Enbridge laying off 650 people companywide

Energy company Enbridge is laying off 650 employees across the company over the next several weeks, Samfiru Tumarkin LLP learned earlier this morning. The development was confirmed through subsequent reporting by Postmedia.

A staff memo sent Tuesday confirms that the cuts will start Feb. 1, ending by Mar. 1. The business operates pipelines throughout the country and in the United States.

“After careful evaluation, Enbridge has made the difficult, yet necessary, decision to reduce its workforce,” the energy supplier explained in a public statement.

Why They’re Cutting Jobs

Enbridge pointed to economic uncertainty, difficulties with government regulations, high interest rates, strong competition, and geopolitical developments as reasons for the “increasingly challenging business conditions across many industries” which has resulted in the layoff.

“While we delivered strong financial performance in 2023, cost reduction measures are necessary to maintain financial strength, be more cost competitive and enable us to grow,” said Enbridge.

The company said the reductions will allow them to weather “near-term challenges.”

Enbridge insists it will lessen the impacts by cutting vacancies and contract positions. Staff will also be shuffled around.

Impact on Canadian staff

It remains unclear how many Canadian employees are being let go by Enbridge as part of this mass layoff.

According to the company’s website, it has approximately 12,000 staff in Canada and the U.S. Enbridge is the largest pipeline company in Canada. It previously slashed its workforce in 2020 by 800 employees through a voluntary buyout.

In June, Suncor Energy revealed that it was engaging in a layoff of 1,500 employees, also due to “ongoing competitiveness.”

Termination agreements for Enbridge employees

In Canada, non-unionized employees at Enbridge are owed full severance pay when they lose their jobs due to downsizing, corporate restructuring, or economic difficulties.

This includes individuals working full-time, part-time, or hourly in Ontario, Alberta, and B.C.

People working “on contract” or as a contractor may also be owed severance pay — given that many employees in Canada are often misclassified as independent contractors.

Calculating Your Severance Pay

Your severance pay is calculated based on several factors. These include:

• Your length of service at the company
• Your age
• The position and your responsibilities
• Any bonuses or benefits you receive
• The ease or difficulty of finding new employment.

These factors contribute to determining the size of your severance package, which can be as much as 24 months’ pay. It’s essential to note that the specific amount can also vary based on the terms of your employment contract.

WATCH: Employment lawyer Lior Samfiru explains what rights employees have if they are being fired or let go on an episode of the Employment Law Show.

Don’t sign on the dotted line!

Do not accept any initial severance offer, termination papers, or exit agreement that your employer provides you with.

Once you sign back these documents, you eliminate your ability to negotiate your severance package.

LEARN MORE
• Severance Pay in Ontario
• Alberta severance packages
• Understanding severance in B.C.

If an employee does not receive the proper amount of severance pay when they lose their job, they have been wrongfully dismissed. An employment lawyer at Samfiru Tumarkin LLP can analyze your situation and explain how much compensation you are truly entitled to.

Non-unionized employees in Canada have up to two years from the date of their dismissal to pursue proper severance pay.

LEARN MORE
• Severance for provincially regulated employees
• Rights to severance for tech sector staff
• Severance packages during mass layoffs

Talk to an employment lawyer

Lost your job at Enbridge? Contact our team immediately.

The knowledgeable team of employment lawyers at Samfiru Tumarkin LLP has secured proper compensation for tens of thousands of non-unionized individuals across the country.

In addition to severance package negotiations, our lawyers have experience securing solutions for the following legal matters:

If you are a non-unionized employee in Ontario, Alberta, or B.C. who needs help with an employment issue, contact us or call 1-855-821-5900 to get the advice you need, and the compensation you deserve.