Toronto Transit Commission (TTC): Severance Packages

The Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) is a major Canadian transportation agency owned by the City of Toronto. Headquartered in Toronto, Ontario, the TTC operates bus, streetcar, subway, and paratransit services throughout the city.

Founded in 1921, the transit agency employs a workforce of more than 6,600 people, according to LinkedIn. The organization claims on its website that it has transported more than 31 billion customers to date.

Recent layoffs at the TTC

• January 2022: The TTC laid off 354 employees who failed to comply with the transit agency’s COVID-19 vaccine policy. A spokesperson said the number represents approximately two per cent of the organization’s workforce and all affected staff had been out of the workplace since November 21, 2021.
• April 2020: The TTC announced that it will temporarily lay off 1,200 employees as part of its cost-saving plan during the COVID-19 pandemic. In a news release, the transit agency said the pandemic has resulted in an 80 per cent drop in ridership and a loss of $90 million in monthly revenue.

Severance pay for TTC employees

Non-unionized TTC employees can get up to 24 months of severance pay in Ontario when they are fired or laid off from their job.

This applies to individuals working in any capacity—full-time, part-time, or hourly—in Ontario, Alberta, and British Columbia.

Severance is the compensation provided to non-unionized workers in Canada by their employer when they are terminated without cause.

Even if an employee is fired for cause, they may still be eligible for full severance pay. This is due to the high standards required to legally justify for-cause dismissal.

LEARN MORE
• Severance for provincially regulated employees
• Severance pay by company
• Federally regulated employees and severance pay
• Severance packages in mass layoffs

The right to severance pay is consistent regardless of economic conditions, company downsizing, business closures, or significant 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 tens of thousands of employees over the years in severance package negotiations.

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

How to properly calculate severance pay

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

The reality is that severance for non-unionized employees in Canada is calculated using a variety of factors, including age, length of service, position, bonuses, benefits, and your ability to find new work.

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 you receive. Once you sign back these documents, you eliminate your ability to negotiate additional severance pay.

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.