npt1 Posted June 16, 2015 Report Posted June 16, 2015 Hi everyone, The company I work for has been purchased by another company. I need legal council and I need a free consultation for advice. I have had no luck finding the above. Does anyone know or have any knowledge of a legal advisor that I could seek advice from? I am in the Grimsby area. Thanks in advance, NPT1.
Weeds Posted June 16, 2015 Report Posted June 16, 2015 Are you sure at this point they intend on letting you go? Is this just a what if kind of thing and you want to be prepared?
manitoubass2 Posted June 16, 2015 Report Posted June 16, 2015 Yellow pages. Was it a union job just out of curiousity? Also you can contact the labor board
manitoubass2 Posted June 16, 2015 Report Posted June 16, 2015 Labor laws are pretty clear and the books are also easy to find. Heck your employer should even have copies lol
spincast Posted June 16, 2015 Report Posted June 16, 2015 federal or provincial employer? If federal, go to your local HRSDC office. If Ontario, go the the Ministry of Labour. They will advise not just what the law is, but the legal precedents and findings. No cost to you. They will also arbitrate on your part, again no cost to you. They will give you insight as to where you stand legally. There are many factors that are taken into account.
fishing n autograph Posted June 16, 2015 Report Posted June 16, 2015 http://stlawyers.ca Call these guys
John Bacon Posted June 17, 2015 Report Posted June 17, 2015 Does it have to be absolutely free? When I was given notice by IBM it cost me about $100 to have it reviewed by a lawyer.
DRIFTER_016 Posted June 17, 2015 Report Posted June 17, 2015 When I got screwed over by an old employer I went the the Labour Board and talked with them. They ended up going after the employer and got me a tidy little sum of $$$$.
Fisherman Posted June 17, 2015 Report Posted June 17, 2015 Might want to talk to the guy that's always on radio on Saturdays, Lior Samfiru. google his name, apparently quite good.
Burtess Posted June 17, 2015 Report Posted June 17, 2015 Same firm also has the severance pay calculator (not much good for union though):http://www.severancepaycalculator.com/Burt
Fisherman Posted June 17, 2015 Report Posted June 17, 2015 That's the link I posted Oops, brain fart.
Canuck2fan Posted June 17, 2015 Report Posted June 17, 2015 I would HIGHLY recommend talking to the labour board and a lawyer, then decide which is best for you. When I had a problem I screwed up and choose the lawyer route. I got nothing, the other people who went with the labour board got a nice settlement that turned out to be a little more than I would have got minus the lawyer fees. They also got it in less 6 months. The labour board will take a while to help you, but they almost always get you exactly what they say they will. If there are any assets to get a settlement from. Only idiot companies fight them in court as the board only goes for what is mandated by law, which is typically less than a lawyer will promise. Most HR departments know the law and make an offer slightly better than it so you will settle. Don't sign anything until you have reviewed it with someone. Also depending on the details the whole deal might hinge on how the employees are dealt with, it isn't uncommon to have conditions that will scuttle the sale if the employees won't sign over some of their rights. If this is the case you have leverage. A top employment lawyer might possibly be able to settle quickly, but you will pay them about 33% of whatever they get, so factor that into your decision. Sometimes just a letter from a noted lawyer can increase settlements significantly. In any case I hope you get a fair settlement.
BillM Posted June 17, 2015 Report Posted June 17, 2015 Shouldn't you probably wait until something actually happens or is announced?
lookinforwalleye Posted June 17, 2015 Report Posted June 17, 2015 What he said smart man that Bill....at the end of the day you may not need a lawyer or the labour board wait to see what happens and what the offer is. No sense going off half cocked!!!
irishfield Posted June 17, 2015 Report Posted June 17, 2015 Remember one thing in life and it will get you far. Nobody owes you a living, that's up to you. May sound harsh, but it's definitely reality.
BillM Posted June 17, 2015 Report Posted June 17, 2015 What he said smart man that Bill....at the end of the day you may not need a lawyer or the labour board wait to see what happens and what the offer is. No sense going off half cocked!!! I've been in the same situation, it definitely sucks. But until there some actual information, you've got zero to go on.
