Chris Wins 15 Months' Pay After Employer Forced New Contract in 3 Days
Updated
Updated · Hamilton Spectator · May 22
Chris Wins 15 Months' Pay After Employer Forced New Contract in 3 Days
1 articles · Updated · Hamilton Spectator · May 22
15 months of lost salary, plus benefits and bonuses, were awarded to Chris after a court found he had been constructively dismissed.
Three days after new owners took over the tombstone company, they gave the 20-year sales manager until Monday to sign a contract that changed his title and duties and sharply limited termination pay.
The agreement also imposed non-solicitation and non-compete restrictions, and the employer insisted the terms were required immediately rather than after reasonable notice.
Chris resigned by Thursday after repeated requests for more time were rejected; the employer's claim that the contract was only a negotiating position failed because the deadline and wording showed immediate effect.
The ruling said such fundamental employment changes could have been lawful if introduced with about 15 months' notice, leaving the employer facing roughly $150,000 in damages before legal costs.
How did a new contract cost a company its 20-year employee and $150,000 in damages?
What legal 'reasonable notice' do employers owe before fundamentally changing an employee's job?
When does a new employment contract legally become a reason to quit and sue your employer?