Ontario Telus centre shut down: Alex Lucifero on employee impact with The Canadian Press

Interview Summary

Employees at a Telus call centre in Ontario were recently informed they could relocate or be laid off, as their particular branch was closing down. This decision was part of a larger reorganization for the company. What can these employees expect regarding their entitlements?

Alex Lucifero, an Ontario employment lawyer and Partner at Samfiru Tumarkin LLP spoke with The Canadian Press’ Sammy Hudes to discuss the rights of employees and what options are available to those in a union if forced to relocate.

Interview Notes

• Rules for unionized employees: Lucifero explained the differing rules for unionized employees. “In a unionized work environment, the rules surrounding relocation of employees is determined by the collective agreement in place.”
• Relocating and options for employees: Ultimately Telus employees who are part of a union should look closely at the terms set up in the collective agreement regarding relocation. “If there are no rules about relocation set out in the collective agreement, it’s up to the union to fight to ensure employees are taken care of. That could include advocating for workers to have a fair chance of continuing their employment in another department.”
• Reasonable notice must be given: Lucifero went on to reiterate the importance of notice employers must provide to employees. “There are obligations surrounding moving costs and the amount of notice companies must give when imposing a relocation on its employees,” said Lucifero. “Affected Telus employees have just three months to move to another province. It’ll be case-by-case and context-specific, but I think at first glance, this is a major relocation and that kind of notice isn’t enough.”

Related Resources

For further insights and discussions related to layoffs and employee rights, explore the following resources:

• Layoffs in Canada
• Constructive Dismissals