A heartbreaking case that my team recently resolved involved a sales associate in Vancouver who was fired shortly after asking her employer for a promotion.
With more than seven years of service under her belt, the individual worked up the courage to walk into her boss’s office and explain why she was the right choice for the assistant sales manager vacancy.
To the sales associate’s surprise, her manager praised her initiative and told her to “hang tight” for a couple of days.
However, she got a phone call from her boss at the end of her shift—informing her that she was being let go without severance pay, effective immediately.
Fighting back tears, the sales associate asked her manager if this was happening because she asked for a promotion. Instead of responding, her boss simply hung up.
Certain that she’d been wrongfully dismissed, the sales associate took a deep breath and calmly cleared her desk. As soon as she got home, she contacted Samfiru Tumarkin LLP.
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Given the strength of her case, we were able secure the severance pay our client was legally entitled to after a brief phone call with her employer.
READ MORE: Tech exec’s severance victory: Turning termination into triumph
Unlike the sales associate, many non-unionized employees in the province aren’t aware of their rights to severance—putting them at risk of forfeiting a significant payout.
If you’re fired after asking for a promotion, here are three mistakes to avoid at all costs.
1. Don’t lash out at your boss
While losing your job might fill you full of rage, keeping your cool is crucial in this situation.
Severance for non-unionized employees in B.C. can be as much as 24 months’ pay. Getting angry or doing something to hurt the company could affect the amount of compensation you’re legally entitled to.
READ MORE: 6 common employer mistakes that could lead to a bigger payout after termination
If you’re fired without severance pay, like the sales associate, remain calm and contact an experienced employment lawyer at Samfiru Tumarkin LLP. We can confirm if you were wrongfully dismissed and advise you of potential next steps.
2. Don’t sign your severance offer immediately
Contrary to popular belief, British Columbians don’t have to accept their employer’s severance offer on the spot.
If you receive a severance offer from your boss, hold off on signing anything until you speak with my firm. The company can’t force you to accept it before leaving your termination meeting or a few days after it was provided to you.
READ MORE: 5 things employees should never do before talking to an employment lawyer
As long as you didn’t sign the offer and return it to your employer, you have two years from the date of your dismissal to pursue full severance pay.
3. Don’t negotiate a new severance package on your own
With a variety of things that need to be considered when negotiating severance, your best course of action is to contact the experienced employment law team at Samfiru Tumarkin LLP.
For more than a decade, my firm has helped tens of thousands of non-unionized employees in B.C. secure the compensation they’re owed—not a dollar less.
Leave the headaches that come with severance disputes to us. We’ve structured our fees to be as transparent, fair and accessible as possible.
READ MORE: 5 of the most common work situations where getting an employment lawyer can help
Fired? Lost your job? Boss pressuring you to accept a severance offer immediately?
Contact the firm or call 1-855-821-5900 for a consultation with an employment lawyer. 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.