How to Not Get Sued When You Terminate an Employee

How to Not Get Sued When You Terminate an Employee

You have an employee who has been with you for a number of years and it is time to let them go. They haven’t done anything egregious, but they aren’t a great employee and your corporate cash flow tells you its time to reduce staffing costs.

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Why Should My Nova Scotia Contracts Be in Writing?

Why Should My Nova Scotia Contracts Be in Writing?

Verbal contracts are technically enforceable. You can go to court and obtain a judgement against someone who doesn’t respect a verbal agreement. So why bother getting it in writing? Here are a couple of basic reasons why everyone should use a written agreement instead of relying on a verbal agreement:

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Severance Pay: What am I entitled to after being let go from my job?

Severance Pay: What am I entitled to after being let go from my job?

An unfortunate reality of today’s corporate world is restructuring, outsourcing and downsizing.  For many hard-working employees, the result is lay-offs.  One day you go to the job you’ve devoted yourself to for years and the next you find yourself unemployed with a standardized letter letting you go, along with a request to sign a ‘Release’ in exchange for a severance package.  You are reeling and have no idea if the package they are offering you is what you are entitled to.  This is where an employment lawyer comes in.  Many lawyers, including myself, are happy to meet with people in your shoes to review your situation and give some basic advice as to whether or not the severance package offered is within the acceptable range.

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The End of the Road: Understanding Employment Termination

The End of the Road: Understanding Employment Termination

George Costanza, on an episode of Seinfeld, dramatically quit his job during a meeting. Regretting his impulsive decision, he decides to act like it never happened and simply shows up to work the next day. As was often the case, things went badly for George and he did not get his job back.

Employment disputes can be very tricky to deal with because our work is a fundamental part of our identity. Not to mention that jobs are how we put food on the table and a roof over our head. To make matters worse, there are plenty of myths, out of context advice, and some just plain wrong information floating around out there.

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Stat Holidays and Overtime - Who Qualifies?

Stat Holidays and Overtime - Who Qualifies?

Monday, February 20th marks the third anniversary of our newest statutory holiday - Heritage Day.  This year the province is honouring Mi'kmaq Heritage.  Being a relatively new holiday, some employers and employees are unsure of their rights and obligations with respect to who is entitled to a paid day off and for those who work, who is entitled to overtime pay.  This topic comes up every summer as new employees enter the service industry.  I wrote on the topic then and I thought today was a perfect day to revisit the messages from that post

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What you Wish You Knew About Overtime Wages.

What you Wish You Knew About Overtime Wages.

With school now officially out for the summer, seasonal jobs are in full swing.  For many, particularly in the hospitality/tourism industry this means lots of overtime.  Everyone understands the concept of overtime – working more than the standard 40 hours a week, or is it 35 hours, or does it depend on the job?  The NS Labour Standards Code outlines the rules that pertain to overtime and holiday wages for most hourly employees.

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