Usually when you hire people, many assume that if an employer wants to let someone go, they can simply say, “You’re fired,” and that’s it. In reality, there’s a lot more to consider. For example, if you fire a full-time employee who’s been with you for a while, you may need to provide compensation afterward. This is because they need time to recover, and there are laws in place to protect employees from being abruptly dismissed.
One thing that’s been controversial recently is the wave of lawsuits stemming from COVID-19 pandemic policies. Many companies and even government employers gave employees little to no choice when it came to vaccination. A lot of people requested religious exemptions, but employers often responded with, “Too bad — you’re fired if you don’t get vaccinated.”
Recently, the Canada Revenue Agency was found to have violated labor practices because of this and must compensate the victims. This highlights an important point: when it comes to hiring and firing, you must be certain that you cannot reasonably accommodate the employee in any way. This isn’t the movies, where you can simply get rid of someone on the spot. If you’re going to terminate an employee, you need to document the situation thoroughly, make reasonable efforts to help them, and follow proper procedures. Failing to do so can expose your business to serious legal risks.
Many of the stories I’ve read involve employees who were already working from home, which made the vaccination mandate seem especially unreasonable. At the end of the day, running a real business means you are dealing with real people with rather strict rules in place. You’re not in a TV show.