Avoid Bad Severance | Employment Law Show TV – S2 E7

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 7 of the only employment law show on TV in Canada (formerly known as Employment Hour in 30).

On this episode, we discuss the five reasons why people accept bad severance offers, how severance pay is calculated, and more!

What We Covered

► 1:25 A woman worked as a bookkeeper for over 20 years. Last year she was diagnosed with cancer, and had to take time off work for treatment. After undergoing chemotherapy, her health improved, and she was able to return to work. Her employer said that because she was off for over a year and hadn’t heard from her, she was no longer considered an employee at the company. Does she have any rights? Was this a human rights violation?

► 3:45 I am off on a disability leave. My insurance provider has just informed me that they will be cutting me off of long-term disability (LTD). What are my rights?

► 4:39 Your employer is allowed to know your prognosis, not your diagnosis.

► 5:40 A caller from The Employment Hour: I am a 58-year-old analyst. After 19 years at the company, I received a severance package offer for voluntary retirement. Unfortunately, the package isn’t that great. What should I do?

► 7:40 Lior Samfiru explains that severance pay is based on many factors, including salary, position, age, bonus, benefits, and others.

► 8:07 A caller from The Employment Hour: Is there a difference in severance pay between employees who are on salary and those who are hourly workers?

► 5 Reasons Why People Accept Bad Severance Offers

• 9:20 – The employer alleged that an employee was terminated for cause
• 10:58 – The employer used a severance offer deadline as a pressure tactic
• 11:49 – The employee believes that they can’t afford to take any legal action against their employer
• 12:46 – The employee tried to negotiate the severance package themselves
• 14:23 – The employer didn’t realize that the employee is entitled to more severance, or relied on the the Ministry of Labour for severance advice.

► 16:23 – The Severance Pay Calculator and why over 500,000 people have used it to discover their rights.

► 16:23 – After 8 years of hard work, Francois was let go. His boss said that his performance had slipped, which was news to Francois. He was offered 8 weeks of severance pay. Is that a fair amount?

► 20:12 – A caller from The Employment Hour: My new boss is really giving me a hard time. I don’t want to quit because that would eliminate my severance, but I don’t want to be fired for confronting him. What options do I have?

► 23:50 – A caller from The Employment Hour: I was terminated from my job last year after being accused of destroying property, something I didn’t do. I worked 6.5 years as a logistics manager.

► 26:13 – Just days after I submitted a request to the company for my performance-based bonus, I was fired for no reason whatsoever. They said that because I was an Independent Contractor, they don’t have to pay me. Is that true?

Next Episode: Employment Law Show S2 E8 – It’s Going to Cost an Employer If…

Previous Episode: Employment Law Show S2 E6 – What to do When Long Term Disability is Denied

Experiencing an Employment Issue?

Before you call a lawyer, use the Pocket Employment Lawyer to find out if you might have a case.

Use The Severance Pay Calculator to find out how much severance pay you may be owed upon termination.

Call 1-855-821-5900, email Help@EmploymentLawyer.ca or fill out a contact form to get help now.

Denied Long Term Disability? We Can Help.

Discover your rights when your Long Term Disability Claim is denied. Find out more here.