Vey Willetts lawyer Paul Willetts was quoted in the November 28, 2016 edition of Canadian HR Reporter in an article entitled "Older Employees Deserve More". The article discusses the recent Ontario Superior Court decision of Ozorio v. Canadian Hearing Society. In this case, a 60-year old senior managerial employee, with 30 years service was dismissed. Ms. Ozorio was ultimately awarded 24 months of reasonable notice. To read our recent review of the case and its implications for older workers please click here.
In the article, Paul commented that if employers plan to challenge an individual's efforts to look for re-employment following dismissal, as the Canadian Hearing Society did, they are best advised to offer assistance, such as career counselling and a reference letter:
It just helps the employer look reasonable, like they've acted in good faith, and if there is a dispute at a later point about whether an individual made reasonable efforts to try to mitigate loss of their employment it allows (the employer) to take a stronger position on that by having made efforts to assist the person.
If you are an employee with additional questions about your severance entitlement or an employer seeking advice on paying appropriate severance, please contact us.
Vey Willetts LLP is an Ottawa-based employment and labour law firm that provides timely and cost-effective legal advice to help employees and employers resolve workplace issues in the National Capital Region and across Ontario. To speak with an employment lawyer, contact us at: 613-238-4430 or info@vwlawyers.ca