Scotiabank recently confirmed that it’s scaling back its Canadian workforce as part of a multi-year plan to streamline costs and refocus operations.
According to reports, the bank is eliminating nearly 2,500 jobs in Toronto—with other positions across the country also on the chopping block.
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Here are three things that non-unionized workers in Canada shouldn’t do if they’re laid off as part of their employer’s restructuring plan.
1. Don’t lose your temper
While it can be extremely tempting to lash out at your boss after being let go, keeping your cool is crucial.
Severance can be as much as 24 months’ pay. Getting angry during your termination meeting or doing something to hurt the company could affect the amount of compensation you’re legally entitled to.
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If you’re fired without severance pay, remain calm and contact an experienced employment lawyer at Samfiru Tumarkin LLP. We can determine if this type of dismissal was appropriate in your situation and help you secure proper compensation if it wasn’t.
2. Don’t sign your severance offer immediately
A common misconception is that Canadians have to accept their employer’s severance offer as soon as possible.
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 on the spot 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
If you’re confident that you didn’t receive the correct amount of compensation, your best course of action is to contact the experienced employment law team at Samfiru Tumarkin LLP. We’ll ensure there’s no “funny business” when your livelihood is on the line.
This was a mistake that one of our clients, a sales manager, almost made after being laid off during an “organizational restructuring.”
Unimpressed with her severance package, the individual sent her employer an email—explaining why she believed she was entitled to six more weeks of pay.
When her request was approved without any pushback, this set off alarm bells for the sales manager. Instead of negotiating further, she brought the new severance offer to Samfiru Tumarkin LLP.
After a thorough review of her situation, we informed her that she was entitled to far more compensation than what was being offered.
In the end, we were able to secure every cent of severance pay that our client was owed without getting the courts involved.
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Lost your job? Boss pressuring you to sign 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.