Employment lawyers are brutally honest and blunt. They will usually inform you that you’re in the wrong, the business is in the right, and that the labour code is what it is – it’s cliché, we know. But they will ensure they will do what they can to help you: the employee or employer.

In today’s environment, employees and employers, which make up 90 percent of the marketplace, will always look out for their best interests. In the end, it can seem unfair, but that’s life, and employment attorneys want you to know this.

Here are five things employment lawyers wish employees would know:

1. There is a Typical Severance Payout

Have you been working at the same company for the last five years? Did you just get terminated? OK. You can expect to receive a severance package for your tour of duty.

But there are a few things that you should realize before you sign that document accepting your termination and your severance:

  • You will receive one month’s pay for every year you worked at the firm (for example, 10 years of service will yield you 10 months of severance).
  • You may not receive a lump sum payment – it could actually be a single cheque for the next few months.
  • If you worked at the business for less than a year, don’t expect a severance package.

These are crucial aspects to be aware of when it comes to severance payments.

2. Businesses Aren’t Required to be Fair

No matter how hard Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne, and other politicians try, businesses will never really be mandated to be “fair.” The definition of fair will depend on your outlook on the private sector, the labour market, and your career.

A business can do whatever it wants within the law: it can hire someone based on their looks, it can promote the most incompetent of workers, it can terminate a hard worker.

You may question their actions – and who wouldn’t under these circumstances? – but it’s a private business and it can manage its affairs however it deems appropriate.

3. You Can Lose Your Job on Any Leave

Here is something that many employees likely thought it was illegal: an employee who is on sick leave or on maternity can be fired from their job.

It’s true. Sure, an employee who is sick or who has just delivered birth to a beautiful baby boy can’t be fired for that very reason, but he or she can still be terminated for an entirely different cause. Everything from structural reorganization to the elimination of the position, a company can conjure up a myriad of different excuses for your pink slip.

4. Losing Your Cool Won’t Help You

Let’s be honest: it can be heart-wrenching to lose your job after six years of employment. It can also be difficult to lose your job as you have just acquired a home, had a child, or purchased a luxury automobile. These things happen.

But there is one thing you need to remember: never lose your cool when getting fired.

If you happen to find a pink slip on your keyboard or you have been handed a letter of termination, the last reaction you should have is to start yelling, breaking stuff, or cussing out the staff. This will hurt your reputation and potentially affect any severance you’re entitled to.

Should you get fired, then you need to take it on the chin, thank the company for the opportunity, and leave the premises with your character intact.

5. Always Ask for a Letter of Reference

Before you exit the property, it is critical to request a letter of reference from your employer. If you have been let go for something out of your control – a corporate restructuring or a business shutdown – then there is no reason why management would not provide you with a reference.

Employment lawyers understand that the labour code is intricate and always changing. It seems like every year the federal and provincial governments are adding new provisions or updating old laws. If you are equipped with these pieces of knowledge in the back of your mind, then you will be able to handle employment at unfair companies or grasp your termination.