Vice Media laying off ‘several hundred’ workers, changing content distribution

Vice Media Group (Vice Media) is eliminating “several hundred” jobs and has reportedly stopped publishing content on Vice.com.

What’s going on at Vice Media?

CEO Bruce Dixon told staff in a recent memo that the reduction will help the digital media company “adapt and best align our strategies to be more competitive in the long term.”

“[It’s] no longer cost-effective for us to distribute our digital content the way we have done previously,” Dixon said in the memo, which was obtained by multiple news outlets, including CBC News.

“[Instead, we will] look to partner with established media companies to distribute our digital content, including news, on their global platforms, as we fully transition to a studio model.”

He added that Vice Media is in “advanced discussions” to sell its Refinery 29 website.

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Impact on Canadian staff

It remains unclear if any Canadian employees at Vice Media will be let go.

Dixon said affected staff members will be notified early next week.

According to the company’s LinkedIn page, it has more than 100 workers in the country.

Termination agreements for Vice Media employees

In Canada, non-unionized employees at Vice Media are owed full severance pay when they lose their jobs due to downsizing, corporate restructuring, or the closure of the business.

This includes individuals working full-time, part-time, or hourly in Ontario, Alberta, and B.C.

People working “on contract” or as a contractor may also be owed severance pay — given that many employees in Canada are often misclassified as independent contractors.

Severance can be as much as 24 months’ pay, depending on a number of factors.

WATCH: Employment lawyer Lior Samfiru explains why you are still owed severance if you have been downsized on an episode of the Employment Law Show.

Before accepting a severance offer, double-check the amount using our firm’s free Severance Pay Calculator. It has helped millions of Canadians determine their entitlements.

In addition to your salary, make sure to factor in any other elements of your compensation (i.e. bonuses, commission, etc.).

If your employer’s offer falls short of what our Severance Pay Calculator says you are owed, it’s very likely that you have been wrongfully dismissed and should contact an experienced employment lawyer at Samfiru Tumarkin LLP.

Non-unionized employees in Canada have up to two years from the date of their dismissal to pursue proper severance pay.

LEARN MORE
• Rights to severance for provincially regulated employees
• Severance packages during mass layoffs
• Severance entitlements in a recession

Major layoffs continue

The job cuts at Vice Media come amid a flurry of layoffs in 2024.

Big names, including Nike, Cisco, Catalent, Cascades, Mozilla, Instacart, BlackBerry, Enbridge, PayPal, UPS, Microsoft, Rona, eBay, and Wayfair, have also pulled out the axe as they continue to navigate challenging economic conditions.

SEE ALSO
• Firm launches $130M class action against Shopify for breach of contract
• Walmart Canada layoffs amid corporate restructuring, shift to Spark: Reports
• Where are layoffs happening in Canada?

Lost your job? Talk to an employment lawyer

If you have been fired or let go for any reason, contact the experienced employment law team at Samfiru Tumarkin LLP.

Our lawyers in Ontario, Alberta, and B.C. have successfully represented tens of thousands of non-unionized individuals.

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

If you are a non-unionized employee who needs help with a workplace issue, contact us or call 1-855-821-5900 to get the advice you need and the compensation you deserve.