About

Rika Sawatsky

Trusted advisor on workplace decisions & governance.

hi, I’m Rika Sawatsky (she/her)

I advise employers on the decisions that shape their workplaces, from early design to high-stakes moments.

Organizations often turn to me when something feels unclear or difficult to name. My role is to help leaders see what may be happening beneath the surface and decide how to move forward.

I'm an Ontario employment lawyer and the founder of Clausework. My work reflects a simple belief: organizations are strongest when fairness guides how decisions are made. Clear structure supports leadership, strengthens accountability, and builds workplaces people trust.

Rika is an incredibly smart and adaptive lawyer that excels in working with her clients to find creative solutions by using analytical approaches. Personally, it was a pleasure to work with Rika and I could not recommend her more highly!

BRANDON PARLETTE,

Senior counsel, Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development

Although we were on Zoom, the energy in the rooms was palpable. Your energy and facilitation style is so engaging. Your approach with the case studies was very effective in helping participants to think through and understand the more insidious forms of SH. I agree that this is an important - and much needed - area for workplaces to understand in more depth. I thought about this as key to prevention.

Research Partner

,

Higher Education

Mennonite New Life Centre's Staff and Clients learned much from the teachings and guidance offered and would recommend to anyone. Rika is friendly and knowledgeable. Really knows her business.

Dwayne O'Connor

,

Executive Director

Rika Sawatsky is smart and comes with impressive experience. At the same time, she is very respectful of the expertise of others. Rika is a natural collaborator and working with her helped me to see my own work from new perspectives. It’s the best kind of work experience.

Director

,

Research Centre

Rika learned and applied the complex industrial terms and working procedures of our North American company incredibly quickly, all the while managing tight litigation timelines and multiple points of contact within our organization. Her personable nature and ability to explain legal concepts in plain language made her a joy to work with.

Labour Relations Manager

,

Rail Industry

Rika is an excellent lawyer. She learns the complicated details of a case and finds creative solutions by building rapport with allied and opposing parties to come to a positive resolution for her clients.

Igor Gimelshtein

,

CEO, Echelon Wellness

Rika is an excellent lawyer who pays attention to detail, has terrific writing skills, and is a wonderful person to work with. I highly recommend her for labour and employment matters.

John Stout

,

Mediator/Arbitrator

I had the pleasure of working closely with Rika during her time with the Ontario Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development, where she drafted legislation, and provided oral and written advice to clients and senior officials. Rika is an incredibly smart and adaptive lawyer that excels in working with her clients to find creative solutions by using analytical approaches. Personally, it was a pleasure to work with Rika and I could not recommend her more highly!

Brandon Parlette

,

Senior Counsel, Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training & Skills Development

Rika provided our public sector organization with expert representation on a number of complex legal matters, which led to highly successful outcomes. She provides intelligent insightful counsel and she has an unparalleled work ethic. Rika is able to pull on her wealth of knowledge and legal expertise while quickly comprehending the nuances of issues that are essential to problem solving. Rika is results driven and articulate in communications. From a client perspective, Rika is highly responsive and she demonstrates true caring.

John Hodgkinson

,

Senior Manager, Employee & Labour Relations

Rika is a pleasure to work with! Her high level of organization and prompt communication is impressive, and her kindness proves she truly cares for her clients. I now feel confident about my client contract! Highly recommend!

Sara Froese

,

Founder, All Sorts Press

how I work with employers

Clients describe me as steady, perceptive, and practical. I work comfortably across all levels of an organization and create space for candid conversation, especially when situations are sensitive.

People tend to speak more openly when they feel at ease. That openness leads to clearer insight and better decisions.

My focus is always on guidance that works in the real world.

where I bring distinctive insight

Some workplace challenges are easy to spot. Others develop quietly, shaping culture and risk long before they demand attention. I am often brought in to help organizations understand these less visible dynamics and respond thoughtfully.

Intimate partner violence as a workplace issue

I'm known for my work at the intersection of intimate partner violence and employment law, which is an area often misunderstood in workplace programs. I help employers prepare with care, building policies and decision frameworks that support safety and sound action before a crisis occurs.

Workplace audits

I conduct workplace audits that examine how policies, practices, and informal norms operate in daily organizational life, including how power and opportunity are experienced across groups.

Bias-reducing decision structures

Much workplace risk arises not from intent but from how discretion is used over time. I help organizations design clearer criteria and processes so decisions are consistent, fair, and able to withstand scrutiny.

a bit more about me

I am a biracial Japanese Canadian, and I understand both what it means to belong and what it can cost when people do not. This perspective deepens the care I bring to questions of conflict, responsibility, and organizational life.

My work begins with listening to what's said and what may be harder to voice. By paying close attention to workplace dynamics, I provide guidance that reflects both legal realities and human ones.

Clients value the steadiness of my approach and the ease of working through complex issues together. I care deeply about the quality of the workplaces my clients are building and about being a trusted partner in that work.

social & environmental
responsiblity

  • I donate 1% of gross revenue to environmental partners through 1% for the Planet and track climate commitments through the SME Climate Hub.
  • I provide ongoing pro bono employment law education to newcomer communities through monthly information sessions with the Mennonite New Life Centre of Toronto.
  • I serve on the Board of Directors of Neighbourhood Information Post, a Toronto-based organization providing critical supports to low-income and unhoused community members, including a rent bank, trusteeship services, and income tax clinics. I currently sit on its Governance, Anti-Oppression & Accessibility, and Human Resources committees.
  • I provide ad hoc pro bono employment law support for various gender equity-advancing initiatives, including with the Elizabeth Fry Society of Toronto and METRAC.

professional
foundation

Before founding Clausework, I spent over a decade practising employment law in both private practice and the public sector, including at a global law firm and Ontario’s Ministry of Labour.

That experience continues to shape the practical, business-minded judgment I bring to my clients today. I remain closely engaged with developments in employment law and workplace governance and contribute to professional education, including through work connected to Western University.

Admission

Ontario Bar 2015

Education

Juris Doctor
University of Ottawa
2014

Hons. Bachelor of Arts & Science
McMaster University
2009

Memberships

Association for Women's Rights in Development

Federation of Asian Canadian Lawyers

National Asian Pacific American Bar Association

National Association of Women & the Law

Society of Gender Professionals

Women's Legal Education & ActionFund - Toronto Chapter

Appointments & CERTIFICATES

Notary Public

Participatory Gender Audit Facilitator (ILO)

Hyogo Prefecture
Goodwill Envoy

Advanced Certificate in Workplace Investigations
Osgoode Hall, York University

Certificate in Gender-Based Violence Practice Skills
Western University

let's talk about your workplace