When employees should hire an employment lawyer

Jul 21, 2016

If you have recently been fired or feel you are experiencing discrimination in your workplace, you may need to want to seek advisement from an employment lawyer.

Common employment matters that benefit from the advice of a lawyer include wrongful dismissals, terminations, severance package reviews and discrimination cases.

If one of the above employment matters is currently affecting you, solicit the advice of a lawyer.

Ontario Employee Protections

In Ontario, you are protected under two set of laws: the Employment Standards Act of Ontario and the common law. There are standard provisions that an employee must be given under law but there may be other entitlements that only expert legal advisement can unearth.

Wrongful Dismissal

How do you know if you have a case for wrongful dismissal? Under Ontario employment law, firing an employee without ‘reason’ or ‘cause’ is not considered wrongful dismissal. Employers are only required to provide reasonable notice and, potentially, severance pay. If you feel that your employer failed to provide reasonable notice of termination, you may have a case for wrongful dismissal and should seek the advice of a lawyer.

Severance Package Reviews

Upon dismissal, you should be provided with a severance or termination package from your employer. Without the guarantee of a new position in the near future, it is important to ensure that your severance or termination package is the best it can be. Have an employment lawyer review the package to determine if it is fair or not. Under the common law, many employees are likely entitled to more than the statutory minimums outlined in the Employment Standards Act.

Age or Sexual Discrimination

If you have been sexually discriminated against in your workplace or have been discriminated against because of your age, you should seek the legal advice of an employment lawyer.  You are legally protected under the Ontario Human Rights Code that your employer cannot make employment decisions based on the grounds of sex or age. A lawyer will be able to assist in filing a human rights complaint.

Hire an Employment Lawyer

The St. Catharines employment lawyers of Chown Cairns have experience in finding resolutions to employment and labour related disputes. Book a consultation with one of our Niagara employment lawyers to have your employment matter reviewed.