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Labour & Employment Law Blog

So you’ve been terminated, do you have to accept an alternative position if offered?

Zeilikman Law

Zeilikman Law

Case Summary

A duty to mitigate is imposed on any employee after they have been terminated. The duty to mitigate means that after an employee is terminated, the employee must take reasonable steps to limit their losses. The limiting of losses usually includes looking or attaining other work. If an employee fails to mitigate, the court may reduce any award for damages that the employee would have otherwise been entitled to. On occasion after an employer has terminated an employee, they offer the employee an alternative position. The Ontario Superior Court of Justice’s Decision in Peticca v Oracle Canada ULC, 2015 CarswellOnt 5450 discusses such a situation and whether a failure to accept an offer of an alternative position is a failure to fulfill a duty to mitigate.

BACKGROUND

The plaintiff, Ms. Peticca (the “Plaintiff”) was terminated by her employer, Oracle Canada (the “Defendant”), who was at the time of the Plaintiff’s termination, restructuring its business. The Defendant’s restructuring included moving some of its Canadian jobs to the United States (US). The Plaintiff worked in a mid-management position as a General Sales director.

The Defendant, approximately three (3) weeks after the Plaintiff’s termination, told the Plaintiff that she would receive either an alternative job offer or a severance package. The alternative position required the Plaintiff to manage three teams, two of which were in the US and reporting to the Vice President in another State. As such, the new position required the Plaintiff to go to the US for two (2) weeks of every month.

It was not contested that the alternative position included duties and scope which were exceedingly similar to the Plaintiff’s pervious position. Yet, the Plaintiff argued the alternative position would substantially affect her childcare responsibilities, particularly because her husband also travelled for his employment. As such, the Plaintiff rejected the offer from the Defendant for the alternative position. She also brought an action for wrongful dismissal.

ISSUES

The main issue for the court to consider was whether the Plaintiff, in failing to accept the alternative position with the Defendant, has failed to mitigate her losses.

THE SUPERIOR COURT OF JUSTICE’S DECISION

The Court first considered the Supreme Court of Canada (“SCC”) case Evans v. Teamsters, Local 31, 2008 SCC 20 (Evans).  Evans stands for the principle that employees who have been terminated are expected to mitigate their losses by accepting an alternative position if the alternative position provides the following: (1) the same salary; (2) the duties/work conditions are not substantially different; and (3) the position is not demeaning. These three factors from Evans are considered on an objective and contextual analysis basis.

Next, the Court applied the Evans analysis to consider if the Plaintiff should have been expected to take the alternative position offered by the Defendant. As aforementioned, it was not contested that the duties and scope of the alternative position was very similar to that of the Plaintiff`s previous position. However, the Plaintiff would travel at most two (2) to four (4) times per year in her old position as compared to the two (2) weeks per month required in the proposed alternative position. The Court determined that the changes with respect to travel amounted to a drastic and substantial change to the Plaintiff’s employment conditions. As such, the Court concluded that the alternative position offered to the Plaintiff was substantially different, failing the second part of the Evans analysis. Therefore, the Plaintiff’s failure to accept the alternative position did not amount to the Plaintiff failing to mitigate.

OUR THOUGHTS

Although there is a duty on employees to mitigate their losses, rejecting an alternative position will not always amount to a breach of this duty. The above summary highlights the importance of both the objective and contextual analysis that is used to determine if rejecting a proposed alternative position would lead to a breach of the duty to mitigate. It is advisable that an employee who is offered an alternative position upon termination assess the three Evans factors discussed above before rejecting or accepting it. The consequences could be significant if the employee fails to accept an alternative position that is for the same value, not substantially different and is not demeaning.

The above article is for general information purposes only, does not constitute legal advice or create a solicitor-client relationship. Because each case is unique and factually driven, if you have concerns with regard to the foregoing issues, please make an appointment with one of our lawyers or a qualified legal practitioner elsewhere. We represent clients in the Greater Toronto Area including Toronto, North York, Markham, Vaughan, Thornhill, Newmarket, Aurora, Brampton, Mississauga, Barrie, Ajax, Whitby, Pickering and Oshawa.

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Legal Receptionist

Zeilikman Law is an employment law firm located in Vaughan, Ontario. We are looking to hire a legal receptionist to join our firm. Preference will be given to candidates who have experience working as a receptionist at another law firm.

Location: Vaughan, Ontario.

Start Date: Immediately.

Hours: Monday to Friday, 9 am to 5 pm. Full time. In-person only. This is not a remote work position.

Wages: 35,000 to 40,000 per year.

Duties and Responsibilities:

  • Manage our firm’s multi-line telephone system to receive incoming calls.  Screen incoming telephone call inquiries to determine the nature of the telephone call and provide standard information related to our legal services.  Take and deliver messages and route incoming telephone calls to the appropriate staff person.
  • Answer general inquiries coming from the firm’s social media and website email.
  • Welcome in-person visitors upon arrival.  Direct visitors to the appropriate staff person and / or office or boardroom.
  • Organize in-person visitor schedule to prevent overlap and multiple bookings.
  • Receive, sort, and distribute daily mail and deliveries.
  • Arrange for couriers.
  • Keep front reception, kitchenette area and boardroom tidy.
  • Perform various clerical duties such as filing, photocopying, and faxing on an as-needed basis.
  • Process client or other payments.
  • May be asked to run minor errands outside of office such as attending post office to arrange a courier or pick up mail.
  • May be asked to assist other law clerks or lawyers of the firm as required and as appropriate.
  • Any other basic administrative duties or tasks as deemed appropriate.

Required Skills:

  • Basic knowledge of general office procedures including filing, faxing, and printing and copying.
  • Basic word processing computer skills.
  • Proficient in receptionist and telephone practices, etiquette, and decorum.
  • Professional attitude and appearance.
  • Excellent organizational skills.
  • Positive customer service attitude is a must.
  • Must be able to maintain confidential and sensitive information.

Education and Experience:

  • Highschool diploma or equivalent.
  • 1 – 2 years’ experience in an office setting with an emphasis in accounting, reception or clerical work is required.   We would prefer experience in a law firm environment.

Applications for this position should be sent via email to jennifer@zeilikmanlaw.com. All applications should include a cover letter, resume and at least two references. Only successful candidates will be contacted.