SERVICES

Inclusive
Workplace Design

Workplace structures that support fairness & stand up to the law.

Strong workplaces don't happen by accident. They're designed.

Policies alone don't create fair, resilient organizations. What matters is how decisions are made and how people are supported when challenges arise.

I work with organizations to design workplace systems that reduce risk, support leaders through difficult moments, and hold up under legal scrutiny.

Leaders gain clearer footing, and the workplace functions with greater trust.

workplace & culture audits

When problems repeat or tensions linger, organizations often address what is visible without identifying the conditions causing it. Lasting change starts with a clear view of what is happening beneath the surface.

I conduct workplace audits that help leaders pinpoint structural risk, strengthen decision-making, and address issues before they escalate.

For organizations seeking deeper insight, I also lead Participatory Gender Audits as an ILO-certified facilitator. This work examines how workplace structures shape hiring, advancement, leadership pathways, and everyday experiences.

Clients leave with a clear understanding of risk, practical recommendations, and a path forward they can act on with confidence.

clear decision frameworks

Unclear expectations often lead to inconsistent decisions. Over time, those inconsistencies create friction, erode trust, and expose organizations to unnecessary risk.

I work with leaders to design decision frameworks that bring greater consistency to hiring, advancement, performance management, and other critical workplace moments.

These structures reduce the space for bias, support fair treatment, and help leaders act with confidence when situations become complex.

Decisions become clearer, steadier, and far easier for leaders to stand behind.

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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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Founder, All Sorts Press

domestic violence strategy

Domestic violence affects workplaces more often than many leaders realize. When it surfaces, the path forward is not always clear.

I advise organizations on how to prepare for and respond to these situations with care, sound judgment, and legal discipline. This includes building coordinated response plans, strengthening safety measures, and supporting leaders through difficult decisions.

My approach integrates legal guidance with trauma- and violence-informed practices so organizations can act responsibly while maintaining a functional workplace.

Organizations are better equipped to respond, disruption is reduced, and the workplace remains steadier for everyone.

inclusive policies that work in practice

Well-intended policies do not always function as expected once they meet the realities of a workplace. When gaps appear, leaders are left managing uncertainty.

I design workplace policies that are both fair and legally sound, so they hold up under real-world pressure. This includes lifecycle policies, accommodation processes, accessibility frameworks, and other structures that shape the employee experience.

Leaders gain durable structures that ease day-to-day strain, support retention, and keep the workplace functioning as it should.

Want to go deeper?

What Performance Bonus Programs Get Wrong, and Why It Matters for Performance and Legal Risk

Performance bonuses often miss the mark—undermining performance while quietly increasing legal risk. Drawing on recent MIT research and Canadian case law, this article explains why clear bonus criteria matter, how vague discretion fuels disputes and bias, and what employers can do to design bonus plans that actually work.

legal foundations leaders can rely on

Every organization depends on certain legal frameworks to function well. When these foundations are unclear or inconsistently applied, leaders are left exposed.

I help organizations design and implement required programs so they support sound decisions and reflect how the workplace actually operates. This includes frameworks addressing sexual harassment, workplace harassment, violence, discrimination, and accessibility, among others.

With the right foundations in place, leaders spend less time managing uncertainty and more time leading the organization forward.

let's talk about your workplace