Shattering Severance Myths | Employment Law Show TV – S2 E1

Summary

The Employment Law Show with Canadian employment lawyer Lior Samfiru and co-host John Scholes. Discover your workplace rights and learn everything you need to know about employment law in Ontario and British Columbia on Season 2 Episode 1 of the only employment law show on TV in Canada (formerly known as Employment Hour in 30).

On this episode, we discuss severance myths, why you should not go to the Ministry of Labour for severance pay, and more!

What We Covered

► 1:59 – A graphic designer was let go, and was offered 4 weeks’ severance pay. He called the Ministry of Labour, who told him that he was only owed 3 weeks’ pay. Lior explains why he was owed more, and why you should not go to the Ministry of Labour for severance pay.

► 5:08 – I was moved to a new office location that increased my one-way commute from 20 minutes to 1 hour and 15 minutes. Can an employer force an employee to move to a new office location, or is that a form of dismissal? Does the employer have to compensate their employees for moving to a new location? Lior Samfiru explains what Constructive Dismissal is.

► 8:15 – Can you try out a change to your job (new location, different shift, new duties) before you decide to argue Constructive Dismissal?

► Shattering Severance Myths

• 8:58 – When you’re fired, you only receive 1 or 2 weeks’ pay for every year of service.
• 10:41 – Your employer says you’ve been fired for cause, meaning you aren’t owed severance
• 12:23 – Being “on contract” means you can’t obtain any severance when terminated.
• 13:44 – Short service employees get very little severance
• 14:23 – Your rights to severance expire if you don’t accept an employer’s offer deadline

► 16:34 – The Severance Pay Calculator and why over 500,000 people have used it to discover their rights. http://www.severancepaycalculator.com/

► 21:10 – Our company is restructuring. If I’m fired, does my severance pay include the bonus that I receive every year? What if the bonus amount is different from year to year?

► 24:38 – After working for my employer for 20 years, they want to move me from a salary to an hourly wage. My new agreement also says that I won’t receive any severance pay if I’m fired. Should I sign the employment contract?

► 26:29 – My wife was nearing the end of her Maternity Leave. Her employer told her that when she returned to work, she would only receive half as many hours as she was getting before her Mat Leave. Are they allowed to do that?

Next Episode: Employment Law Show S2 E2 – Most Common Employment Law Questions

Previous Episode: Employment Law Show S1 E17 – May Have Been Constructively Dismissed If…