TekSavvy Layoffs and Severance Pay

TekSavvy is a Canadian telecommunications company, based in Chatham, Ontario, that offers a range of internet services to residential and business customers.

Services: The company provides high-speed DSL and cable internet connections, along with home phone services and long-distance calling options. TekSavvy also offers various internet plans with different speeds and data caps.

Employees and Offices: TekSavvy has around 500 employees across Canada, working through various offices and infrastructure in several locations across the country to support its services.

Types of Jobs: The company offers a range of job opportunities to support its operations. This includes roles such as customer service representatives, network engineers, technical support specialists, sales and marketing professionals, administrative staff, and more.

Brief History: TekSavvy was founded in 1998 by Marc Gaudrault as a small internet service provider serving the Chatham-Kent region in Ontario. Over the years, the company expanded its services and coverage area, becoming one of the largest independent ISPs in Canada. TekSavvy has been known for its advocacy for net neutrality and fair internet policies, actively participating in regulatory proceedings to promote competition and consumer rights in the telecommunications industry.

Recent layoffs at TekSavvy

• June 2023: TekSavvy is shopping around for a buyer amid turmoil in Canada’s internet industry.
• March 2020: TekSavvy laid off 130 employees due to COVID-19 and an ongoing court challenge.

Severance for TekSavvy employees

In Canada, non-unionized employees at TekSavvy can get up to 24 months of severance pay when they are fired or laid off from their job. This includes individuals working full-time, part-time, and hourly in Ontario, Alberta, or B.C.

Severance is the compensation a non-unionized worker in Canada receives from their employer when they are fired without cause.

Even if you are fired for cause, it’s very likely that you are still entitled to full severance pay because employees often don’t meet the conditions necessary for this type of dismissal.

LEARN MORE
• Severance for provincially regulated employees
• Severance packages in mass layoffs

Regardless of a company’s grasp on employment law, they are legally required to provide proper compensation following a termination.

This concept applies during challenging economic conditions, downsizing, the closure of a business, or major public health events such as the COVID-19 pandemic.

WATCH: Employment lawyer Lior Samfiru explains everything you need to know about severance pay on an episode of the Employment Law Show.

The employment lawyers at Samfiru Tumarkin LLP have represented numerous tech industry employees over the years in severance package negotiations.

We have successfully secured much larger amounts for individuals employed across a variety of positions, from entry level jobs to executives.

How to properly calculate severance pay

Employers often incorrectly calculate severance pay. There is a belief that severance pay is one week’s pay, two weeks’ pay, or a week for every year of service an employee has with the company.

For non-unionized employees, the main factors of termination or severance pay include age, length of service, position, bonuses, benefits, and the ability to find new work.

If you work at TekSavvy, you are likely a federally regulated employee. That means your severance package must consider:

• Your minimum severance as a federally regulated employee, as set out by the Canada Labour Code.
• Your full severance pay according to our legal system (common law) which can be as much as 24 months’ pay.

To figure out how much compensation you may be entitled to, use our firm’s Pocket Employment Lawyer.

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
• Severance Pay in Ontario
• Alberta severance packages
• Understanding severance in B.C.
• Layoffs in Canada

Don’t sign on the dotted line!

Do not accept any severance offer, termination papers, or exit agreement that TekSavvy may provide you with.

Once you sign back these documents, you eliminate your ability to negotiate a fair and proper severance package.

Generally speaking, if an employee does not receive the proper amount of severance pay when they lose their job, they may be considered to have been wrongfully dismissed. An employment lawyer at Samfiru Tumarkin LLP can analyze your situation and explain how much compensation you may be owed.

Talk to an employment lawyer

The experienced employment law team at Samfiru Tumarkin LLP has helped tens of thousands of non-unionized individuals across the country. In addition to severance package negotiations, our team has experience securing solutions for the following employment matters:

Our lawyers in Ontario, Alberta, and B.C. stand ready to help you solve your workplace issues.

If you are a non-unionized employee 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.

Disclaimer: The materials above are provided as general information about the rights of 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.