Former ServiCom Employees Owed Pay

The Department of Labour and Advanced Education has completed its investigation into the sudden closure of ServiCom, a call centre in Sydney, and found that former employees are owed pay.

Affected employees are being sent correspondence this week, explaining the outcome of the investigation and the specific pay owing to them.

The provincial government, through the director of Labour Standards and a former employee co-applicant, will make a court application for a bankruptcy order against ServiCom in Canada. If a bankruptcy order is made by the court, it will enable former employees to apply to the federal Wage Earner Protection Program.

“We continue to do everything we can to recover wages owed, outstanding vacation pay and pay in lieu of notice of termination for former ServiCom employees,” said Business Minister Geoff MacLellan, on behalf of Labour and Advanced Education Minister Labi Kousoulis. “Initiating a Canadian bankruptcy proceeding is the best course of action.”

Under the federal program, each employee may be eligible to recover up to a maximum of $6,600.

If a bankruptcy order is made by the court, a trustee will be appointed and will assist employees in accessing the Wage Earner Protection Program. The federal government will determine what pay claims qualify for the program and how much each claimant may receive.

Initiating this bankruptcy process will not affect current operations for the new owner.

“Thank you to MCI for helping facilitate communication with former ServiCom employees as we try to update them on what we’re doing to recover their unpaid wages,” said Mr. MacLellan.

If former employees have not received correspondence by Tuesday, March 12, they can email labourstandards.servicom@novascotia.ca or call 902-424-8127 with the following information by Friday, March 15:

• full name
• current mailing address
• phone number
• the dates worked for ServiCom
• ServiCom employee ID # (if available)