Canadian telecommunications giant BCE, the parent company of Bell, has terminated several employees for breaching workplace attendance and remote work policies. However, allegations have surfaced suggesting that the terminations were unjust and aimed at avoiding severance payments. Bell’s chief human resources officer, Nikki Moffat, mentioned in an internal email that the fired employees were allegedly misrepresenting their workplace presence. Nevertheless, the dismissed workers have refuted these claims on social media and in discussions with CBC News.
According to Jean-Alexandre De Bousquet, a lawyer representing over 30 terminated Bell employees, many of these individuals had never physically worked in the office, even predating the pandemic. De Bousquet asserted that Bell’s assertion of terminated employees swiping in and leaving shortly after was not accurate. Bell disputed the claim that hundreds of employees were let go, stating that only a small number were terminated. The company did not disclose specific termination figures or the identities of affected individuals.
De Bousquet contended that numerous terminated employees were not given warnings before their dismissal and speculated that Bell terminated them for economic reasons, using alleged misconduct as a pretext to avoid severance payments. Bell defended its actions, stating that the terminations were based on clear violations of the company’s code of conduct. The company emphasized that each case underwent a thorough investigation, and individuals were presented with evidence of their misconduct.
While Bell enforced stricter attendance policies at work, the terminations occurred amidst a trend of white-collar workers returning to the office post-pandemic. The company’s move to dismiss employees comes after previous job cuts in late 2025. Despite a recent increase in operating revenue, Bell’s profits have declined, with growth being driven by AI services while traditional services like phone and TV experienced setbacks.
The situation has sparked debates about work-from-home policies, with legal experts noting that employers typically have the authority to determine employees’ work locations. Disputes over remote work policies have become prevalent, raising questions about the requirements for just cause terminations. Toronto employment lawyer Sundeep Gokhale emphasized that firing employees for just cause is a stringent measure, usually necessitating prior warnings and disciplinary actions. Theft, fraud, or falsification of records are some of the grave offenses that meet the criteria for just cause terminations. Gokhale highlighted that the outcome of cases like Bell’s hinges on the specific evidence in each employee’s situation.