Employment Law 劳工雇佣法

“Termination of Employment”

There are many expressions to describe the situation of an employment being terminated, such as “let go,” “discharge,” “dismiss,” “fire,” or “lay off”. According to the “Employment Standards Act (2000),” an employment is considered to be terminated if the employer:

dismisses or stops employing someone due to bankruptcy;
“constructively” dismisses someone who resigns within a reasonable time;
lays off someone for a period that’s longer than a “temporary layoff”

In most cases, when an employer wishes to fire someone who he has employed for the last three consecutive months, he/she must provide the employee with a written notice of termination, a certain amount of “termination pay”, or a combination of both. Although the ESA does not require the employer to provide specific reasons when firing someone, in some cases, the employee cannot be fired even with the appropriate compensation (i.e. if the employee had been asking questions about ESA, or if they were exercising one of their ESA-given rights).

“被停止就业” 的定义

在英语里，有许多词语可以描述被 “解雇” 的情况，比如 “let go,” “discharge,” “dismiss,” “fire,” or “lay off”。根据我们安省在2000 年通过的 “就业标准法(ESA)，” “被停止就业” 的定义是：

如果雇主由于自己的破产而停止雇用员工
如果雇主 “建设性的” 解雇了员工，而且那位员工也在合理的时间之内主动离职
如果雇主让员工休假的时间超过一般 “临时解雇” 的标准。

在大多数情况下，当一位雇主想要解聘一个已经为自己连续工作三个月的员工，他/她必须向那个员工提供书面通知，或者一份 “终止期工资”。虽然劳工法里没有明确要求雇主向雇员提供明确的解聘原因，但是在某些情况下，就算雇主提供了这些适当的补偿手段也不能解聘员工（比如当员工提出了 “不应该问的问题”，或者引用他们的劳工法权益而拒绝长时间加班等)。

“Constructive Dismissal”

A constructive dismissal occurs when an employer makes a significant change to a term of an employment, without gaining that employee’s actual/implied consent. Such “significant changes” may include a reduction in salary, or a change in working location and hours, or a change in authority or position. Constructive dismissal may also include situations where an employer harasses or abuses an employee, or giving an employee the ultimatum to “quit or be fired” – which caused the employee to resign. In these cases, you (as the employee) will then be qualified for “termination pay”.

什么是 “建设性的” 解雇？

当雇主在没有获得雇员的实际/默认同意的情况下对员工的工作进行重大更改时，例如减少了薪资，更换了工作的地点和时间，或者改变了员工的权力和职位，就会发生 “建设性的” 解雇。“建设性的” 解雇的情况还可能包括雇主骚扰和虐待雇员，或者让雇员 “主动辞职或被迫解雇” 等。 在这些情况下，您（雇员）将会有资格获得 “终止期工资”。

“Temporary Layoff”

A temporary layoff occurs when an employer cuts back/stops an employee’s work without completely ending their employment, such as telling them to go home when there aren’t too many customers. Most of the time, even if the employer does not specifically tell you when to return to work, doesn’t mean it is NOT a “temporary layoff” – though some “temporary layoffs” may become “constructive dismissals” if it went against the original contract. Under the ESA, a “temporary layoff” can mean:

not more than 13 weeks of layoff in any period of 20 consecutive weeks;
more than 13 weeks in any period of 20 consecutive weeks, but less than 35 weeks of layoff in any period of 52 consecutive weeks, with ONE of the following conditions:
- the employee continues to receive substantial payments from the employer
- the employer continues to pay for the employee’s insurance/retirement plans
- the employee receives supplementary unemployment benefits
- the employee would be entitled to receive supplementary unemployment benefits but isn’t receiving them because they’re employed elsewhere
- the employer recalls the employee within the time-frame approved by the Director of Employment Standards

If an employee is laid off for a period longer than the parameters as set out above, the employment is considered to be fully terminated. In these cases, you (as the employee) will then be qualified for “termination pay”.

