Layoff Lawyers
A Layoff Is Often a Termination
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Your partner on the path toYour partner toyour full severance.
Restructuring, downsizing, a recall that never comes. If they stopped paying you, Mirza Law gets back what you're owed, so you can move on.
Do not sign anything.
One signature settles everything: your notice, your bonus, your benefits, your claim. Get the offer checked first. The review is free.
Your offer letter, annotated.
Dear Employee,
"This offer represents two (2) weeks' pay per year of service"
There is no weeks-per-year rule. Courts set severance by your age, your role, and your length of service. For most people it's measured in months.
"Payment has been calculated based on your base salary"
Your bonus, commissions, benefits, and pension count too. An offer built on salary alone is almost always too low.
"This offer is made in accordance with the Employment Standards Act"
The minimum the law allows is the floor, not the real number. Most employees are owed the common law amount, which sits on top of it.
"This offer remains open until Friday at 5:00 p.m."
Their deadline, not yours. Your claim is good for two years. Deadlines like this exist to get a signature before you get advice.
"In exchange, you agree to release all claims against the company"
The only sentence in the letter you can't undo. Everything above it can still change. This one can't, once you sign.
Sincerely,
Human Resources
"A layoff is often a termination in disguise. You don't have to sit at home waiting for a recall, if they stopped paying you, you may already be owed full severance."
As Featured In
From offer
to what you're owed
Free review
Send your termination letter, your offer, and your employment contract. We read the fine print and work out what you're really owed, not just the legal minimum.
Negotiation
We send your employer the real number in writing, with the court cases that back it up. Most claims settle right here, with no courtroom. We push until the offer matches what you're owed.
Resolution
We check the fine print on the release, you sign, and your settlement lands in your bank account. This chapter closes and you move forward on your terms.
What could you be owed?
Courts decide reasonable notice using your age, position, tenure, and the job market. Run your numbers.
Your severance isn't just salary.
The estimate above is computed on salary alone. Severance is owed on what you actually earned: average bonus, commission, benefits continuation, pension match. If it was part of your pay, it's part of your severance.
The free review prices every line.
Amir Mirza
Managing Attorney
Licensed: 2017Layoffs in Ontario, explained
Is a layoff the same as being fired?
Often, yes, in the eyes of the law. If your employer stops paying you and there's no clear right to lay you off in your contract, a “layoff” can be a termination, and you're owed severance. The word they use matters less than what's actually happening: you're out of work and not being paid.
“Restructuring” doesn't change the number
Restructuring, downsizing, reorganizing, the label doesn't change the obligation. Your employer can reshape the company however they like, but if they let you go in the process, they still owe you proper severance. The reason for a layoff almost never changes what you're owed.
You don't have to wait for a callback
“We'll call you back” isn't a paycheque, and it isn't binding. You can treat a layoff as a termination and claim your severance now, instead of sitting at home unpaid hoping for a recall that may never come. If the work isn't there, you're free to move on and collect what you're owed.
Your severance is individual, not the group package
Being one of many doesn't shrink your claim. Your severance is based on your age, your job, and how long you worked there, not on how many people went out the door with you. If anything, a mass layoff floods your industry with people looking for work, which can make the search longer and push your number up, not down.
Myths that cost people money
A few things people wrongly assume mean they get nothing:
Signing away thousands to keep the peace is the most expensive move you can make here.
Before you sign anything
Don't let a deadline rush you into a no-severance letter. The cutoff is the employer's, not the law's, and you have two years to bring a claim. Get the number checked first. The review is free, and we work on contingency.
Our Clients
Mirza Law has earned 4.8 stars on Google, and
is also top-rated by Best Lawyers Canada, TrustAnalytica, and others
I couldn't be happier with the legal representation I received from Mirza Law. Amir negotiated a significantly higher severance package from what I was initially offered. I’m very grateful for the outcome. He explained every step of the process and was responsive throughout my case.
I highly recommend Amir Mirza if your long-term disability insurance claim was denied and you are considering taking legal action. Amir provided me with several options and explained how the process works very thoroughly. He took the time to answer all of my questions and concerns and always responded in a timely manner. I appreciated his caring approach during a stressful time in my life and never felt pressured to pursue litigation when speaking with him.
Mirza Law was professional, responsive, and easy to work with. The team provided clear guidance throughout the process and made everything straightforward to understand. I appreciated their support and would recommend them to anyone looking for reliable legal assistance.
I can't say enough great things about my experience with this firm. Amir was incredibly helpful and secured a much better settlement than I was initially offered. Couldn't have asked for more. I would definitely recommend Mirza Law.
My wife's long term disability benefits were cut off after two years and the team at Mirza Law helped us to get them back. We were working with Amir who dealt with our insurance company directly. He took the time to explain the whole process and laid out our options so we always understood where things stood.
I reached out to this law firm after being denied by Manulife for my long term disability benefits. Amir is genuinely one of the kindest and caring lawyers I have ever met. He guided me through this very difficult period in my life. I understood each part of the process and never felt rushed.
I couldn't be happier with the legal representation I received from Mirza Law. Amir negotiated a significantly higher severance package from what I was initially offered. I’m very grateful for the outcome. He explained every step of the process and was responsive throughout my case.
I highly recommend Amir Mirza if your long-term disability insurance claim was denied and you are considering taking legal action. Amir provided me with several options and explained how the process works very thoroughly. He took the time to answer all of my questions and concerns and always responded in a timely manner. I appreciated his caring approach during a stressful time in my life and never felt pressured to pursue litigation when speaking with him.
Mirza Law was professional, responsive, and easy to work with. The team provided clear guidance throughout the process and made everything straightforward to understand. I appreciated their support and would recommend them to anyone looking for reliable legal assistance.
I can't say enough great things about my experience with this firm. Amir was incredibly helpful and secured a much better settlement than I was initially offered. Couldn't have asked for more. I would definitely recommend Mirza Law.
My wife's long term disability benefits were cut off after two years and the team at Mirza Law helped us to get them back. We were working with Amir who dealt with our insurance company directly. He took the time to explain the whole process and laid out our options so we always understood where things stood.
I reached out to this law firm after being denied by Manulife for my long term disability benefits. Amir is genuinely one of the kindest and caring lawyers I have ever met. He guided me through this very difficult period in my life. I understood each part of the process and never felt rushed.
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