Is Not Discriminatory
- Employer Obligations on Election Day
- Employee Wrongfully Terminated for Breach of Trust
- A Rare Success for Employers: An Employee’s Failure to Mitigate
- Determining Job Qualifications: Does a Union Have a Say?
- Appearance in the Workplace: Can it be regulated by the Employer?
- Termination Without Cause Can Lead to Expedited Litigation
- Supreme Court of Canada Constitutionalizes Right to Strike
- Dismissal Without Cause Is Not Always an Unjust Dismissal
- Workers’ Compensation May Have to Provide Benefits for Stress
- When Does an Employer Need to Accommodate Childcare Obligations?
- Employee’s Right to Refuse Unsafe Work Affirmed by SCC
- Changes to the Canada Labour Code
- When Can A Disabled Employee Be Terminated?
- Upcoming Amendments to the Workers’ Compensation Act and the Occupational Health and Safety Act
- Pension Benefits Not Deductible from Wrongful Dismissal Damages
- NB Government Responds to Employer Concerns over Potential Directors’ Liability
- SCC Confirms International Organizations’ Immunity to Wrongful Dismissal Actions
- The Ever-Increasing Expense of Human Rights Remedies
- Failure to Allege Cause ≠ Unjust Dismissal
- Employee’s Belief of Discrimination ≠ Actual Discrimination
- Can Employers Reduce Retiree Benefits?
- The High Cost of Age Discrimination
- Managers Can Be Held Personally Liable For Preventing Accommodations in the Workplace
- Employment & Labour Regional Newsletter December 2012
- Pension Benefits Act – Shared Risk Pension Plans “The Dutch Model”
- The Lurking Danger of Abruptly Ending Disability Benefits Upon Termination