什么是“临时性”解雇

当雇主在没有完全结束雇佣关系的情况下削减/停止雇员的工作时，例如在没有太多顾客的情况下告诉他们回家，就会发生 ”临时性” 解雇。在大多数情况下，就算雇主没有明确地告诉您何时需要返回工作岗位，您也不一定就被 “临时性” 解雇了— 但是某些 “临时性” 解雇违反了原始的工作合同，所以会被升级为 “建设性” 解雇。根据我们安省在2000 年通过的 “就业标准法(ESA)，“临时性” 解雇可能意味着：

在连续20周内的休息/不上班的时间不超过13周
在连续20周内的休息/不上班的时间超过了13周，但在连续52周内的休息/不上班的时间不超过35周，而且有着以下条件之一：
- 雇员继续从雇主那里获得可观的付款
- 雇主继续为雇员的保险/退休计划付款
- 员工获得补充失业救济金
- 该雇员有权获得补充失业津贴，但由于在其他地方受雇而没有得到
- 雇主在就业标准总监批准的期限内召回该雇员

如果一个员工被解雇的时间超过上述 “临时性解雇” 的标准，那位员工就会被视为正式地被解聘，而且一般都能够获得 “终止期工资”。在这些情况下，您（雇员）将会有资格获得 “终止期工资”。

Am I able to get a written notice and/or termination pay?

Unfortunately, the notice of termination and termination pay regulations outlined by the ESA WILL NOT apply to an employee who:

Is guilty of willful misconduct, disobedience, or willfully neglected their duties
Was hired for a specific length of time or until the completion of a specific task. However, such an employee will be entitled to notice of termination or termination pay if: the employment ends before the term expires or the task is completed; or if the term expires or the task is not completed more than 12 months after the employment started; or if the employment continues for three months or more after the term expires or the task is completed
Is employed in construction. This includes employees who are doing off-site work in whole or in part who are commonly associated in work or collective bargaining with employees who work at the construction site
Has their employment terminated when they reach the age of retirement in accordance with the employer’s established practice, but only if the termination would not contravene the Human Rights Code
Is (was) on a temporary layoff, and does not return to work within a reasonable time after being recalled to work
Is terminated during or as a result of a strike or lockout at the workplace

我有没有资格获得书面通知或者 “终止期工资”？

不幸的是，有些员工由于某些原因而完全没有获得 ”终止期工资”的权利。这些原因包括：

故意做出不正当行为，不服从或故意忽视自己重要职责的员工
为了一项特殊的任务而被雇佣的员工。但是如果雇佣期在任务完成之前就截止，或者工作在被雇佣的12个月以后还没有完成，或者员工在工作完成后三个月还是被雇佣的状态，那个员工是有权获得 “终止期工资”的
受雇于建筑或船舶的行业的员工 (包括在异地工作的员工和参与工会谈判的员工)
当雇员达到退休年龄时被解雇 (在不违反人权法的前提下被解雇的)的员工
被“临时性” 解雇，但是在被召回之后的合理时间之内还没有回来工作的员工
由于罢工和停工等原因被解雇的员工

How much termination pay can I get?

An employee who does not receive the written notice required under the ESA must be given termination pay in lieu of notice. Termination pay is a lump sum payment equal to the regular wages for a regular work week that an employee would otherwise have been entitled to during the written notice period. An employee earns vacation pay on their termination pay. Employers must also continue to make whatever contributions would be required to maintain the benefits the employee would have been entitled to had they continued to be employed through the notice period.

我能拿到多少 ”终止期工资“？

根据劳工法规定，没有收到书面通知的员工必须获得 “终止期工资”。“终止期工资” 是一份一次性支付的正常工作周的正常工资，其周数相当于员工应得的书面通知期。如果员工有假期工资的话，他们的假期工资将会加在 “终止期工资” 里。如果雇员在这个 “等待/通知期” 里还没被完全被解聘，那么雇主还必须继续支付员工在这段时间里本应享有的福利。