By: Brandon Loehle
Click here for our Termination Compensation Tool
Did you know you may get let go from your company for any reason at any time? Shocking, right?
In non-unionized positions, there are two situations which allow a company to terminate your employment without cause. The employer must provide you with either reasonable notice, or pay in lieu of reasonable notice.
The rules governing just how much notice you should get are complicated. Without spending hours researching and consulting an employment lawyer, an employer might unknowingly make you a low ball offer and, if you don’t understand your rights, you might be inclined to accept it.
This is why MyOpenCourt has launched an online tool to help you understand just how much you should get paid when you are let go from your job.
Why should everyone use this tool?
1) You may be entitled to much more compensation than you were offered
When you’re shopping, do you like paying more than you have to? Of course not, right?
This is part of the reason why the first severance offer you receive could be well below what you are entitled to.
In addition to employers not wanting to spend more than they might have to, we each have our own ideas of what is ‘fair’ compensation. To the employer, $40,000 is more than fair while you think it’s a slap in the face.
There hasn’t been a systematic way of understanding what’s reasonable outside of the courts…until now.
Our online tool can give you personalized information that tells you what range of compensation you might be entitled to. By analyzing your province’s labour laws and other, similar cases, MyOpenCourt can generate a prediction of what fair compensation might be for your unique situation.
Oftentimes, this will be much more than you were offered from your former employer. While MyOpenCourt can’t handle the negotiations for you, being armed with this kind of information can at least give you the information you need to request fair compensation.
2) You will better understand your rights
Every employee has specific rights entitled under provincial legislation. Our tools will identify your rights and explain them to you with specific reference to the province you reside.
If you aren’t a lawyer, it would be extremely difficult to try to do this research yourself. Our tools are designed to do the hard work for you.
3) You can find out for free in 10 minutes or less
MyOpenCourt allows you to gather very important information for FREE without spending hours speaking to a lawyer. These tools help you to understand what legal rights you have as an employee or a business owner. The information you receive will then arm you to take important next steps if you need to.
Using this information, you may be able to negotiate a resolution to your issue on your own. Or, you may need to seek the assistance of a lawyer. Some users may be able to resolve their issues by speaking to their employer or their employees, while others may need to seek the assistance of a lawyer. In that case…
4) Get connected to free legal help
If you have a case, MyOpenCourt can help connect you to free (pro bono) legal help. At the conclusion of the questionnaire, if you are entitled to compensation, a simple form will appear. Completing the form will connect you to a MyOpenCourt legal partner who will follow up to discuss your case.
You might have some general knowledge about termination laws in your province, but the truth is that these laws are complicated. Changing one small detail could alter the outcome of your case completely.
MyOpenCourt’s online tools are designed to simplify your issue by asking you questions about your case and giving information that is tailored just for you. You can use this information to help you decide how to proceed.
5) You can earn more money without paying for a lawyer
Some people have no intention of involving a lawyer after they are terminated. Maybe you think it will cost too much, or you would prefer to avoid a conflict with your employer.
Using MyOpenCourt will provide you the information you need to understand your own legal rights better without contacting a lawyer.
The information from our tool is not a substitute for a qualified legal professional. However, it is a great starting point to analyze your severance package or termination offer so you can plan your next steps.
How to use the tool?
Using the tool is as simple as going onto our MyOpenCourt website and answering all the questions to the best of your abilities.
Once you are finished, our tool will provide you with an answer based on a calculation from our self-developed artificial intelligence. The tool will also give you plenty of background information and related websites to help you better understand your legal rights.
Our tool may also be able to refer you to legal professionals if you require legal advice.
Disclaimer: The information provided in this response is for general informational purposes only and is not intended to be legal advice. The content provided does not create a legal client relationship, and nothing in this response should be considered as a substitute for professional legal advice. The information is based on general principles of law and may not reflect the most current legal developments or interpretations in your jurisdiction. Laws and regulations vary by jurisdiction, and the application and impact of laws can vary widely based on the specific facts and circumstances involved. You should consult with a qualified legal professional for advice regarding your specific situation.