Calgary mayor’s chief of staff receives $104K severance after months on job

Public questions amount of compensation

Stephen Carter, former chief of staff to Calgary mayor Jyoti Gondek, recently received $104,166.65 in severance after only a few months in the role. Though no official details have been released regarding what led to Carter’s abrupt dismissal, it followed several complaints filed by city councillors accusing him of workplace bullying.

The mayor’s office has refused to comment on reasons behind the termination, and Carter has confirmed to local media outlets that no reason was provided to him. Still, Carter has stated that he feels his reputation has been impacted by the public termination of his employment.

The now-former chief of staff was hired in October 2021 and fired in February 2022. News of Carter’s severance package has sparked controversy and generated questions from residents about compensation for people working in the political sphere.

Is Carter owed severance after a short period of employment?

Carter may have been dismissed in part because of the complaints made against him by city councillors. However, it appears that even if these complaints were a factor in his dismissal, there was presumably not enough basis to fire Carter because of them. Accordingly, he is still owed severance, even if he may have served only a short time in the position.

In fact, short-service employees are often owed higher severance packages relative to their longer-serving counterparts. The law recognizes that it takes most employees at least a few months to find a new job regardless of how long they’ve worked for their employer. As a result, even employees who have only worked with their employer for a short time are entitled to enough severance to support them during at least a portion of their job search.

How is severance calculated after short-term employment?

When calculating severance packages for short-service employees, the courts consider:

• how long it would reasonably take for the terminated employee to find a new job.
• the employee’s age.
• how long they’ve worked for their employer.
• the employee’s position.
• the employee’s salary.

For example, if you worked for an employer for only one year, you may be owed as much as six months’ severance, depending on your particular circumstances.

Samfiru Tumarkin LLP developed Canada’s premier Severance Pay Calculator to give employees and employers a quick understanding of how much severance may be owed.

Termination clauses for senior executive positions

Sometimes, employees in government positions like Carter, or those in senior executive-level positions with higher than average turnover rates, have clauses guaranteeing certain amounts of severance for a defined corresponding length of service.

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• Severance packages for executives

Carter’s termination letter noted that his severance was in accordance with terms outlined in his employment agreement. Where these terms are drafted in a legally valid and enforceable way, short-service employees may even be guaranteed a large payout like Carter. An employment lawyer can help you review whether similar language in your employment contract is enforceable and what your severance entitlements may be.

Employees are often entitled to more severance

If you were working for your employer for a short time and have been fired or lost your job, you may be owed more severance than you think! Furthermore, even where some performance issues may exist prior to your dismissal, this does not necessarily mean that you employer can let you go because of them. Reach out to an employment lawyer with Samfiru Tumarkin LLP to review your circumstances and get the compensation you deserve.