In today’s dynamic job landscape, workplace challenges can emerge suddenly, leaving you with questions and concerns about your rights and options.
Whether you’re dealing with a complex issue like a job loss, significant changes to your employment, a denied long-term disability claim, or simply need answers to burning workplace questions, there’s a powerful ally designed to guide you through it all – the Pocket Employment Lawyer.
I created the interactive tool to help non-unionized employees in Ontario, Alberta and B.C. traverse the confusing legal landscape and get a clearer understanding of their options when facing adversity at work. Since it first launched, the Pocket Employment Lawyer has helped hundreds of thousands of Canadians discover their employment rights and develop winning solutions to their problems.
Here are five key ways to use the Pocket Employment Lawyer to your advantage.
1. Calculate your severance pay accurately
One of the most crucial aspects of the Pocket Employment Lawyer is its ability to help you calculate the full amount of severance pay you may be owed when you lose your job. Leveraging our Severance Pay Calculator software, this tool considers various factors such as your age, years of service and position to provide an estimate of what you’re owed after being fired or laid off.
In many cases, people are often shocked to discover that their employer’s severance offer is a far cry from what the law says they are entitled to, which can be as much as two years’ pay.
READ MORE: Law firm’s tool helps employees figure out how much severance they’re owed if fired.
That is why it is extremely important to use the Pocket Employment Lawyer before you sign off on severance papers and lose the ability to collect complete compensation. Once you have the results from the tool, you can quickly connect with our wrongful dismissal lawyers to pursue what your employer owes you.
2. Find out what to do when changes are made to your job
When your job undergoes significant changes without your permission, it can be challenging to discern your rights and how to proceed.
In Canada, it is generally illegal for employers to modify a non-unionized worker’s employment, whether it’s a demotion, increase in workload, cut in pay or commission, loss of benefits or even a temporary layoff.
If substantial changes are made to your job without your consent, there is a very good chance that you can treat it as a constructive dismissal. In this situation, the law allows you to resign and pursue full severance.
Before you quit your job in protest, use the Pocket Employment Lawyer. The tool can act as your compass in these situations, pointing you in the right direction and providing a connection to Samfiru Tumarkin LLP to pursue your rights.
READ MORE: 5 of the most common employer mistakes – and what employees can do about them
3. Determine if you are a contractor or an employee
Are you an employee or an independent contractor? This distinction can have profound implications on your workplace rights and benefits.
The misclassification of employees is one of the biggest issues in Canadian workplaces. It forms the backbone of Samfiru Tumarkin LLP’s groundbreaking class action lawsuit against Uber in Ontario.
If you are incorrectly identified by your employer as an independent contractor, you could miss out on key rights, including full severance pay when you lose your job.
When the company tells you that you aren’t owed anything when they “end your contract”, or if you’re just curious as to what your true role is, the Pocket Employment Lawyer can help you understand the kind of employment relationship you have, and how my team can help you stand up for your rights.
READ MORE: Severance pay for contractors: What to know and what to do if you think you’re an employee
4. Navigate a long-term disability claim denial
A denied or cut-off long-term disability claim can be a daunting setback when you’re trying to deal with a debilitating injury or illness that’s keeping you from being able to work.
Insurance companies often deny legitimate LTD claims, even when you have strong backing and detailed notes from your doctor in support of your disability. They do this to maximize their mammoth profits.
READ MORE: Denied long-term disability? 4 reasons to get your insurer’s decision in writing
The seasoned disability lawyers at Samfiru Tumarkin LLP understand that dealing with your insurer can be overwhelming. To ensure you receive the assistance you need, we’ve incorporated a feature into the Pocket Employment Lawyer. This component swiftly evaluates your case, providing clarity on how our dedicated team can help you with your LTD denial.
5. Get free answers to your burning questions
Workplace issues often come with a flurry of questions, and the Pocket Employment Lawyer has you covered. It’s your go-to resource for obtaining free, immediate answers to pressing employment inquiries.
I have long been an advocate of educating both employees and employers about their workplace rights and responsibilities in Canada. Increasing access to simple, straightforward legal knowledge not only helps to reduce conflict at work but also ensures that employees get the justice they deserve with help from an experienced employment lawyer at Samfiru Tumarkin LLP.
Lost your job? Encountering problems at work?
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.