In Ontario, an employee can choose to negotiate a severance package after a termination of their employment, either independently on their own or with the help of an experienced employment lawyer in Toronto. However, if you are an employee facing a wrongful dismissal, it is generally advisable to have an experienced employment lawyer assist you to negotiate severance package with your former employer.
What is the Purpose of a Severance Package?
Benefits of an Employment Lawyer Assisting in Negotiating Severance Packages
With the representation of an experienced employment lawyer, you will be able to better understand your legal rights and entitlements as an employee in Ontario, which is crucial when aiming to negotiate a severance package that is fair and reasonable. For instance, there are legal rules and principles to understand and leverage regarding how to maximize severance pay; unique aspects in the financial structure of severance pay; and important final details in the legal documentation that will be signed (including a full and final legal release) that will impact an employee’s options moving forward.
While it may seem beneficial to try and save the legal costs, it is best to think of negotiating your severance package as an investment. For most individuals, having a qualified employment lawyer navigate what is often a complex area of Ontario employment law to negotiate a fair severance package that protects your employee rights is crucial to ensure that you are properly compensated. In fact, while you may be able to do it yourself, there is often too much at stake to go it alone without an employment lawyer levelling the playing field.
In our experience as Ontario employment lawyers, when employees attempt to negotiate severance packages on their own following a wrongful dismissal, they risk putting themselves in a position that makes them worst off, as employers will often “double down” or “dig in their heels,” which can only make the employment lawyer’s job more difficult. In fact, some times it comes down to perception: by going it alone, the employer (armed with their own employment lawyers) will assume that the employee has no intention of spending money on a lawyer, which makes the employer less likely to be fearful of pushing back against the employee’s efforts to negotiate a better severance package given less risk that the employee will start wrongful dismissal or constructive dismissal litigation.
Call Employment Lawyer Toronto Today
If you are an employee who believes you were wrongfully dismissed from your employment with or without a fair severance package, call today to discuss your options. As an employment law firm in Toronto, Bune Law has reviewed and negotiated improvements to many severance packages. You will review and get guidance on your severance package before you agree to sign any termination documents, and help ensure that your severance package is fair and reasonable.