Joël Michaud
Joël Michaud
Partner,
Practice Group Leader
Overview
Experience
Professional
Recognition
Community
News + Views + Events

Joël Michaud is an Edmonton-based lawyer with national experience advising regulated private and public employers on labour, employment, human rights and administrative law issues. Joël is bilingual and provides advice in both English and French. He represents employers and employees in post-secondary institutions, Crown corporations, the aviation and transportation sectors and other large-scale, inter-provincial businesses and institutions.

Joël handles a wide range of complex legal issues in the following areas:

  • Employment standards, workplace policies and employment contracts
  • Human rights
  • Canada Labour Code complaints
  • Wrongful dismissals, labour disputes and grievance arbitration
  • Drug and alcohol testing
  • Workplace privacy
  • Investigations into allegations of workplace harassment and misconduct

Clients rely on Joël's representation before various administrative tribunals, including the Alberta Human Rights Commission, Canadian Human Rights Commission and Canadian Human Rights Tribunal. He also represents clients in grievance and interest arbitrations and before the Alberta Labour Relations Board. Joël has also appeared before the Provincial Court of Alberta and the Court of Queen’s Bench in wrongful dismissal and judicial review matters.  

Value to Clients

Joël brings strong policy and management perspective and experience to his clients' needs and issues. Before attending law school, he spent three years in the federal public service in Edmonton, working in managerial and other capacities. Joël was also an intern at the Canadian Industrial Relations Board in Ottawa and a member of the University of Ottawa’s team at the René Cassin Competition on Human Rights held in Strasbourg, France.

Outside the Office

As the father of three, Joël's free time revolves around his family. They travel and enjoy the outdoors together ­ hiking, camping, mountain biking and cross-country skiing. Joël also has a private pilot's license. 

Canadian Bar Association Alberta, Labour and Employment Law Section (North)
Treasurer
2010 - Present
Association des juristes d'expression francaise de l'Alberta
Member
2009-Present
Canadian Bar Association Alberta, Education Law Section (North)
Member
2008-Present
Canadian Bar Association Alberta, Labour and Employment Law Section (North)
Member
2007-Present
Canadian Bar Association Alberta, Administrative Law Section (North)
Member
2007-Present
Canadian Bar Association Alberta, Labour and Employment Law Section (North)
Executive Member (Case Review)
2009-2010
Listed Education Law
The Best Lawyers™ in Canada
2022 - 2024
Listed Labour + Employment Law
The Best Lawyers™ in Canada
2024
Perley-Robertson Hill & McDougall Prize for assignment at The Canadian Industrial Relations Board as part of the Federal Tribunals Practice Seminar at the University of Ottawa Law School
2005
Sherrard Kuzz Prize in Labour and Employment and Administrative Law
2004
Centre de Santé Saint-Thomas Health Centre
Director
2007 - 2011
February 2024
2023 - A Year in Review: Labour + Employment (Part 1)
Seminars + Webinar
Join members of our Labour + Employment Group for our annual Year in Review, which focuses on legal updates for management and employee groups.Part 1 of this series covered Labour and Occupational Health + Safety. To view Part 2, which c...
June 13, 2023
Coffee + Counsel: Common Pitfalls to Avoid with Employment Contracts
Q+A Session
Join us for Coffee + Counsel, a complimentary webinar series where you can connect with our lawyers for an unscripted discussion about legal issues relevant to organizations operating in Alberta and the Northwest Territories. We'll be sharing our l...
October 27, 2022
An Employer's Guide to Hybrid Work Arrangements
Workshop
Employers have been navigating the COVID-19 pandemic longer than we anticipated, creating unforeseen challenges for management and human resources departments. As the dust continues to settle, many employers are moving to implement fully remote or...
January 25, 2022
2021 - A Year in Review: Labour + Employment (Part 1)
Webinar
Join members of our Labour + Employment Group for our annual Year in Review, which focuses on legal updates for management and employee groups.Part 1 of this series covered Labour and Occupational Health + Safety. To view the recording for Part 2,...
November 2021
Case Law Update: Are Mandatory Vaccination Policies Allowed in the Workplace?
Workwise Newsletter
Various questions arise from the competing interests of employees and employers when dealing with mandatory vaccination policies. While there were labour arbitration decisions relating to influenza and other vaccines, until very recently, there were ...
November 17, 2021
Coffee + Counsel: Family Status Accommodation - Where Are We Now?
Q+A Session
Join us for another edition of Coffee + Counsel, a complimentary series that brings you together with a few of our lawyers for an unscripted chat about legal issues pertinent to organizations in Alberta. Your questions guide the discussion, and we prov...
February 24 + March 10
2020 - A Year in Review Webinar Series
Did you miss the Field Law Labour + Employment Group's annual Year in Review? The recordings are now available! Is employer-friendly OHS legislation coming to a worksite near you? What are the impacts of COVID-19 on employment legislation a...
September 26, 2019
Must Have Policies for Employers: Why, What + How
Seminars
Join Field Law in Edmonton and Calgary and learn tips and tricks to assist with the implementation and enforcement of three workplace policies Employers should have in place in today’s market.We will explore how changes in legislation and culture...
Education
University of Ottawa, 2005, Bachelor of Laws Cum Laude
University of Alberta, Campus Saint-Jean, 1999, Bachelor of Arts With Distinction
Admissions
Alberta,2007
Ontario,2006
Languages
French