DRIFTER_016 Posted June 17, 2015 Report Posted June 17, 2015 I've been in the same situation, it definitely sucks. But until there some actual information, you've got zero to go on. Yep, in my case I knew it was coming and as soon as it did my next stop was the labour board. The next step was to see the HRDC people about $$$$ for retraining, then I went back to school to become a Sunshine List Employee!!!
BITEME Posted June 17, 2015 Report Posted June 17, 2015 Remember one thing in life and it will get you far. Nobody owes you a living, that's up to you. May sound harsh, but it's definitely reality. +1
i2cool2fool Posted June 17, 2015 Report Posted June 17, 2015 There is some good advice in the thread. The only thing I can offer is don't sign anything you don't understand, haven't thoroughly reviewed or perhaps even had a trusted, skilled source provide an opinion on. Hopefully nothing happens to you and you have many more good years with your employer assuming happiness is your baseline before / after the company purchase.
HTHM Posted June 17, 2015 Report Posted June 17, 2015 Ed Canning in Hamilton is pretty good, from what I understand. Back up any emails and document all conversations, date, time, who and what was said.
Old Ironmaker Posted June 18, 2015 Report Posted June 18, 2015 (edited) When my wife's employment ownership was changed she talked to Ed Canning via phone at no charge. I highly recommend him. She was premature in her anxieties as nothing happened to her position. Edited June 18, 2015 by Old Ironmaker
lookinforwalleye Posted June 18, 2015 Report Posted June 18, 2015 I've been in the same situation, it definitely sucks. But until there some actual information, you've got zero to go on. Yep me too the company I worked for and dedicated my life too for 35 years fired me, I knew it was coming and I lawyered up and don`t be afraid to spend a few bucks to get good advice. At the end of the day what you get is determined by cases that have been through the courts previously and not what the law says, of course everything is dependent of tenure,position etc. so if you work in a warehouse for two years your probably looking at the minimum if your a 20 year employee your probably get more! And like I said don`t be afraid to spend a few buck to retain a good lawyer....there is a reason some lawyers offer a free consultation and some charge 300 bucks!!
Garnet Posted June 18, 2015 Report Posted June 18, 2015 Any free or off the cuff advice from lawyers or anybody else is suspect. If the situation comes up find the best down town lawyer and pay for it. Canadian Money Forum has people that are knowledgeable put it's still free advice.
craigdritchie Posted June 18, 2015 Report Posted June 18, 2015 (edited) Hi everyone, The company I work for has been purchased by another company. I need legal council and I need a free consultation for advice. I have had no luck finding the above. Does anyone know or have any knowledge of a legal advisor that I could seek advice from? I am in the Grimsby area. Thanks in advance, NPT1. I don't understand why you feel you need a lawyer. Companies change ownership all the time, and usually for the better. Until someone specifically tells you that the new owners are going to package you off, you're kind of jumping the gun here. Also - understand that free legal advice is pretty much worthless. About the only exception is something called Duty Council, which may be offered by your local court. Duty Council is a public service where lawyers (and more often, judges) provide legal advice to people at no cost. The idea isn't so much to give you specific advice, but to determine if you have a beef that's worth going to court with, or if you're just wasting your time. Judges donate their time to this duty because it helps reduce the court's case backlog. Not every court offers this, but many do. You'll have to call to find out if this is available in your area, and what the hours are. Because there's a lot of demand for free legal advice, your time with the judge is usually limited to about 15 or 20 minutes, so make sure you have all your facts straight and supporting papers in hand before you go. If the judge thinks your complaint is valid, then you can decide if it's worth taking legal action. If you feel you need a lawyer, get one that specializes in labour relations. A real estate lawyer is of no use to you. You need a pro. Those guys aren't cheap - think $200 an hour to start - so it's definitely worth floating it by duty council first, to see if you even have a legitimate case. Good luck. Edited June 18, 2015 by Craig_Ritchie
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