My wife went on maternity leave in September of 2020 is due to go back to work the first week of March of this year. We’re in Canada, we have the choice of 12 or 18 months off, both equal same amount paid out, just stretched out further if you choose 18 months. My wife chose 18 months to have a longer time at home with our son. Just yesterday she got a phone call from her district manager telling her they have “restructured” the store and her position was “abolished”
She was an assistant manager, they had two assistant managers when my wife was there, the second one stepped down after my wife was off on leave and they hired someone new, the person that was hired in my wife’s place ended up quitting and they didn’t hire anyone else to replace her. They are letting the other replacement keep the assistant manager title, and are abolishing my wife’s job. Due to being off on maternity leave she is not eligible for regular EI benefits and is left with no job to return to, they only gave 3 days written notice. They are paying her 2 weeks pay for “termination pay” and leaving it at that. We don’t even think what they are doing is legal, and will be contacting a lawyer for more advice.