Lion Electric temporarily laying off 400 workers, second round of 2024

What’s going on at Lion Electric?

After temporarily laying off at least 520 workers earlier this year, Lion Electric is scaling back its staffing levels again.

According to media outlets, including CBC News, an additional 400 roles in Canada and the U.S. are affected—accounting for more than 50 per cent of the Québec-based electric vehicle (EV) maker’s remaining workforce.

“As a result of this downsizing, [we] will have approximately 300 employees who will focus on bus manufacturing, sales, and delivery operations, and continue to help customers maintain the vehicles that are on the road,” Lion Electric said in a statement on Dec. 1.

The layoffs come as the company moves ahead with plans to sell its innovation centre in Mirabel, Québec to Aéroport de Montreal for $50 million.

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Temporary layoffs: Your rights

It’s crucial for non-unionized workers at Lion Electric to understand that temporary layoffs are considered illegal in Canada—unless you agreed to the layoff or it’s addressed in your employment contract.

WATCH: Employment lawyer Lior Samfiru outlines five facts about temporary layoffs on an episode of the Employment Law Show.

If you’ve been temporarily laid off, contact an experienced employment lawyer at Samfiru Tumarkin LLP.

You might be able to pursue full severance pay through a constructive dismissal claim.

Key severance facts

• Severance can be as much as 24 months’ pay—depending on your age, length of service, position at the company, and ability to find new work.
• Non-unionized employees in Canada have up to two years from the date of their termination to pursue full severance pay.
• Hired as an independent contractor? You might actually be an employee—entitling you to severance pay.

Before you sign a severance offer

Use our firm’s free Severance Pay Calculator to confirm that the package you received from your employer is fair.

This interactive tool has helped millions of Canadians determine their severance entitlements.

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• Severance for provincially regulated employees
• Rights to severance for federally regulated staff
• Are severance packages different during mass layoffs?
• Do severance entitlements change during a recession?

In the event that your employer’s offer falls short of what our calculator says you’re owed, it’s very likely you’ve been wrongfully dismissed and should contact an experienced employment lawyer at Samfiru Tumarkin LLP.

If you’ve already accepted a severance offer, don’t panic. Connect with a member of our team as soon as possible.

No shortage of major layoffs

Another round of temporary layoffs at Lion Electric comes amid a flurry of jobs cuts in 2024.

Big names, including AMD, Kinaxis, General Motors, Boeing, Audi, Volkswagen, Dropbox, Meta, Visa, Nokia, and Deloitte, have pulled out the axe as they continue to navigate challenging economic conditions.

SEE ALSO
• Salesforce to cut jobs at ‘Own’ following $2-billion acquisition
• Amazon Layoffs: Nearly 14,000 managers could be axed to cut costs
• Where are layoffs happening in Canada?

Workplace issue? Contact us

Since 2007, the experienced employment law team at Samfiru Tumarkin LLP has helped tens of thousands of non-unionized individuals resolve their workplace issues.

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

Our lawyers in Ontario, Alberta, and B.C. are standing by and ready to enforce your rights.

Contact us or call 1-855-821-5900 to get the advice you need and the compensation you deserve.

Disclaimer: The materials above are provided as general information about the rights of non-unionized employees in Canada. It is not specific to any one company and should not be read as suggesting any improper conduct on the part of any specific employer, or a relationship between Samfiru Tumarkin LLP and a specific employer.