CNRL Terminations and Severance Pay

Calgary-based Canadian Natural Resources Ltd. (CNRL) is one of Canada’s largest natural gas producers. It is the second-largest private landowner in Western Canada, after the government.

CNRL employees over 9,000 workers across numerous countries, including Canada, the United Kingdom, Gabon and Côte d’Ivoire.

Mandatory vaccination for CNRL employees

CNRL has implemented a vaccine policy that requires all employees to be vaccinated by December 1, 2021. The policy allows exemptions for medical or religious reasons, but does not state what will ultimately happen to employees who refuse to get vaccinated and do not have an exemption. The company previously permitted daily testing as an alternative to vaccination, but that option will no longer be available come December.

It is the first of the large oil and gas companies in Canada to implement a mandatory vaccination policy.

Fired from CNRL?

If you are fired, let go or laid off from CNRL, there are basic employment rights that your employer can’t ignore. Depending on how and why the employer lets you go, and the existence of any employment contract, you may be entitled to a severance package. The company may also owe human rights damages.

Severance pay for CNRL employees

All non-unionized employees in Canada, including CNRL workers, are entitled to a severance package when they are let go from their job without cause. A standard severance package should consist of your minimum entitlements under provincial legislation, and the maximum severance pay you are owed under common law.

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Vaccination policies and rights for employees

Fired for refusing to get fully vaccinated

It is illegal for an employer to dismiss an employee “for cause” (or without severance pay) if they refuse to get vaccinated against COVID-19. An employer can only fire an employee without severance if there is a government mandate that requires workers in a particular sector to be vaccinated. There are currently no government mandate vaccinations in the oil and gas sector in Canada. Therefore, any CNRL employees fired for not getting the jab will still be owed full severance.

This is a fact echoed by Lluc Cerda, a Calgary employment lawyer and managing associate at Samfiru Tumarkin LLP, in a recent interview with CBC News.

“If an employee is suspended or terminated for not being vaccinated, they could be entitled to a severance package,” said Cerda.

How to properly calculate severance pay

Severance pay is calculated using a number of factors, including the employee’s age, position, and length of employment. Other factors that can also affect severance pay include bonuses and commission, vacation pay, pensions, and availability of similar employment. In some cases, it could be as much as 24 months’ pay.

GET THE FACTS
• How to calculate severance pay in Alberta
• Is severance mandatory in BC?
• How much severance should I get in Ontario?

Severance pay deadlines

When your employer lets you go, they may ask you to accept a severance offer on the spot or by a specific deadline. You do not have to abide by their deadline rules. You legally have up to two years from the moment of termination to pursue your full severance entitlements through an employment lawyer.

Most employers use severance offer deadlines to pressure individuals to accept inadequate termination packages. Before you accept any offer, have it reviewed by an employment lawyer at Samfiru Tumarkin LLP to ensure that don’t leave money on the table.

As Canada’s most positively reviewed law firm, our team can provide you with the advice you need, and the compensation you deserve.

Unionized CNRL employees

If you work for CNRL and are represented by a union, you must talk to your union representative about any employment issues. This includes workplace discipline, changes to your job, or terminations. Only your union can provide you with representation.