My best friend just got fired from her job as a restaurant hostess. Well, she thinks she did. You see, no one had the balls to officially tell her. She was given the runaround when she called work for her hours. The restaurant is under new ownership, but has the same managers. Here are ore details:
-she was “head hostess” and did office work as well as the usual duties
-she was working full time
-she was there for over nine months (the longest out of the hostesses, and as long or longer as most other people in the restaurant, including the managers)
-she was told by the new owner that an outfit she was wearing wasn’t sexy enough (that was the one time he said anything like that, I think, although she’d been experiencing frequent sexual harassent- ass grabbing, namely- from a busboy. She didn’t make a formal complaint, but did tell many higher ups and it didn’t stop. He is still employed)
-two other hostesses have been fired (including yours truly), as well as a female bartender and the only female waitress (who was frequently asked for by customers)
All right, so what is the actual question? Well, what are the legalities of firing? Do they have to give her any notice (in Canada)? Do they have to tell her the reason she’s been dismissed? Do they have to tell her at all that she’s been fired (legally, I mean. What were they expecting, really, that she wouldn’t notice?)?
Any comments or help (We’re in Canada, remember) is much appreciated!
Sorry, can’t speak for Canada, but here in the U.S. restaurant workers, unless they’re represented by some sort of union, are generally out of luck when it comes to “worker’s rights”. Your employer has the right to fire you any time, anywhere, for any reason other than blatant violations of the Equal Opportunity Act (“you’re fired because you’re female/black/lesbian/too old” etc.), and even then, you’re still fired although you do get the consolation of filing a lawsuit which will drag on for years. :rolleyes:
If your friend wants to file a sexual harassment lawsuit, more power to her, but she should (a) find a lawyer who specializes in this sort of thing, and (b) resign herself to the fact that it’s going to take years and (c) cost a fair amount of money, time, and hassle.
I’m guessing that the basic ground rules (“you can be fired any time, anywhere, for any reason”) are the same in Canada. Welcome to the wonderful world of Food Service, eh? 
The relevant U.S. laws.
http://www.eeoc.gov/facts/qanda.html
This looks like it might be the Canadian equivalent.
http://www.chrc-ccdp.ca/publications/prohibit-motifs.asp
Another unfortunate aspect of sexual harassment cases: getting dragged through the mud. If, by some miracle, the case was actually heard in court, the restaurant’s defense lawyer will make sure every name of every guy she has ever slept with is mentioned. The sluttier they can make her look, the less credibility she’ll have.
Sad but true 