Reprisals at Work | Employment Law Show TV – S3 E5

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 3 Episode 5 of the only employment law show on TV in Canada (formerly known as Employment Hour in 30).

On this episode, we discuss what a reprisal is, how to handle sexual harassment in the workplace, and more!

What We Covered

► 1:51 An employee at a small company was sexually harassed by her employer (comments about her clothing, her physical appearance). She didn’t feel comfortable confronting him about his behaviour. Lior explains how to handle sexual harassment at work, and why it becomes constructive dismissal and a human rights issue.

► 5:02 A caller from The Employment Law Show: I was fired without warning at the age of 60, after 8 years as a mechanic. I was rather intimidated at the time. I was given a small amount of severance pay, but didn’t sign anything. Am I entitled to more?

► 8:22 A caller from The Employment Law Show: I work in a hospital as a therapist. The patient population is often physically and verbally abusive. What are my rights? Do I have to tolerate abuse as part of my job?

► EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT REPRISALS

• 10:08 – In employment law, what is a Reprisal?
• 11:04 – Some common examples of a Reprisal. These include overtime pay, workplace harassment, and unsafe work issues.
• 12:04 – If you think you are owed something from your employer, what should you do? Should I go to the Ministry of Labour?
• 13:43 – If an employee feels that they have been punished for standing up for their legal rights, what should they do?

► 16:43 The Severance Pay Calculator and why over 500,000 Canadians have used it to discover their rights, when a wrongful dismissal scenario is at play.

► 19:23 The Severance Pay Calculator example scenario: 41-year-old Jamie has been with the company for about 2 years. On Monday, she was temporarily laid off, with a return to work date “to be determined.” If I am not ultimately recalled, am I eligible for a severance package?

► 22:02 CALLER: I work at a call centre in sales. They say I’m not meeting sales targets, but the targets are unrealistic. They say I need to improve, or I’m done. Can I be let go for cause?

► 25:14 CALLER: The store my mother is working at is closing. She’s worked there for nearly 35 years. She’s been offered the choice of a job at another store or a severance package. However, the severance offer is MUCH less than what staff have been offered in the past.

► 27:44 From our Termination Questions website: I was let go 3 months into my maternity leave. I don’t want to be paid my severance now, because I am receiving benefits through EI. What do I do?

Next Episode: Employment Law Show S3 E6 – When You CAN’T Be Let Go From Your Job…

Previous Episode:  Employment Law Show S3 E4 – Never Thought It Would Happen To Me…