Calgary Job Fairs: What non-unionized employees should know about employment rights

Employment Rights When Attending Calgary Job Fairs

Calgary job fairs are a fantastic way to connect with potential employers, explore new career opportunities, and secure your next role. Whether you’re perusing the Calgary listing on JobFairX, searching Career Fair Canada, or browsing listings on platforms like Eventbrite, it’s important to understand your employment rights in Alberta before diving into a new role. As a non-unionized employee, you should be aware of your rights related to severance pay, employment contracts, and more as you navigate your job search.

1. Understanding Severance Pay in Alberta

If you’ve recently lost your job and are now looking for new employment at a Calgary job fair, it’s important to know that you are likely entitled to severance pay from your previous employer. In Alberta, severance pay is a right for non-unionized employees, and you may be owed compensation even if you are actively searching for your next role.

Severance Pay After Job Loss

When you lose your job in Alberta, your employer is required to provide you with a severance package that compensates you for the loss of your position. This applies regardless of whether your employer claims financial hardship or if you’ve already started searching for new work. If you were let go for cause, you are still likely owed severance. Severance pay is meant to bridge the gap between jobs and help you transition smoothly, providing financial security during this period. You can’t collect severance and EI at the same time.

The amount of severance you’re owed depends on several factors, including your length of service, age, position, and ability to find similar work. Full severance packages are often much higher than the minimums outlined by the province’s Employment Standards Code (ESC), typically amounting to as much as 24 months’ pay.

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You may be owed additional compensation depending on why you lost your job. For instance, it is illegal to fire someone in Alberta for discriminatory reasons.

Use Alberta’s Severance Pay Calculator to get a basic understanding of how much compensation you may be owed. Then, contact an employment lawyer at Samfiru Tumarkin LLP to start the process of securing your proper severance package.

Temporary Layoffs Are Illegal

If you’ve been placed on a temporary layoff and are now looking for new work in the meantime, you should know that these layoffs are often illegal in Alberta unless your employment contract specifically allows for them. For most non-unionized employees, a temporary layoff is considered a termination, and you are entitled to severance pay as a result.

If you’re searching for new employment while on a temporary layoff, your former employer may have already violated your rights, meaning you’re owed severance as though you were permanently fired.

2. Employment Contracts and New Jobs

When attending Calgary job fairs or interviewing for new positions, you’ll likely be asked to sign an employment contract. Understanding the terms of these contracts in Alberta is essential to protecting your rights.

• Review the terms carefully: Employment contracts can include clauses that limit your ability to seek full severance if you lose your job. For example, many contracts attempt to limit severance to the minimum amount, which can leave employees with far less compensation than they are actually entitled to.
• Key clauses to look for: Pay attention to clauses related to termination, non-compete agreements, and probation periods. These clauses can significantly affect your future employment prospects and financial compensation if things don’t work out with your new employer. Consulting with a Samfiru Tumarkin LLP employment lawyer before you sign can help you understand whether the terms are fair, and negotiate a better agreement.

WATCH: Employment lawyer Lior Samfiru explains what you need to know about employment contracts on the Employment Law Show.

3. Other Employment Rights to Consider

Aside from severance pay and employment contracts, there are several other employment rights you should keep in mind when searching for new opportunities in Alberta.

• Keeping seniority when switching jobs: Consider protecting the years spent building seniority with your current or former employer by having a new employer recognize them when you join them. Your severance package is partially based on your years of service.
• Responsibility to find new work: If you’ve recently lost your job and are entitled to severance, attending job fairs is a proactive way to show that you’re doing your best to secure new work. Mitigation is a key factor in severance claims, meaning you must actively seek new employment to limit your former employer’s financial obligations. By attending job fairs, you demonstrate a genuine effort to mitigate, which can help protect your severance rights while expanding your job opportunities.

Job fairs in Calgary can be an excellent stepping stone to new career opportunities, but it’s essential to remain informed about your rights as a non-unionized employee. Whether it’s understanding your entitlement to severance pay, reviewing an employment contract before signing, or ensuring you receive the appropriate notice period when leaving a job, staying informed is crucial.

Contact Us Today

If you’re attending a Calgary job fair or searching for new employment and have questions about your rights, consulting with an experienced employment lawyer at Samfiru Tumarkin LLP is the best way to protect yourself and your financial future. Our lawyers in Ontario, Alberta, and B.C. have successfully represented more than 50,000 thousand non-unionized individuals.

In addition to severance package and employment contract negotiations, we can assist you on a broad range of employment matters, including:

Are you a non-unionized employee who needs help with a workplace issue? Contact us or call 1-855-821-5900 to get the advice you need and the compensation you deserve.