Bell Media severance after jobs cut across Canada in February 2021

Bell Media has terminated over 200 staff at radio and television stations across Canada, impacting many programming, newsroom, on-air and sales positions.

Media reports suggest that the layoffs impacted unionized and non-unionized employees alike.

A spokesperson for Bell explained that the positions were eliminated in order to streamline the operating structure at Bell Media.

“As the media industry evolves, we’re focused on investment in new content and technology opportunities while also ensuring our company is as agile, efficient and easy to work with as possible,” said the Bell spokesperson.

Severance pay for Bell Media employees

Non-unionized Bell Media employees are owed full severance pay as a result of their termination without cause in this round of layoffs. Severance pay is calculated by looking at multiple factors, including age, length of time at a company, position, salary, and benefits. It is often far more than one or two weeks’ pay per year worked, and can be as much as 24 months’ pay in total. An employee is wrongfully dismissed if their employer fires them without the correct amount of severance pay.

Samfiru Tumarkin LLP has been contacted by numerous Bell Media staff impacted by these terminations, in an effort to ensure that severance packages are fair during the COVID-19 pandemic. The current global health crisis, mixed with the difficulty of securing new employment in a fluctuating media landscape, will actually result in more generous severance entitlements for employees who may struggle as they seek new work in challenging landscape.

Use the Severance Pay Calculator to get a better understanding of how much you may be legally owed.

Severance offer deadlines

If the severance offer you received from Bell Media contains a deadline, know that you do not have to accept the offer before the deadline’s expiry. An individual in Canada has two years from the day they were terminated to claim their termination pay. You should not sign off on termination papers until we review your unique situation.

Negotiate a stronger severance package

The employment lawyers at Samfiru Tumarkin LLP have negotiated stronger severance packages for tens of thousands of individuals across Ontario, British Columbia and Alberta. As the most positively reviewed law firm in Canada, our team is ready to provide you with the advice you need, and the compensation you deserve.