Employment Lawyer Vancouver

Experienced Employment & Labour Lawyers in Vancouver

If you have been been employed for a number of years, and then suddenly wrongfully dismissed, terminated, or fired, it can feel like your entire future has been put on hold. Many employees are unaware of the full scope of their rights upon termination — and as a result, they accept severance packages that fall far short of what they are legally owed.

At Gertsoyg & Company, our Vancouver employment law team understand how overwhelming it can be to navigate the consequences of a job loss, especially when it happened unexpectedly or unfair. Whether you were let go without cause, dismissed under questionable circumstances, or pressured into resigning without wanting it, our employment law lawyers will help you pursue the compensation you deserve.

How Our Vancouver Employment Lawyers Can Help

We regularly assist with workplace issues involving:

• Wrongful Dismissal – where you’ve been terminated without just cause or reasonable notice, in breach of your employment contract or common law rights.
• Constructive Dismissal – when changes to your employment terms, such as reduced pay, demotion, or a toxic work environment, force you to resign.
• Severance Pay Disputes – including negotiation of fair compensation based on your tenure, role, and the circumstances of dismissal.
• Workplace Harassment & Discrimination – including terminations that violate your human rights due to factors like race, sex, disability, religion, or political beliefs.
• Employment Contract Review & Enforcement – to determine whether your rights under written or implied contract terms have been violated.

In cases where the dismissal is particularly cruel, harsh or unfair, you may be entitled to punitive or aggravated damages, in addition to your severance pay.

If your termination violates the B.C. Human Rights Code, such as being fired or discriminated due to race, gender, religion, political opinion or medical disability, you may be entitled to further damages ordered by the Human Rights Tribunal.

Many employers are now demanding mandatory Covid-19 Vaccinations as a condition of continued employment. This is a new area of employment law in British Columbia. However, there have already been decisions in United States and Europe finding forced vaccinations as a condition of employment to be illegal and discriminatory.

Forcing employees to undergo mandatory RNA or DNA tests may be in violation of the Canadian Federal Genetic Non-Discrimination Act, which states that:

“3 (1) It is prohibited for any person to require an individual to undergo a genetic test as a condition of
(a) providing goods or services to that individual;
(b) entering into or continuing a contract or agreement with that individual; or
(c) offering or continuing specific terms or conditions in a contract or agreement with that individual.
Refusal to undergo genetic test

(2) It is prohibited for any person to refuse to engage in an activity described in any of paragraphs (1)(a) to (c) in respect of an individual on the grounds that the individual has refused to undergo a genetic test.

Marginal note: Disclosure of results
4 (1) It is prohibited for any person to require an individual to disclose the results of a genetic test as a condition of engaging in an activity described in any of paragraphs 3(1)(a) to (c).

Refusal to disclose results
(2) It is prohibited for any person to refuse to engage in an activity described in any of paragraphs 3(1)(a) to (c) in respect of an individual on the grounds that the individual has refused to disclose the results of a genetic test.

Offences and Punishment
7 Every person who contravenes any of sections 3 to 5 is guilty of an offence and is liable
(a) on conviction on indictment, to a fine not exceeding $1,000,000 or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding five years, or to both; or
(b) on summary conviction, to a fine not exceeding $300,000 or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding twelve months, or to both.”

Please contact us for a free initial consultation to determine whether your Employment and/or Human Rights have been violated, and if so, what compensation or remedy you are entitled to.