Business In Vancouver is reporting that a former member of executive leadership in a Vancouver social media company has filed a lawsuit against his former employer for wrongful dismissal. The article describes allegations of swift and unexpected actions by the employer culminating in a surprise termination.
Reportedly, the plaintiff’s May 5 lawsuit filing in the Supreme Court of British Columbia includes claims for wrongful dismissal, breach of employment contract, mental distress and bad faith. No response had been received from the former employer at the time the article was published.
The plaintiff was allegedly hired at a high salary level to be a vice-president of business development, leading to an eventual assignment to lead a major initiative to expand business. The employee alleges that the project, which he led and built, led to a product that accounted for more than half of the company’s revenue.
However, the company allegedly eliminated the plaintiff’s job title, after which he was ordered to either accept a demotion and report to a new executive officer who had just come on board or leave the company. The employee alleges that while he was determining what to do, the CEO said to the entire company at a meeting that the plaintiff was leaving, blindsiding the plaintiff. The suit describes the incident as bringing to the employee “further mental stress, anxiety and humiliation.”
Employee terminations can be sensitive endeavours involving unique individual facts and sometimes complex contractual and statutory provisions to review. Employees who believes that they have been wrongfully dismissed should speak with a lawyer about potential legal claims. Employers should salso seek legal advice from experienced lawyers before terminating employees – especially those at executive levels with complex employment contracts – for guidance about how to handle such terminations legally and appropriately.
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