For many Ontarians, being bullied or harassed by their employer can be incredibly distressing.
In most cases, non-unionized employees in the province soldier on – believing that there is nothing they can do about it.
The reality is that Ontarians have the right to work in an environment free of harassment or discrimination.
READ MORE: Can you get compensation if you face harassment at work?
If you are bullied or harassed by your company, here are three things you need to do.
1. Remain calm and professional
After being picked on by your employer, it can be extremely tempting to do something drastic in the heat of the moment, such as quit your job.
However, resigning without consulting an employment lawyer is one of the worst things you can do in this situation.
Not only could you unintentionally forfeit your right to a severance package, but you won’t be able to access employment insurance benefits – making it harder to support yourself financially as you look for new work.
READ MORE: 5 things employees should never do before talking to an employment lawyer
Remaining calm is key. Getting angry or doing something to negatively affect the company could also put your legal right to claim compensation at risk.
If you believe that your employer is bullying or harassing you, continue to be professional and contact an experienced employment lawyer at Samfiru Tumarkin LLP.
We can determine if you have grounds for a constructive dismissal claim as well as a human rights complaint.
2. Document all instances of harassment in writing
In my experience, employers in Ontario often pick on non-unionized workers in person or over the phone.
Immediately after you are bullied or harassed by your employer, send them an email – summarizing the incident and asking them to stop.
READ MORE: Dealing with a bad boss? 3 things you should do
Don’t worry about getting a response from the company. These emails will make it very difficult for them to argue that instances of bullying or harassment didn’t occur.
3. Contact us
If you are being bullied or harassed by your employer, contact the experienced employment law team at Samfiru Tumarkin LLP.
We have helped tens of thousands of non-unionized employees in Ontario enforce their rights and obtain the compensation that they are legally entitled to.
READ MORE: 5 of the most common work situations where getting an employment lawyer can help
One of my clients, a sales manager in Toronto, received inappropriate phone calls from her CEO every Friday.
Following each call, she sent her employer an email – recapping the incident and asking them to stop harassing her. However, her CEO never responded to her messages and the weekly phone calls continued.
Resisting the urge to resign, the worker printed off copies of the emails and contacted Samfiru Tumarkin LLP.
After reviewing the messages, I was certain that her employer had created a toxic work environment.
I informed the employee that she was well within her rights to pursue full severance pay through a constructive dismissal claim and file a human rights complaint.
READ MORE: The ‘big 5’ workplace rights most often overlooked by employees
Given the strength of the manager’s case, I was able to secure an extremely favourable amount of compensation for the worker.
Bullied or harassed by your employer? Not sure if you’ve been constructively dismissed?
Contact the firm or call 1-855-821-5900 to secure assistance from an employment lawyer in Ontario, Alberta and British Columbia. Get the advice you need — and the compensation you deserve.
Lior Samfiru is an employment lawyer and co-founding partner at Samfiru Tumarkin LLP, Canada’s most positively reviewed law firm specializing in employment law and long-term disability claims. He provides legal insight on Canada’s only Employment Law Show on TV and radio.