Trade war leading to layoffs in Canada: Employment lawyer discusses with Global News

Interview Summary

Canadians continue to fear layoffs and wage and hourly reductions as the trade war with the United States continues. While the impact of some tariffs has yet to be seen, employees and employers should prepare for uncertain times ahead.

Teilen Celentano, a Toronto employment lawyer and Associate at Samfiru Tumarkin LLP, joined Sean Previl at Global News to discuss the consequences of ongoing tariffs and a trade war for Canadian employees.

Interview Notes

• Severance pay after a layoff: Celentano explained the importance of employees receiving their full severance entitlements, despite a fraught economy and employer financial losses. “Under common law in most provinces, except for Quebec, unless there’s a contractual term that limits your entitlement, you’re entitled to a full severance package.”
• Determining common-law entitlements: “What the courts try to do, in essence, is try to say how long do we think it would take someone, not necessarily the person who’s been terminated, but someone like them to find a new job and assess and award that amount of support,” said Celentano.

Related Resources

For further insights and discussions related to employee rights, explore the following resources:

• Impact of Tariffs on Canadians
• Small businesses take a hit due to tariffs