Ottawa employment lawyer on recourse for employees placed on a layoff

Many employees were faced with seemingly unending layoffs as a result of the pandemic. While businesses shifted to cover their own financial losses, employees were forced to either look for new work or contend with being placed on involuntary leave.

An Ottawa employment lawyer at Samfiru Tumarkin LLP spoke to Nerd Wallet to offer insight and possible next steps for employees facing a layoff.

“If that employee in question has been laid off previously, and they didn’t refuse it, and they returned to work when they were called back to work, then that layoff becomes a term and condition of that employee’s employment moving forward,” the employment lawyer explains.

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The lawyer cautions employees that the initial layoff could influence their future employment. “In other words, it creates a precedent, and then the employer is allowed to lay off that employee again in the future.”