legal assistant

hospitality team member

administrative assistant

manager of business development

law clerk

McMillan LLP

I worked at McMillan's Vancouver office for just under two years. Over eighteen months after I left the firm, I'm literally still in therapy because of it, and I am not the only person who has sought therapy in the aftermath of dealing with the toxicity that emanates from every aspect of the office. You will be sold a job at a modern, hip, diverse, flexible environment; they will boast about their wellness days and appreciation weeks and diversity initiatives. The reality of McMillan is a culture of straightness, whiteness, and maleness; you can either shape yourself into the cog they want you to be, or you can suffer in silence. There is no support. There is no kindness. There is no basic humanity there. The culture is toxic and mean and snippy, with long-established cliques and passive-aggressive office politics over menial tasks. There is no upward mobility, no growth, no ability to make anything better. It's a bad place to work and needlessly toxic to anyone who doesn't fit their very strict little mold. I have PTSD flashbacks to this place. Have you ever had a PTSD flashback to a corporate office? It's really ridiculous and it sounds fake and now that's a thing that happens to me. 

Take literally any other job at literally any other employer. If you have another option, take that other option. Working for McMillan destroyed my mental and physical health, probably for the long term, and it was all ultimately futile and unnecessary. I can't emphasize enough how awful this place is. It's just not worth it. 

During my orientation and first few weeks I felt treated as insignificant, not someone with a lengthy background in the field and who could contribute their knowledge to improving the workplace or the efficiency of the work and procedures.

I felt my first few weeks training lacked professionalism and was not based on any formal training technique.  My training was at times incomprehensible to me, despite my years of knowledge of the subject area. Reaction to my feedback on the problematic training was vague and hostile -- not following any professional guidelines when compared to all the the public and private sector corporations I've worked with.

I suggest that a national firm with a central training function should have a strategy and procedures in place for training supervisors to assure onboarding consistency -- this would improve the toxic culture immensely, in my opinion. 

I would not recommend McMillan for legal assistants.  Seek a more rewarding and welcoming culture elsewhere.

I worked with McMillan for just under ten years. The people are friendly and management is helpful. 
Work quantity would fluctuate, but that is normal for the practice group I was a part of. 
I was provided with many valuable working experiences and even though some of them were very challenging and difficult to manage, I gained a lot of exposure and possess many fantastic qualities because of them.
The workplace can be demanding at times and work/life balance isn't always great, however I was never made to feel as though I would be penalized for taking the time I required in my personal life.
I enjoyed working with the people at this law firm and found many of them to be understanding and pleasant to deal with.

If you're applying for a support staff position look elsewhere. No job security, you are completely disposable and will feel like you're on the chopping block at all times. During my time in the company people were getting fired/laid off on a constant basis creating a constant negative vibe in regard to employee morale. 

Management does nothing to advance your opportunities. Some "teams" provide nothing but a toxic environment and true management skills are non existent. 

The culture is great, but only because they provide employee appreciation events to compensate for paying you non competitive wages. 

Great place to work because it looks good on a resume. Not a company that you will be at for long.

What is the best part of working at the company?
The culture of respect. They really do treat their employees well. If you want to work somewhere where you fell appreciated, this is the place! I loved every minute i was there. Only left because of my career goals.

What is the most stressful part about working at the company?
Just adjusting to the slower pace and a maturing tech/security environment. Can also be a positive thing in terms of stress management and learning curves.

What is the work environment and culture like at the company?
Respectful. Calm environment. Nice location also.

Excellent place to learn the life at an agency and what it is like to work with large clients with large marketing departments and budgets. 

Culture is fun and workplace is very comfortable, modern and fun.

Management is the only issue - they only seem to promote the yes-people that don't stand up for their teams and only want to impress the execs. The true stars of the company eventually leave when they realize there is no room for advancement, and that they do not have a valued voice in the organization.

The corporate culture at McMillan LLP was very friendly but professional. Everyone was cordial and establishing positive relationships among colleagues and departments was integral for productivity and high quality work. For non-law professionals at the firm, job security/advancement is hard to come by and there may not be enough room for growth depending on the area of one's expertise, level and experience. However, I enjoyed working there despite the lack of management in my last position at the firm and I am grateful for the opportunity.

Start my day checking emails and tasks with a coffee in my hand. Following that I catch up on any news and briefs for upcoming projects and dig in to tasks until lunch where I enjoy some of the great market cuisine. Returning from lunch I work steady while playing energetic music to build up my second wind and narrow my focus. Co-workers are friendly and welcoming with tons of knowledge to share. The hardest part of the job is leaving at the end of my contract. The most enjoyable part was Jolly Cart Fridays and Golden Doodle-Doos.

McMillan has a fun and incredibly supportive culture, with lots of opportunity to learn and grow. They have a highly effective balance of fun and productivity, and take every opportunity to make staff feel appreciated. They value hard work and initiative. HR and management are great, and really do care about their employees. Highly recommend. 

What is the best part of working at the company?
Work life balance is pretty good 

What is the most stressful part about working at the company?
Little room for growth, except if you’re in HR.

What is the work environment and culture like at the company?
Fake culture priding itself on meaningless awards and self recognition 

What is a typical day like for you at the company?
Slow and boring with very little to look forward to

Top Job Titles	Average salary
Legal assistant 10 salaries reported	$62,950 per year
Hospitality team member 3 salaries reported	$25.00 per hour
Administrative assistant 2 salaries reported	$64,000 per year
Manager of business development 3 salaries reported	$110,000 per year
Law clerk 4 salaries reported	$119,750 per year

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