Ask your question and an employment lawyer in Ontario, BC or Alberta will answer in minutes
Hello,
My question is whether an employer reserves the right to terminate group LTD benefits without much communication of such to employees. I am currently on sick leave and needing to be off longer, I was under the impression (and have underwriting confirmation from Sunlife) that I had LTD, but have been told it was changed 2 years ago at which time they did change extended health benefits and that was clearly communicated. Sunlife will not confirm or deny anything and keeps telling me to contact my employer HR benefits team. I am a non unionized hospital worker.
Does this seem reasonable?
Hello,
Your employer may make small changes to your employment conditions unilaterally. If the change is substantial , it must obtain your consent. If you do not consent, you can quit your job and pursue your severance entitlements. If you wait too long to quit or protest, you may be deemed to have accepted the changes.
Here, the change happened two years ago, which would be too long for you to now object to the change to the benefit plan. That said, you seem to indicate that you were not informed about certain aspects of the change until recently.
The first thing to do right now is confirm whether you have the correct information by reaching out to your HR benefits team. If your LTD was cut and you were never told, you will have to decide whether you are willing to quit your job and pursue your severance. If you are, it is important that you speak with us before you quit to ensure you follow the proper process for obtaining your full severance.
Regards,
Lluc Cerda
Lawyer
Your employer may make small changes to your employment conditions unilaterally. If the change is substantial , it must obtain your consent. If you do not consent, you can quit your job and pursue your severance entitlements. If you wait too long to quit or protest, you may be deemed to have accepted the changes.
Here, the change happened two years ago, which would be too long for you to now object to the change to the benefit plan. That said, you seem to indicate that you were not informed about certain aspects of the change until recently.
The first thing to do right now is confirm whether you have the correct information by reaching out to your HR benefits team. If your LTD was cut and you were never told, you will have to decide whether you are willing to quit your job and pursue your severance. If you are, it is important that you speak with us before you quit to ensure you follow the proper process for obtaining your full severance.
Regards,
Lluc Cerda
Lawyer