Employment Law Show: Ontario – S11 E87

Episode Summary

What should employees know about severance pay? Should terminated employees contact the Ministry of Labour? Employment Lawyer Chris Justice, Associate at Samfiru Tumarkin LLP, answers those questions and more on the Employment Law Show. 

LISTEN BELOW to Ontario’s premiere radio show about employment law and workplace rights featuring the province’s leading employment lawyers. You can catch the show on Saturdays at 640 Toronto, Newstalk 580 CFRA in Ottawa, and 900 CHML in Hamilton as the hosts take calls from listeners and provide vital answers to employees and employers. 

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Show Notes

• Lululemon employees terminated: After an attempted burglary, Lululemon employees that tried to prevent the robbery were terminated from their positions. Terminations were implemented due to a supposed breach of company policy regarding health and safety. It is very difficult to terminate an employee “for cause” due to a sole mistake or error in judgment.
• Accepting a severance package: Employees do not have to accept the initial severance package offered by their employers upon termination. Employers typically implement a deadline in order to accept a package as a pressure tactic. This is especially important to remember as initial severance packages are rarely adequate. Employees have up to two years after the date of termination to pursue their severance entitlements.
• Ministry of Labour severance: Many people mistakenly believe that if they lose their job, they should speak to the Ministry of Labour regarding their entitlements. The Ministry of Labour can only advise employees about their minimum severance entitlements. Severance is often much more and is based primarily on an employee’s age, position, and years of service.
• Remote position asked to come to the office: Employees should look closely at the terms outlined in their employment contracts. Employees that were hired as remote workers cannot be forced to come into the office by their employer; this is considered a major change to the terms of employment. Employees can refuse this change and seek legal advice.

Need an employment lawyer?

• Pocket Employment Lawyer: Before you call a lawyer, use the Pocket Employment Lawyer to find out if you might have a case. 
• Severance Pay Calculator: Discover how much severance pay you should get when you lose your job. Used successfully by nearly 2 million Canadians. 
• Watch our TV Shows: Get further clarity on your rights by watching episodes of our popular TV show.