Lior Samfiru on Global News, unvaccinated employees suing for severance

Unvaccinated employees across the country who have been terminated as a result of their vaccination status are fighting back against their employers. Over the past few months, there has been a sharp rise in wrongful dismissal suits launched by employees hoping to receive what they believe is entitled to them.

Lior Samfiru, a Toronto employment lawyer and national co-managing partner at Samfiru Tumarkin LLP spoke with Rachel Gilmore at Global News to discuss the cases his firm is currently handling.

Samfiru says his firm is representing “hundreds of people across Canada on this issue. It’s definitely a real issue that employers and employees are dealing with.”

Samfiru explains it is important for employers to remember that while termination without cause is permitted, employees are owed their severance. “Now, a lot of employers don’t realize that, and they’re proceeding to let people go or suspend them without compensation. That’s what we call a wrongful dismissal,” Samfiru states.

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Wrongful Dismissal in B.C
Rights of employees wrongfully dismissed in Alberta

Samfiru also goes on to caution employers who have acted without the support of a government mandate. “An employer cannot say, ‘Well, I assume that the government did something to protect me. Therefore, the government is liable if I have to pay my employee.'” Unfortunately, employers have to always inform and educate them before they make any decision with respect to their employees.”